Okay…first of all, I am going to do my best to not include spoilers.
It’s New Years Eve and Katie is ready for a change…and a kiss. Who would be the lucky guy? She is torn between Ranger and Pete. Who are you rooting for? I am Team Ranger. I love a little bit of the bad boy. Besides, when they fall, the fall hard!
The Academy…everything has good and bad, but I struggle to find the good. Things are not as they seem.
The characters grown and change, developing more depth as they are put into situations that are beyond their control.
Katie is caught in the middle, pulled in opposite directions. She is so young and naive, inexperienced. I love watching her learn life’s lessons and I do feel frustrated with how easily I feel she is being manipulated.
Completely flipped…and…I am very leery and afraid for her. AND…curious about where we will go next. Don’t think you know where we are going is easy, cut and dried, because C J Daly has so many twists, turns and questions that make me want MORE.
I will be up front. I don’t know who will win out in the love department, Ranger or Pete, but I am Team Ranger. There’s something about Pete I don’t like, don’t trust. Is it love, obsession, possession?
I had a good idea how Cap and Gown would end, seeing we have so much more of the story to be told. Warning…once you start you won’t want to quit, so be ready for many hours and thousand of pages, of love, hope, despair, duty….
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Cap and Gown by C J Daly.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Katie Connelly is nineteen years old but feels like she’s been fighting for survival forever.
When Officer Ranger Nealson offers her a lifeline at The Academy, she snatches it with both hands. But she soon realizes that her lifeline might not be enough to keep her afloat and that her mentor might have ulterior motives. She wouldn’t be willing to compromise her principles if it wasn’t for one small thing–her brother Mikey. Her all-encompassing promise to her mother to protect her brothers causes her to forge forward with Ranger’s master plan. After all, this is likely the best deal she would get at The Academy, and she and Mikey need all the help they can get to survive in this cutthroat world.
But during the course of her training, Kate can’t help but long for a different elite cadet. Where is Pete Davenport? He’s lost in the wind. Will he make an appearance before Kate marches into a destiny she’s not sure she wants? Much less can handle. Somewhere along this fast-forward march, Kate makes a major misstep that costs her biggest ally and forever changes the lives of everyone she’s trying to protect.
ABOUT C J DALY
CJ Daly grew up on the scrabbly plains of Eastern New Mexico. When she was supposed to be helping her six siblings with chores on the family ranch, she was really sneaking behind dusty haystacks to read. And dreaming about becoming a writer.
After graduating high
school, CJ moved to Big D, where she quickly put herself through college
while trying to rid herself of her country accent. She had better luck
with college, graduating magna cum laude with a degree in English
literature. After teaching a few years and pausing to have back-to-back
boys, she began writing in earnest.
A few years later, “The
Academy Saga” was born. It instantly earned a Readers’ Favorite 5-STAR
seal of approval and became an Amazon best seller.
WHEW! (swipes hand across sweating forehead) What a cover for Lord King by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff. This ought to be fun. Mimi Jean Pamfiloff writes her stories with wit and creativity. Even though I have missed a book or two in the series, I feel it did not affect my enjoyment of Lord King, but I do recommend beginning at the beginning.
Ansin is evil…and was dead. Now, he’s back…with a hot new body. He is evil, on a par with King. Jeni is a seer, the last of her kind, as is Ansin…so, he demands she marry him and give him children. He thinks they are destined to be together and carry on their bloodlines, even though it is King she wants.
King had lost his love, Mia, and his children. Even though he’s incapable of dying, that doesn’t mean he can’t suffer. The heart wants what the heart wants, no matter how evil. Jeni is there to help him die and go to his family. She wants revenge and he is paying penance, so they each have their own agenda.
“I’m sorry, King.” I reached out, covering his heart with my hand, “but, like it or not, you can’t hide from me. I see you. You see me. We are Connected.”
They are together until his situation is resolved. She is a human lie detector and they could read each other’s thoughts. I’m not sure I would care for that.
It was wonderful watching meek and mild Jeni grow up.
Soooo, two badass alpha males, evil and magical, want her for their own purposes. What to do.
NO! Mimi! I didn’t see that coming. That’s on me. With all the twists and turns, betrayals and double crosses, I shouldn’t have been THAT surprised, but I loved that I was…by the ending. We do have a cliffhanger…sort of. Yes…there are so many questions and I plan on being around to see the ending.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lord King by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
4 Stars
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes a Paranormal Suspense, Lord King.
A curse he cannot break without her… KING Before I became evil, I was king of a great people. Now I am cursed to walk the earth until I pay for my misdeeds. After three thousand years, I have much to answer for.
Then along comes Jeni, further complicating matters. She claims to love me, though I could never reciprocate. Her loathsome people placed me in this predicament, and frankly, I gave my heart to another woman long ago. But I am about to discover that meeting Jeni is no coincidence. Our true connection will shock even me.
