Julie Elizabeth Powell's Blog, page 79

January 7, 2016

This is a release tour for Forged by Love by Laura Strickland

Forged by Love

Series: Lobster Cove

Author: Laura Strickland

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: Sensual

Original Release Date: January 8, 2016

Newly returned home to Lobster Cove from the War Between the States, blacksmith Douglas Grier can’t forget the horrors he’s witnessed or the beautiful young woman he helped break free from her shackles one dark night after her master’s plantation burned. He wishes he had at least asked her name, even though she and her family disappeared into the darkness and Douglas has no expectation of seeing her again.

Josie Freeman can’t remember the last time she felt safe. Even though she and her family are freed, they’re being pursued by slave hunters hired by their former owner. When their ship is damaged on the way to Nova Scotia, Josie is thrown into contact with the one man she never expected…the very man she had wanted to see. But will her past catch up with her before Douglas can free her heart?

Hello, folks. Sir, I don’t suppose you remember me.”

Josie stared at the man who spoke, afraid to believe her eyes. Tall and with bare shoulders that gleamed in the sun, he had a crop of wavy black hair and skin almost as dark as her own. Though he spoke to Daniel, his brown eyes sought hers and held them, his wonder evident to see.

Not remember him? From the instant he stepped on the wharf, Josie’s attention had been snagged—and not just because he was a good-looking man. No, for the pull she’d felt from the first they sighted this place heightened almost unbearably, every one of her inner instincts sitting up and howling.

Not remember him? Had there been a moment since that night he hadn’t been, somehow, with her?

Her lips parted, but she didn’t speak. Daniel’s deep voice sounded instead.

“Of course, of course we remember you, sir. How could we forget?”

“Good to see you again.” The man focused on Daniel at last and extended a hand to him without hesitation. “But what sort of happenstance has brought you here where we might cross paths again?”

“A long story, sir, and one with a full measure of sorrow.” Daniel shook the man’s hand with the innate courtesy that always marked him.

The fellow’s gaze stole back to Josie, and she promptly went breathless. “I’m very glad to see you safe. That night—well, I never did get your names.”

“Daniel Freeman, sir. This here is my son Michael, his wife Eunice, and their child Hetty. And my own girl, Josie.”

“Douglas Grier, and I’m glad to meet you properly.”

Michael leaned forward to shake Douglas Grier’s hand. “I’m happy, Mr. Grier, to have a chance to thank you. It was a fine thing you did for us that night.”

Douglas Grier smiled, and his somber face transformed as if lit from within. Josie’s heart fluttered like a wild bird before resuming a double-time beat.

Calm yourself, girl. He’s done no more than look at you.

Grier turned to her. “Josie Freeman,” he repeated as if he memorized it, and took Josie’s hand.

She promptly went dizzy as sudden images pressed upon her, blotting out the present. His hands coming at her, so strong and yet gentle, out of the darkness that night. The way he’d touched her, with such care and respect, and the way he’d looked at her as if he could see right down to the bottom of her soul.

He smiled again and Josie’s poor heart pounded in response. “What a marvel this is. I’ve wondered a hundred times what happened to you after that night.”

Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon UK ~ The Wild Rose Press ~ B&N ~ All Romance Books ~ Goodreads

White Gull

Born in Buffalo and raised on the Niagara Frontier, Laura Strickland has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. To her the spunky, tenacious, undefeatable ethnic mix that is Buffalo spells the perfect setting for a little Steampunk, so she created her own Victorian world there. She knows the people of Buffalo are stronger, tougher and smarter than those who haven’t survived the muggy summers and blizzard blasts found on the shores of the mighty Niagara. Tough enough to survive a squad of automatons? Well, just maybe.