A power she didn’t know she had… JENI I am what they call a Seer, an ancient people with unusual gifts, and I’m the last of my kind. Surprise! Because up until recently, I thought I was a regular person. But meeting King changed everything. He opened my eyes to the world around me, filled with more darkness than I could’ve imagined. And King? He’s the darkest of them all. That’s why I can’t wrap my head around my feelings. With every moment we spend together, I’m falling for a man who can never love me back. His heart belongs to his dead wife. That’s when I meet Ansin. The only man on earth who could rival King for darkness and ruthless ambition. Like me, Ansin is the last of his bloodline, which is why he demands I marry him and give him children. Do I get to choose, or has fate already chosen for me?
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two
pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons
(really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack,
in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make
you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that
leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Would you take an anti-aging hormone? What if you could keep your youth? If someone you knew was terrified of aging, and you’d invented the hormone, would you give it to them? Even if it meant discovery would cause you to lose your chance of winning the Nobel Prize? Blue Coyote Motel is a suspense love story which begins in the barrios of Southern California and spans the globe in such diverse locations as Provence, South America, and the Himalayas. The beautiful Latina, Maria, and her husband, Jeffrey, a scientist fired from a prestigious laboratory, struggle to build a new life in a remote Southern California desert areas as owners of the motel. Along with the anti-aging hormone, Jeffrey invents a “feel-good” wonder drug to help Maria with her depression. As Jeffrey becomes insane he begins to experiment with the wonder drug. Six wayward travelers, including an alcoholic priest, a couple who own gold mines in Brazil, a depressed widow, a struggling salesman, and a Native American pediatrician find themselves spending the night at the small motel. The next morning they wake up feeling better than ever. Has Jeffrey’s miracle drug delivered? Or is the nightmare of addiction only beginning? Blue Coyote Motel presents an engaging look at the human frailties present in all of us.
I added Blue Coyote by Dianne Harman to my TBR on 2.10.13. Why? #1 – the cover. #2 – the title. #3 – the blurb. It sounds like a wild ride and I was curious. Makes me think of that saying: If something seems to good to be true, it usually is. Everything has a price and I wonder what these characters will have to pay.
Tagline: Greater Atlantis, where The Guardian Tribe roam
MY REVIEW
First off, Beyond Atlantis by Lucius Beauchamp has an amazing cover and I love anything to do with Atlantis. Add in some magic and angels, what more can I ask for?
The world I entered holds many things that our world does…love, desire, betrayal, greed, power, lust, good and evil, light and dark.
Priests are people too, with all the foibles the rest of us have.
Galen and Zithia are soulmates, but there is much to be risked for them to be together. I’m not so sure about Galen, but have no doubts about Zithia.
She struggles to build a life for herself. She is bright, determined, giving, an asset to any community. Her struggles and are richly detailed, brought to life through Lucius Beauchamp’s words. I had no idea what was coming, I was just along for the ride.
Sometimes things are so simple…right or wrong. It’s the people that make it complicated.
Will Galen learn in this lifetime, or, will he be doomed to return and try again?
Epic love story…Lucius Beauchmap pulled my heartstrings, drawing me in on this wild adventure.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Beyond Atlantis by Lucius Beauchamp.
4 Stars
Book Description:
10,000 years ago, ancient Atlantian Tribes of magicians flourished in the lower Americas and along the Mississippi.
Galen, an Atlantian magician priest is locked in a relentless power struggle with an envious sorceress who blackmails, lies, and manipulates. A prince of the blood, Galen is determined that nothing will stop his becoming an Archpriest.
Eten, blackest witch and high priestess sees angels and seeks a forbidden treasure. She finds Galen’s curse of having a soulmate particularly helpful.
Half a millennia ago the Island of Atlantis sank off the Biminis, the 13th Tribe was held responsible for the demise of Atlantis. The surviving Atlantians stripped the 13th of all technology and exiled them.
Vengeful, the 13th Tribe wishes to return but the 13th’s warlocks fear crossing into Greater Older Atlantis. They do not dare set foot on the Guardian-protected land. The great Guardian Tribe possess a formidable circle of psychics who roam North America keeping constant vigil to keep Greater Older Atlantis safe for all Atlantians.
With
lightning rushing to greet the barbarians, not only sulphur made their guts
wrench. That most feared God, the God of lightning, was among them. Sheets of
power forked across the ground, felling dozens of the pure race. Repeatedly, the
riverbed exploded and sprayed molten sand. Dripping glass sculptures remained
and pressure waves threw barbarians into the glowing glass pools. Where some
lay stuck, in death or dying.
The false day reached the refugees, the sky pulsing green.
From the Safety of the hillside they saw it all, with deafening thunder rocking
them. Dodging lightning bolts, the barbarians ran when they could to slid into
super-hot streams of glass where their flesh seared so completely that bare-bones
were exposed among living tissue. There was screaming at newly blackened limbs
and sizzling holes within a shoulder or thigh, created by actual lightning
strikes. And then more astral screams as the black shadows of the underworld
chased and fell upon the freshly dead. Only a handful survived. It was another
mist-night.
*
Tancah. Ten ships comprising another fleet had landed. Gold. Mounds of gold was
being turned into ingots for shipment to the Far World.
The gangplanks were sunk into the pink sand by the tread of
disembarking
warriors.
The scarred pyramids were towers with large stone tablets
standing
on top. Not very wide, with ladder-like stairs, each had an almost sheer
drop at the back. Saplings burst forth in unexpected places among the ruins.
The seventh ship to dock was grander than the others. Its
occupants always liked to be seventh, from superstition. Rhaim, the
commander-in-chief hurried to meet these new arrivals. They were the main
reason he’d come back to Tancah. After all, he didn’t want their leader to take
offense. In black clothing with wide purple edging, the thirteen glided down
the gangplank. Weary soldiers made hasty signs in the group’s direction while
dropping their eyes. Even with a close trimmed mustache, the outlines of the
first face were a death mask. Udo, the leader. Tall, white-haired and eyes
robin’s-egg blue. The whole group was from similar molds.
Not on land yet, Udo glanced at Tancah. A connoisseur, he
breathed
deeply of the destruction. Then he put a foot hard on the sand and dogs began
to howl. A flock of monarch butterflies, resting on their way to their wintering
ground, filled the air. Raising his hand to the sky, Udo cut a swath through
the gossamer wings. The lovelies rained down among the pyramids, while the
coven roared with laughter.
Invisible to everyone, a watcher hovered over the beach
within sight of the ships. As one, the black-garbed group turned to look at
him, eyes burning. Languidly, Udo said, ‘Kill.’
Two men vacated their flesh so utterly that their bodies fell
to the ground. Their spirits were shadow hounds. Instantly the temple
flyer telepathed the sight to his temple, then spirit claws were on him.
Dying, screams filled the heads of other flyers.
The murdered watcher’s body, seated in the temple chamber,
spasmed and went limp. A high priest wiped the corpse’s brow, ‘Where is the other?’
Simultaneously, Udo’s face was in the room, hanging in
mid-space.
Gloating, he disappeared. Then he was back at the beachfront. ‘Find the other
watched.’
The two dark hounds pounced forward, but Udo’s snarl sent
them scurrying into their bodies. He believed in sharing and signaled a fresh pair.
About the Author:
Like Plato, Lucius believed Atlantis existed. Interpreting Plato’s description of location, backed up by Edgar Cayce’s readings, the Island of Atlantis was off the Biminis. Therefore, for him, the Continent of Atlantis (Greater Older Atlantis) was North America.
When a distant relative dies, Claire Montgomery inherits an ages old house with a storied past. Intending to flip it for profit, she travels to a quaint burrow in the middle of nowhere and becomes the talk of the town. Or maybe it has more to do with the house that everyone claims is haunted by a history that’s even more mysterious than Claire could ever imagine. Can she finish the renovations and get out of Dodge before the quest for a profit kills her?
About the Author
J.C. Valentine is the USA Today and International bestselling author of the Night Calls and Wayward Fighters Series and the Forbidden Trilogy. Her vivid imagination and love of words and romance had her penning her own romance stories from an early age, which, despite being poorly edited and written longhand, she forced friends and family members to read. No, she isn’t sorry.
Living in the Northwest, she has three amazing children and far too many pets. Among the many hats she wears, J.C. is an entrepreneur. Having graduated with honors, she holds a Bachelor’s in English and when she isn’t writing, you can find her editing for fellow authors.
Sign up for J.C.’s newsletter and never miss a thing! http://bit.ly/1KxXWWB
Sleigh Bells on Bread Loaf Mountain Lindy Miller Published by: Rosewind Books Publication date: December 7th 2021 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Screenplay by the writer of Rescuing Madison and A Lesson in Romance (Hallmark), and the forthcoming Aloha with Love.
Christmas isn’t fashion editor Roxanne Hudson’s style, but when she finds herself snowed in with a handsome stranger, she might just discover the magic of the season after all.
Roxanne Hudson does not like the holidays. They come with too many family obligations that take her away from work as a rising fashion editor in New York City. But this Christmas might be Grandma Myrtle’s last, and Roxanne’s parents want her to spend the holiday at the family cabin in the Green Mountains. With her boyfriend out of the country for a photo shoot, Roxanne decides to brave the long commute—and the wilderness—to spend Christmas in Vermont.
After an uncomfortable call from her boyfriend starts the trip off badly, Roxanne is blindsided by a blizzard on the snowy mountain road, where the last thing she hears before losing consciousness is sleigh bells. When she’s rescued by Mark Foster, a handsome park ranger who’s the exact opposite of everything she always thought she wanted, Roxanne seeks her grandmother’s wisdom and discovers an uncanny connection that could be a sign of what her life is really meant to be.
“You’re seriously going to drive all the way to Vermont to spend Christmas with family you haven’t seen in years?”
Spencer’s voice was so thick with sarcasm Roxanne couldn’t decide which part of what he’d said offended him the most.
Her work bestie slumped dramatically against the high wall of her cubicle, fanning at himself. The perfection of his coiffed hair and meticulously starched clothes might have given the impression that Spencer Chen was impervious to the indignities of human emotion, but the expression on his face said plainly he was not. At the present, he was wearing the most severe of his trademark histrionic faces: upper lip drawn back to expose a row of pearly white teeth, nostrils flared, expertly sculpted eyebrows arched. The look said he hated everything that had just come out of his mouth.
All of it.