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Published on January 07, 2016 04:03

January 4, 2016

This is the PROMO PORTION of the review tour for Suffer a Witch by Claudia Hall Christian

SUFFER A WITCH

AUTHOR: Claudia Hall Christian

GENRE: Paranormal Suspense Romance
Original Release Date: September 22, 2015

They call her “Em.” Em for Martha. Em for “Emogene Peres” the name she received in Boston less than a day after she’d been hanged in Salem Village in September 1692. Em and most of those hanged as Salem Witches were transformed into immortal witches only a few hours after they were deemed Salem Witches. Three hundred and twenty-two years later, they live, work, and love in modern day Boston, Massachusetts where Em runs a spiritual store called the Mystic Divine, just off the Boston Commons.

On the anniversary of the first hanging, June 10, 2014, Em learns that a young man and a team of ghost hunters have dedicated themselves to finding the crevice where the Salem Twenty’s bodies were stuffed after hanging. The problem is that Em and the rest of the Salem Twenty are making full use of those skeletons. What starts with a young man with big ideas brings the Salem Witches face to face with their demons.

In Suffer a Witch, you will meet the Salem Witches as you’ve never seen them. Through their eyes, you get a sense of what happened all those years ago. Their stories will move you to tears and make you laugh out loud. Join them as they face a battle they have prepared for their entire lives.

“You’re a witch!”

A man’s voice laced with vitriol echoed off the storefront. Several people walking on the sidewalk stopped to stare at him. Em glanced to her left to see a homeless man wearing ragged, dirty clothing, long greasy, grey hair, and a filthy beard leaning against a pillar of the building next door to the Mystic Divine, Em’s metaphysical shop.

“Repent!” the man screamed and pointed at her. His finger turned to point toward the heavens. “Repent or feel the wrath! The hangman is not far away!”

Em scowled at the man. He lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

“Old habits die hard,” the man said with a grin. “Plus, the acoustics are great here.”

Shaking her head at him, Em shifted her paper coffee cup to her left hand and dug around in her purse for her keys. The man walked toward her.

“Ye be a witch!” The man’s voice came like a thunderbolt from a pulpit.

Em yelped with surprise. The plastic lid of her coffee cup dislodged, and her coffee spilled on the ground.

“George!” Em said. “You made me spill my coffee.”

“Sorry, Em,” Reverend George Burroughs said.

“You should be,” Em said. “God, you smell awful!”

George gave her a gap-toothed smile.

“That is not a compliment,” Em said.

George laughed. He leaned in to hug her, and she waved him away.

“Get inside,” Em said.

George slunk into the shop. He stopped near the door and turned to hug her. Em shook her head. She gave him a key and waved her hands toward the stairs in the back of the shop. Whistling an ancient hymn, George went through the shop like a pungent parade. He took the stairs in the back and disappeared upstairs.

Em’s eyes lingered on the door to her apartment a moment longer than she’d have liked. Shaking her head at herself, she started opening the small shop. She turned on Tiffany floor lamps and put away the few things left out the night before. The Mystic Divine specialized in all forms of spirituality. The most ardent evangelical Christian and the Wiccan could both find the tools and education they needed to live their spiritual life. The store was laid out in such a way that there were nooks for reading, small private rooms for spiritual readings, and two larger group rooms in the loft upstairs. Em picked up a microfiber cloth and dusted the section on Gurdieff’s The Fourth Way. The shop made most of its income off of religious counseling and psychic readings. George was a particularly popular tarot reader.

She glanced at the door to her apartment and wondered if he was reading tonight. Longing welled up inside of her. In her mind’s eye, she saw him standing under a stream of warm water in his shower. Feeling her presence, he smiled and gestured for her to join him.

“No,” Em said out loud.

She forced herself to get out her laptop and read her email. The next time she looked up, George was holding a cup of coffee in front of her nose. His long, grey hair was wet and tied back. He’d shaved. He was wearing clean clothes from his side of the closet. She took the mug from him, and he rewarded her with a soft smile. They drank coffee in hungry silence.

“What are you caught up in?” George asked.

“Some kids are into the whole Salem thing,” Em said. “I was watching their videos. They’ve found Gallow’s Hill, you know — the real one, not the park.”

“Oh, yeah?” George asked

“They say they’ve caught Bridget’s ghost on camera.”