Don’t encourage him. Roxanne bit her lip and willed herself to stay silent. When Spencer got on a roll, it was best to just let him tire himself out. Working in the fashion industry had earned her a closet full of designer labels and, along with them, the kid gloves necessary to handle the drama queens in her life, including Spencer. Usually, Roxanne enjoyed his dramatic reactions to everyday happenings—so long as they weren’t directed at her.
Like now.
She opened her mouth to speak, but Spencer wasn’t finished.
“In a log cabin,” he added, stabbing his index finger upward to punctuate each word. A shudder passed through his body as he dropped his palm over his heart. He was so spun up he actually looked faint.
“I am.” Roxanne drew her response out and bit her lip. Maybe if she said the words slowly, they wouldn’t spin him back up.
Spencer closed his eyes and sucked his teeth, still fanning.
She sighed. “It’s not as bad as you’re making it sound, though, Spence. Seriously.”
“Oh, honey.” Spencer’s eyes snapped open with an exaggerated pop. “It absolutely is. You’re Divine, remember? Being divine isn’t just a job; it’s a lifestyle. And there’s nothing cute about spending the biggest holiday of the year in the sticks.”
Author Bio:
Lindy Miller is an entrepreneur, award-winning professor, and publishing professional. In 2011, Miller was part of the executive leadership team that founded Radiant Advisors, a data and business intelligence research and advisory firm, where Miller developed and launched the company’s editorial and research divisions, and later its data visualization practice, for clients that included 21st Century Fox Films, Fox Networks, Warner Bros., and Disney. She is the author of numerous papers and two textbooks under the name of Lindy Ryan, The Visual Imperative: Creating a Culture of Visual Discovery (Elsevier) and Visual Data Storytelling with Tableau (Pearson) Miller holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration: Entrepreneurship and Strategy, and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership and a Doctorate in Education, Organizational Leadership.
So I’m a romance author. That means a lot of
things, but mostly, it means I crave a happily ever after so much that I feel
inclined to write about it, over and over again.
Is there a reason I feel compelled to figure out a happy ending for every
heroine in every book I ever have – and ever will – write? Is it because
reality is so terrible that I just need to escape from it, through the written
word?
Let me tell you how my husband and I met…
I was 25. He was 31. I was at a point in my life where I was finally happy;
secure, comfortable being single and living on my own. Throughout college I
dreamed of finding Prince Charming and settling down and birthing adorable
little babies. Unfortunately, the boys I dated in college, and shortly
thereafter, were anything but Prince Charming. Eventually I realized I was
having far too much fun simply hanging out with my girlfriends and I figured if
Prince Charming existed, he’d come along… Someday.
I should mention that, at the time, I lived in Louisiana and the hubs-to-be
lived in Michigan.
Before you think, how in the world…? Let me add that I am originally from
Michigan and the vast majority of my family still lives there.
We met in May.
A dear friend was graduating from broadcasting school (in Michigan) and asked
me to go to the ceremony and after-party. I had some vacation time, and I
hadn’t been home in a while, so I decided to burn two weeks and spend it up
north.
Turns out, the hubs-to-be was graduating from broadcasting school, too. At the
same time. In the same class. Notable event from the graduation ceremony: My
girlfriend’s brother and I sat in one row, while her parents sat two rows
behind us. I asked my future in-laws to please move for a moment so I could
take a picture of my friend’s parents.
My future husband and I didn’t officially meet at the ceremony. Nope, not yet.
It was at the party, afterward. My friend’s brother and I sat at a table in a
corner, indulging in alcoholic beverages and pretending we were commentators on
The Talk(or whatever version of that show existed back in 1998), while my
social butterfly friend flitted about the room, celebrating with her classmates.
At one point, she was out on the dance floor with my hubs-to-be and a few
minutes later, she came bee-bopping over to our table.
“Hey, Tami. See that guy out there?” she asked, motioning toward the dance
floor.
I nodded.
“He wants to know if you’d be interested in a one-night stand.”
What?!
(The joke I like to tell now a-days is, “He sure ended up with a hell of a long
one-night stand.”)
I was naturally affronted and maybe a little intrigued (oh yes, this is
reality; you are not reading a novel right now), so I downed the rest of my
drink and headed out to the dance floor. To this day, I have no earthly idea
what I intended to do or say. All I know is that we immediately began dancing,
then we eventually took a break so that I could go to the restroom, and when I
returned, he had a plate in his hand with a piece of cheesecake perched on it,
and he fed me the cheesecake.
Let me be clear: He fed me cheesecake. Swoon.
I probably would have gone home with him then and there, except the biggest
joke of all is that he absolutely was not that kind of guy. He had been trying
to be funny. Instead of a laugh, he ended up with a wife. Joke’s on him…?
We spent quite literally every single day of the rest of my vacation together.
I met his parents (officially). We discussed bridesmaids and groomsmen (nope,
not kidding). I met his best friend, who had to give his stamp of approval
before the hubs-to-be could officially date me. (Apparently he had a history of
picking up the wrong kind of woman. Maybe he should have changed his pickup
line. Or maybe not.)
The day I left to fly back home to Louisiana, I had his demo tape tucked into
my luggage. At the time, I worked in PR, and was friendly with the general
manager of one of the local television stations located in the city in which I
lived. The hubs to be was trying to break into the industry, and wasn’t
particular about whether that would occur in his home state of Michigan or
somewhere else.
We met on May 1st. The week of Memorial Day, he flew down to visit me and
interview for a job at the local television station. They offered him the job
that same day. My BFF had to meet him and give her stamp of approval
(hey, fair’s fair, right?).
At the end of the week, he flew home and gave his two weeks’ notice at the
current job. He moved into my apartment six weeks after we met. And proposed at
Christmas. We were married six months later. And still are, 22 years later.
Mostly happily.
So why do I write romance? I guess the answer is: because it happened to me.
Santa’s Destiny
Tami Lund
Genre: Paranormal Romcom/Chick Lit
Publisher: Tami Lund
Date of Publication: 12/1/2021
ISBN:9781005702335
ASIN: B09HQ2XDFZ
Number of pages: 68
Word Count: 17,851
Cover Artist: Kathryn R. Biel
Tagline: This elf is in for the sleigh ride of her life
Book Description:
Des (don’t call her Destiny—she hates that name) is an elf with a problem. A jolly, red-suit wearing, gift-bearing, reindeer-loving problem.
Turns out, someone has stolen Santa Claus’s magic. And it’s three days before Christmas. What’s an elf to do?
Help him out, of course. That’s her specialty, after all.
Except that creates a whole new problem: Des has to work closely with the Man in Red while keeping her presents under wraps, because there is definitely one thing she will not do.
“I’m already up,” Santos, aka Santa Claus, replied while
rolling his hips, which earned him a scowl from me and a giggle from his
companion.
I turned to the blond bimbo. Okay, to be fair, I had no idea
if she was a bimbo. Santos had the ability to pull pretty much all women from
rocket scientists to, er, candy cane lickers under his seductive spell. Truth
be told, they all became candy cane lickers once he set his sights on them.
“Listen, honey, he’s a one-and-done kind of guy. He’ll use
you to get his rocks off”—Christmas euphemisms were Santos’s thing, not
mine—“and walk away and never talk to you again. Is that what you really want?”
She eyed the still-impressive bulge in his shorts. “If I get
an orgasm out of it, I’m game.”
Mentally, I slapped my palm against my forehand. In actuality, I ground my
teeth. “You’ll be out of luck. Giving, at least in that respect, is not how he
rolls.”
“Hey—” Santos started.
“How do you know?” Blondie interrupted.
“Yeah, do tell,” Santos added. “Did I miss something along
the way? Did I stuff your stocking and neglect to eat your milk and cookies?
Maybe we need a do-over.” He eyed me like I’d seriously ever give him a first
time let alone a do-over.
“Never have I ever, and never will I ever,” I proclaimed. “I
know of him. His reputation. We’ve run in the same circles for a long time.” A
few centuries too long, but who was counting?
Blondie’s focus shifted to my outfit. “Why are you wearing so many clothes?”
“Yeah,” Santos said, “you should take them off. Unwrap that
present for me.”
Blondie giggled. I glared at her. “Do you even realize that
he’s flirting with me?”
She shrugged. “He flirts with everyone. And everything he
says makes Christmas sound so dirty.” There she went, staring at his candy cane
again.
I bent and grabbed a sheer wrap and tossed it at her before
slapping Santos’s leg. “Time to go, Father Christmas. You’re under my
protection now.”
He groaned. “You aren’t seriously still doing that whole saving
souls gig, are you, Des?”
“As you well know,” I retorted, “since you’ve been dodging me
for days now.”
“Sugar plum, if I’d known you were chasing me, I would have
slowed my sleigh so you could have a ride.”
“Don’t fucking call me that.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “Should I call you Mrs. Claus
instead?”
“Don’t ever fucking call me that.”
The jerk had the gall to laugh at my obvious indignation.
“Do you ever stop?” I demanded.
He rolled his hips again. “Wanna climb my North Pole
and find out?”
About the Author:
Tami Lund—author, wine drinker, award winner. Lover of romance. Writing happily ever afters, one book at a time.
Those happy endings come in contemporary and paranormal, so pick your poison. Or try them all. You’re bound to find something that curls your toes and makes you smile.
Yellowstone Wolf Jaylee Austin Publication date: December 2nd 2021 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Her assignment leads her into the wilderness—right back to the man who stole her heart.
Leslie Starr thought she’d left her past behind when she’d joined the Shifter Federal Bureau of Investigation. Unfortunately, the series of violent crimes she’s investigating in Wyoming appear to target her best friend Grace, head of the SFBI… and the sister of her ex-fiancé, Roger.
Leslie’s never fit in with Roger’s wolf pack. She doesn’t do sweet, subservient, or small-town living. The fact that she still burns for Roger doesn’t help, especially now that he’s the alpha of his group and needs to claim a mate…
Roger Diego’s ranch near Jackson Hole is a safe haven for the Yellowstone Pack, and as their alpha, he’s expected to put their needs before his own—even when it means breaking his engagement to the woman he loves and embracing the life of a shifter over his human side.
When a dangerous criminal targets shifters in his area, Roger will do whatever he can to help catch them, including working with his captivating ex, Leslie. Roger knows Leslie is his mate and longs for her to submit to him, but he doubts she’d ever let any man claim her.