“How is that possible?” George asked.

“Who knows?” Em shrugged. “Maybe we lost our souls when we were hanged.”

George instinctively rubbed his neck. Em smiled at his gesture.

“How did this morning go?” George asked.

“Bridget was on the hill,” Em said.

“What?” George squinted with surprised.

“She was even wearing a reproduction of the dress she was hanged in. Shoes, too.”

“She can’t be there!” George said.

“I told her, but you know how she is,” Em said. “What’s the point of . . .”

“ . . .being immortal if you can’t do what you want,” George joined Em in quoting Bridget.

“Exactly,” Em said. “She told me about these kids. You know, Bridget’s convinced that there was an actual specter which tormented our accusers.”

“Bridget,” George gave a sad shake of his head.

“You know, I never thought of it,” Em said.

“Of what?” George asked.

“I never gave even one thought to the idea that there might have actually been an entity that tortured those girls,” Em said. “I always thought they were . . .”

“Full of shit,” George said in unison with her.

“But this morning,” Em nodded, “I mean, Bridget was so sure that I wondered if she was onto something. Let’s say there was an entity. It presented to the girls in our likeness. And . . .”

Em shook her head.

“And?” George raised his eyebrows. “Disappeared for the last three hundred and twenty-two years?”

“And nothing,” Em said with a shrug. “That’s as far as I got. Do you think it’s possible?”

“No,” George said.

Amazon Kindle ~ Amazon Paperback ~ Kobo ~ B&N ~ Goodreads

Claudia Hall Christian is a consummate storyteller. Whether she’s writing the long running Denver Cereal or a short blurb for her neighborhood newsletter, she tells heartwarming stories that leaves people longing for more. These skills make writing traditional serial fiction — long-form stories that are published as they are written — a natural for Claudia. Her lifelong writing goal is to write a serial fiction set in every state in the United States. So far, she’s brought her brand of addictive, heartwarming fiction to Fort Worth, Texas, in the Queen of Cool, to Denver for the Denver Cereal, and now to Boston for Suffer a Witch. Last year, Claudia released the first of the Jornada del Muerto novellas set in Santa Fe.

A prolific author, Claudia also writes the Amazon bestselling the Alex the Fey thrillers, as well as the Seth and Ava Mysteries. She currently has 22 published works. In order to keep up with her storytelling capacity, she co-founded a publishing house, Cook Street Publishing, with a group of friends.

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Published on January 04, 2016 02:17

This is a promo blast for Set Free by Kelly Collins

SET FREE

AUTHOR: Kelly Collins

GENRE: Contemporary Romance
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2015

One ex-convict, one detective, one ranch, one hell of a ride.

When twenty-four-year-old Mickey Mercer walked out of the Denver Women’s Correctional Facility she had two things on her mind: the friends she left behind and the rough road ahead.

She had a failing ranch, a rundown home, and an angry ex-boyfriend determined to crush her. That was until a stranger appointed himself her personal savior.

Detective McKinley’s job was to protect and serve. His life was consumed by work until he found Mickey walking down a dusty road. She was a mess and in trouble, and t. There was nothing sexier than trouble. Mickey was everything he wanted, but nothing he needed. That was the lie he told himself.

Set Free is a story about love, hope, and redemption. Sometimes, people aren’t what they seem. Sometimes, they’re better.

The white Ford pickup idled quietly— waiting. Fear squeezed my throat like a noose. Could it be him? I backed away while the window silently lowered.

“Do you need a ride?” The husky voice called from across the seat. So many emotions filled me.

Relief.

Fear.

Desire.

A sizzling energy threaded through every nerve in my body. It was a tingly zap of recognition. Morse code for my libido? Electrocution by attraction?

Looking into the clean truck and feeling the cool air seep out the window made it easy to take the risk. Without hesitation, I pulled on the door handle and hopped in the truck.

“Yes. Thanks. Being near the prison, I didn’t think anyone would stop.” I reached forward and turned the air vents to my face.