With his sister’s life on the line, they have to close this case—before their forbidden desires put the entire pack in danger.
A body lay on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue hidden among flawless pruned shrubs.
Another victim.
I snaked both arms around my waist, trying to ward off the eerie darkness slithering along my spine. This woman had the same stoic look as the last two. Something about these dead women reminded me of Grace.
Across the street protest marchers carried signs saying “SHIFTER LIVES MATTER.” If the police didn’t catch the killer soon, they’d have a riot on their hands.
The blue lights of DC’s finest officers created a shield around the victim. I stood on the corner waiting to be allowed to enter the crime scene. I flashed my Paranormal Federal Bureau of Investigations badge. The officer waved me in. I ducked under the yellow police tape. “I’m here to see the police chief.”
The officer pointed me in his direction.
“Third girl this month.” Larry bounced on the balls of his feet and continued to investigate the body.
The deceased woman’s blonde-streaked black hair lay strewn down her breast. Her lips painted blue. Perfect chiseled cheek bones and almond shaped eyes. Her ankles bound with silver coiled rope and a warlock destiny symbol carved across her flat stomach.
I might not have been a forensic detective, but obviously someone wanted to send a strong message. I pushed my glasses to the top of my head squinting. “Thanks for the text.”
“I could use your knowledge of warlock magic.”
“What about the reporters standing behind the tape?”
“We’re trying to keep the press away, especially since every one of these women resemble Grace Isaeva.”
Grace was my best friend, but most important she was the former President of the United States. After she passed the civil rights legislation, gaining the shifter population equal rights, she’d taken leadership of the PFBI. I drew in a breath to take in the fact just over a year ago I’d broken the biggest news story of my career only to find myself under scrutiny by the shifter organization I was trying to help. The hurt still lingered in my heart, so I resigned from CNN as a news reporter. Grace offered me a job overseeing the magical other worlds that co-existed with the humans. At least I was able to put my knowledge of modern witchcraft to good use. “Do you think our perp is killing these women for revenge?”
“The thought has crossed my mind.”
Larry jotted notes in his phone. He stopped at the victim’s feet.
“What can you tell me about the symbols?”
I walked around the body and knelt at her side to get a better look of the painted images on her stomach.
“Human or shifter?” If she was human instead of another shifter then there was a chance our killer wasn’t targeting the clans.
“Wolf.” An officer who worked street patrol gave us her name.
“Which pack?”
“Local girl. She’s part of the Smith pack outside town. Her pack’s pretty riled up and demanding the department turn the investigation over to the shifter authorities.”
Author Bio:
On any weekend you can find me surrounded by faeries, dragons, and angel figurines inspiring me with creative ideas. I live in Apple Valley, California and during the day I teach Language Arts. I inspire other young writers to reach for the stars and trust that they have a story to tell. Since childhood creating stories has always been a favorite hobby of mine. As an adult I’m grateful to write and share my thoughts with others. Happy reading and may the magic of life fill you with dreams of hope. Visit my website, instagram page, and pinterest to see update images of Tilly, my pug and I go on supernatural adventures.
Christmas in Smithville Kirsten Fullmer (Hometown, #4) Publication date: November 30th 2017 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance
Even though Gloria is determined to change her reputation, most of the women in town still think she’s a tramp. Sure, she may have dressed a little flashy and dated pretty much every single guy in town, but that’s the past. Now that she wants to make a fresh start, will Smithville give her a second chance?
Ned has heard all the gossip, but being the Sheriff’s Deputy, he sees all the kind things Gloria does behind the scenes for the folks of Smithville. It looks like the upcoming Christmas Pageant will offer him the opportunity to spend time with her, but can he overcome a frustrating stutter and talk to her, face to face?
Your favorite characters from the Hometown Series bring craziness, love, and Smithville Christmas style, to a whole new romance about overcoming your past and sharing your deepest secrets. Fall in love and be swept away with the Christmas Eve celebration of your dreams.
“Then I just had to wr—wrap the baby up and hand her to her mother,” Ned said as he dropped his paint roller in the bucket of hot water.
Gloria stared at him, her eyes wide in fascination. “I can’t believe you delivered a baby by the side of the road. I don’t think I could have—”
“Sure you could,” he said with a shrug. “When the time comes and work needs doing, folks like us st—step up.”
Unsure, she scoffed. “Well, baking a casserole is one thing, but—”
Ned reached out to take her paint roller. “Yeah, okay, the baby was kind of a big deal,” he conceded, “Usually, I just end up learning w—way more about people than I want to know.”
“I understand that.” Gloria nodded. “Given my past, I know—” She stopped, realizing what she was saying. “Of course, I’ve forgotten all about those guys…” She faltered, her words fading away and her cheeks burning red under her freckles.
Ned’s laughter rang out into the workshop. “Oh, I’m sure you don’t know which guys in town burp at the table, who is connected at the hip to their momma, or who snores—” The words chopped off and it was his turn to blush. “I… I d—didn’t mean… I—I w—wasn’t…” His stutter always got much worse when he was upset. Frustrated, he stopped talking and turned back to the water bucket.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” Gloria said, feeling bad for him. “It’s true though, especially with your job. What do you do when you meet someone on the street, and you know intimate details about their personal life?” She waited, but he just pumped the paint rollers up and down in the water, so she tried again. “I’m asking for advice, honest. Do they train you on this stuff at the police academy?”
He shrugged, then straightened and shoved one hand in the front pocket of his jeans. “Well we have to t—take ethics classes, but—” he looked up, making eye contact, “no, they don’t tell you that stuff. You just h—have to act like you weren’t at their house two n—nights ago with the fire chief, helping them get their hand unstuck from the k—kitchen drain they were trying to fix.”
Her eyes widened, and she chuckled in surprise. “Who? No, no don’t tell me.”
He shook his head; his hand raised to stop her. “I wouldn’t,” he said, but his eyes were bright with humor. “It’s a th—thing you have to learn to do I guess. I know you’re g—good at it, I’ve seen you in action.”
She shrugged modestly. “Oh, well, I just try to put myself in their place.”
They were both quiet for a minute, contemplating all the dirt they’d collectively compiled on the people of Smithville.
“Yeah, ” she continued with a sparkle in her eye. “Because if I were a great big guy, I wouldn’t want everyone to know that I scream like a little girl when I see a spider.”
Ned’s eyebrows rose, and a big grin spread across his face. “Now I have to wonder…”
“It will go with me to the grave,” she assured him, looking solemn. But she couldn’t help it and broke into laughter. “Oh my gosh, it was the funniest thing. I thought he was going to run away, but he kept screaming for me to ‘get it’. Of course, I was far too busy laughing and taking video.”
He chuckled, enjoying the way her eyes shone when she was happy. Her laughter was like music, and her cheeks turned rosy with happiness. His own heart swelled, catching him off guard. “You’re a mean one, aren’t you,” he teased.
“Me?” she asked, with her hand on her chest. “No, no, I finally took pity on him and smashed the bug.”
“Well that’s good,” he said, wishing he could make her laugh like that all the time.
“Anyway,” she trailed off, “I better get moving. I have a ton of sewing to do.”
“I wish I could help you with th—that,” he said, collecting the butcher paper he’d spread for them to paint. “But I have no idea how to even thread a needle.”
Her head tilted to one side. “I doubt that.”
“Okay, okay,” he relented, crumpling the paper to stuff it in the trashcan. “I can thread a n—needle, but choir robes and sh—shepherd costumes are way beyond my scope.”
She waved him off. “Oh, these are pretty simple. I figure they’re for one night and no one will really see them up close.”
“True.”
“Except…”
He waited for her to continue, watching her think, wishing he could hear what was on her mind.
“Well, it’s just,” She chuckled. “Practically every family in town has someone in this thing, so I guess in reality, everyone will see them up close.”
“Right?” he laughed. “I wonder sometimes, who is going to watch the show.”
“Me too!” she agreed. “We may need to set up a bus service to bring folks from Uniontown.”
He rubbed his chin. “Not a bad idea.”
She reveled in the shared moment, then turned away, looking for her purse. “Well, I’d better get going.”
“Thanks for the help,” he said, wishing he knew how to make her stay. “ Do you have to go?”
The question froze Gloria in her tracks. Normally at this point, if a gorgeous man was being funny and sweet and she liked him, she’d stay and talk. And not only that, she amended, she’d sign up for more. But things were different now. She was different. She wasn’t doing any of this to get a man, and, truth be told, she wouldn’t know what to do with one at this point anyway. She wanted to prove to the women in town she didn’t need to flirt, and that she could do a job and do it well, without attracting male attention. She frowned. That wasn’t going so well evidently. Was she attracted to Ned?
Turning back toward the shop, she regarded him carefully. He had a swipe of red paint across one cheek, but that only made him more approachable. The man was a knock out no matter how you looked at him. The paint spear made him cute. Shocked by her appraisal, her eyebrows lifted. When was the last time she’d thought a grown man was cute? Especially one with a physique like the deputy.
He grew uncomfortable under her stare, and she realized she was being rude. “I really do have to go,” her words said, but the rest of her said, “I want to stay.” He was easy to talk to and friendly. He didn’t judge her. He was nice. It came to her then; she had a friend in Ned. They had some things in common, and they could have a laugh together. Given her situation, a friend was something she needed. Gaging her words carefully, she hoped she could make him understand how much she appreciated him. “I really do have to go, but this has been… this has been great.”
He looked so disappointed that she nearly relented, but she knew it was for the best. This pageant was not the time or place to be looking for a new boyfriend. And she was sure she didn’t want to ruin the budding friendship they’d forged. This was new territory, and she had to move carefully and use her head.
“I have to go.” She turned toward the door, then, with her hand on the door handle, she stopped and looked over her shoulder. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night at practice, right?”
For a minute she thought he wasn’t going to respond, but finally he nodded, and an easy grin lit his face. “Sure.”
All she could manage was a quick nod, and then she ducked out the door before she could change her mind.
Author Bio:
Kirsten is a dreamer with an eye for art and design. She worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live and work full time in a 40′ travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their three grandchildren.
As a writer, Kirsten’s goal is to create strong female characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and relatable characters.