His inspection of me was short but thorough. The feel of his eyes sweeping across my body made the air around me crackle. It had been a long time since a man had seen me. Sure, the guards watched me daily, but they never actually saw me. I was a number, not a person.

The window rose and the door lock engaged. The sound caused fleeting anxiety. Buckled into my safety belt, the truck propelled forward. I sat in the sexy stranger’s car— captive.

Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Kobo ~ Nook ~ iTunes

Kelly Collins writes with the intention of keeping the love alive.

Always a romantic, she is inspired by real time events mixed with a dose of fiction. She encourages her readers to reach the happily ever after but bask in the afterglow of the perfectly imperfect love.

Kelly lives in Colorado with her husband of twenty-five years. She loves hockey, shiny objects and has a new found appreciation for green smoothies.

Kelly has a landing page that hosts all her books.

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Published on January 04, 2016 02:16

January 2, 2016

This is a RELEASE tour for TAKE ME HOME by STEPHANIE SUMMERS

TAKE ME HOME

Book 2 of the Take Me Duet

Stephanie Summers

Name of cover designer – S. Summers

Official genre of book - Contemporary Romance

Content warning - Sex, some violence, and some drug use

A romance with a rock star, not a rock star romance...

Ash London, front man for uber-successful rock band Ferrum, is happily living the life he always dreamed he could have with Lila Stephens. After working through Lila's traumatic past and Ash's trust issues, they've finally connected and life is good. One phone call changes everything though when Ash finds out the time off he was promised is being cut short. The stress of being on the road and away from Lila gets to Ash, and when a face from his past shows up, it turns his world upside down, dragging up past demons that he's chosen to keep from Lila. Would she look at him differently if she knew the truth? Will her love be enough to save him from himself?

I want more than anything to go to her, sling her over my shoulder, and carry her home where she belongs. To hell with the show. To hell with my commitments. To hell with the fact that she doesn’t want anything else to do with me. She’s the only woman I’ve ever truly loved. The same one I’ve hurt too badly for her to ever forgive me. The same one I would do anything to have back in my arms. I still love her. I always will. And the truth of the matter is, I don’t deserve her. I’m not sure I ever did. When you aren’t honest with the ones you love, you lose them. That’s how it works. Maybe if I’d been up front about my past to begin with, things would be different. Maybe she’d be here with me instead of some other dude.

Amazon US ~ Amazon CA ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads

Book 1 ~ Take Me One

Stephanie Summers is a paranormal and contemporary romance author. She graduated from West Virginia University with a degree in accounting, though writing is her true passion. Stephanie seemed to always have a story or two or ten running around in her mind. At the ripe old age of 30, she finally decided it was time to put aside the thought that she didn't have what it took to write a novel and began writing her first story.

She has since written her first paranormal series, The Willow Creek Vampires Series, with Craving (Book #1), Haunting (Book #2), Awakening (Book #3), and the short companion story, The Bludworth Chronicles: Origin, available now. Her short story, Love Forgotten, was chosen to be published in Stardust: A Futuristic Romance Collection, and another short story, Saved by the Bear, is available now. Her contemporary rock star romance, Take Me On, was released summer of 2015, with the sequel, Take Me Home, due out soon.

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Published on January 02, 2016 03:30

The Edge of Madness Box Set

How about this for a great deal for March Madness!

From Paper Gold Publishing

http://www.papergoldpublishing.com/

description

Only 99c /99p for 15 COMPLETE NOVELS AND NOVELLAS FROM YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS IN ONE PRETTY PACKAGE

Edge of Madness Box Set

This box set includes:

THIS BOX SET INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING TITLES:
13 — Julie Elizabeth Powell
SLOTS — R.E. Hargrave
SPLIT — Michele E. Gwynn
NO CALLER ID — Ruby West
SECRETS ROOM — Kim Faulks
BLOOD CROW — Cleve Sylcox
BLOOD IS POWER — Ella Medler
DUPLICITOUS — Stephanie Nett
A CRYSTAL SNOWFLAKE — Holly Barbo
LOST SHADOWS — Julie Elizabeth Powell
TROPICAL NIGHTMARES — Kelly Cozzone
DIRTY BUSINESS — Julie Elizabeth Powell
MY DAYLIGHT MONSTERS — Sarah Dalton
NORTH BY NORTHEAST — Cherime MacFarlane
CAPTIVE (Book 1 of A New Life Series) — Samantha Jacobey

Pre-order is now available -

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0...

USA - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0192KE3P6

Canada - http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B0192...

Australia - http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B...

The set includes a mix of already released and never-before seen stories, all complete works. Those books which are part of a series can be enjoyed fully without the need to read the complete series.

Kick off March Madness with a collection of suspenseful, gory, macabre and disturbing thriller and horror stories!

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Published on January 02, 2016 02:43

December 30, 2015

This is a release tour for Cinderella Treasure Trove Sampler Book

Ring in 2016 with Cinderella Treasure Trove and Princess Prize Pack Giveaway

Will Cinderella make it to the ball? She did in the fairy tale, but in these fresh takes on the original, just about anything can happen--and usually does. Fifteen romance authors have served up delicious samples of their Cinderella-themed stories, along with a feast of tasty treats and glitzy party ideas. Tap into your inner princess and indulge in excerpts sparkling with dream-come-true romance, nail-biting suspense, haunting magic, bubbly chick lit humor and tear-jerking heartaches. Please note that these are excerpts, not complete stories. After sampling our tasty morsels, you'll find a treasure-trove of recipes and ideas to inspire your next party.

Let the Glass Slipper Sisters style your regal table to perfection, thanks to the gorgeous, but quick and inexpensive adornments and easy-to-prepare scrumptious delights. You'll even find a few party games that can be adapted for your royal guests whatever their age.

free glitter text and family website at FamilyLobby.com

Amazon US ~ Amazon International ~ B&N ~ iTunes ~ Kobo ~ Google Play ~ Goodreads

Cinderella’s Enchanted Night by Amber Daulton

Annalise wanted just one night with Elijah, but will an antique locket and a bit of Cinderella magic fulfill her every dream?

Cinderella had it Easy by Jennifer Conner

Cami only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body. Will she keep hiding or can she learn how to live life?

Cinderella Series – The Collection by Kae Elle Wheeler

Said the fairy godmother,”True sisters will always find their way, no matter.”

Cinder the Fae by Rebekah R Garniere

When Prince Rome’s father initiates a contest to win him a wife, Cinder finds herself having to fight sixty other females for his heart while trying to keep the evil vying for the crown from destroying them all.

Fairy Tale Flirts by Lisa Scott

She’s an unappreciated housekeeper with an eye for designer goodies. Can Cindi get her dream shoes and her dream guy? A sweet, funny modern take on Cinderella.

Fooling Around with Cinderella by Stacy Juba

What happens when the glass slippers pinch Cinderella’s toes? When Jaine Andersen proposes a new marketing role to the local amusement park, general manager Dylan Callahan charms her into filling Cinderella’s glass slippers for the summer.

Home Sweet Texas by Caroline Clemmons

This modern Cinderella encounters problems even a fairy godmother couldn’t imagine.

Nobody’s Cinderella by Joan Reeves

A lie and a wish on a Christmas star…uh oh! This Cinderella should have been careful what she wished for!

Pumpkin: A Cindermama Story by Ines Johnson

Having given up on fairytales after falling for her toad of an ex, Pumpkin is afraid to take a chance on town royalty Manny who believes she may be his soulmate.

Savage Cinderella by PJ Sharon

Kidnapped and left for dead, Brinn Hathaway survives for years in the wild, only to be drawn out of hiding by a young nature photographer who steals her heart. Now, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope—and the danger—that may await her.

Second Chance Cinderella by Sharon Kleve

Raven St. James only has 24 hours in her Cinderella body. What will she do with it? Will she become the confident, strong, flirty girl she wants to be? Will she get the guy she has always wanted?

Spellbound Cinderella by