Dating Dracula Kinsley Adams (Dating Monsters, #1) Publication date: March 15th 2021 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Paranormal, Romance
The Legend. The Immortal. My… Boyfriend?
You know, I really only had two goals in life:
1) Unearth the truth about vampires and,
2) Become hella famous.
Nowhere on that list did I have “die” or “get turned into a bloodsucker.” But guess what? Life doesn’t always go according to plan. Now, thanks to an unfortunate back-alley encounter, I’m the newest member of the undead country club (fangs, coffin, and all). And my savior? Sire? Whatever…
Freaking. Dracula. Himself.
Even stranger, he claims I’m his mate. Like… eternal love. But come on! I don’t have time for that. Not only do I need to track down my attempted murderer, but I also need to learn how to be a vampire. Falling in love is the last thing on my mind right now.
Too bad Dracula has other plans for me.
***
Fans of Dracula will love this new modern and chic take on the immortal legend himself. Scroll up and one-click now!
“I’m sorry,” she whispered with her back still to me. “I just…. You died, Anna. You’re dead.”
“Undead,” my savior clarified for like the third time.
“It’s still dead!” Lucy snapped.
Even I glared at him. Now wasn’t the time for his little comments.
“I—I don’t know how to handle all this. Do I grieve for you? Or celebrate the fact that you’re still walking around? You’re a vampire, Anna. For frick’s sake, do you know what that means? You drink blood, you sleep in a coffin… you aren’t you anymore. How am I supposed to handle this?”
My dead heart shattered. “You’re supposed to accept me as I am,” I said, struggling to keep my voice steady. “We’re sisters. Always. Forever.”
“Except always and forever means two very different things to us now,” she said.
I forced myself to swallow. From the sounds of it, Lucy was breaking up with me. Which almost made me laugh. She was my longest relationship ever. And she wanted to walk away from it? All because of an accident I had no control over?
I ran a hand down my face and turned toward my savior. Someone whose name I really needed to learn. I couldn’t keep referring to him as my savior or I was going to develop some major hero worship issues.
“Anna, I’m sorry,” Lucy repeated. “But I think I need some time to process all this.”
I nodded, all the while keeping my gaze trained on my savior. He was the only thing keeping me calm right now. The thought that I might lose my best friend over all this was too much. I couldn’t show her how much this hurt, because if I did, I might never recover. Lucy had stormed into a vamp club at my side, but apparently, she drew the line at death.
And honestly? I didn’t blame her. This time, tears really did spring to my eyes, but I blinked them back before they spilled. If I started crying, I had a feeling I’d never stop.
“I’m going to head back to the hotel,” she said. “I’ve been staying there the past few nights.” Wait, what? Past few nights? But before I could question that little tidbit, she continued speaking. “Do you want me to call your parents for you? Explain what happened?”
“No,” I rasped. That wasn’t her responsibility. If anyone was going to tell them about my transformation, it would be me.
“I’ll text you,” she mumbled, but her voice was already fading. She was leaving.
Text me. Ugh. Why not just tell me you hope we can still be friends?
I hated this. What happened to best friends forever? I’d like to think that if this had happened to her, I’d still be standing by her side. Lucy was my world. Nothing could have convinced me to leave her.
“I’m sorry” was her final comment before I heard the door shut.
I took a few minutes to absorb everything. Thankfully, my savior let me brood in silence. I appreciated that. I wasn’t in the mood to hear platitudes right now.
Once I was sure I had schooled my expression, I turned toward him and nodded. It was embarrassing to have someone witness a break-up, but there wasn’t anything I could do about that now.
I needed a distraction. I didn’t want to think about Lucy right now. I’d reserve that for later, when I was alone and could process everything myself. Instead, I stared up at him, once again stricken speechless when our gazes met. Why did I find him so enthralling? So fascinating? It felt like I could stare at him for hours.
Clearing my throat, I rubbed the bridge of my nose and asked, “Well, do you have a name?”
His brows shot upward, and an amused smile claimed his lips, exposing the tips of his fangs. Intrigued, I reached for my own, poking them with my fingertip. They must have been what scraped my tongue earlier. Seemed they were a permanent fixture too. I’d have to remember that when talking and laughing. Vampires might be public knowledge now, but as seen by Lucy, humans weren’t one hundred percent ready to accept them yet.
“Forgive me,” he said, his voice deliciously rumbly. “I’m so accustomed to being recognized wherever I go that I often forget to introduce myself.”
So, he was like vampire royalty or something?
Fangs still peeking out from behind his lips, he gave an old-fashioned bow, one he executed flawlessly, then peered at me through long, dark lashes. I shit you not, the boy almost breathed life back into me. He was just that gorgeous.
“My name is Vlad.” He took my hand and lifted it to his lips before brushing a gentle kiss across my knuckles. “But most know me as Dracula.”
I wish I could say I absorbed that information with grace and poise. But that would have been a lie. Instead, I burst out laughing, and said, “No shit!”
Author Bio:
Kinsley Adams is a thirty-something-year-old author who stopped counting when she turned twenty-five. When she isn’t writing uproariously hilarious romantic comedies, she’s raising her womb-gremlin with the hopes that he might one day become the world’s first Supreme Leader.
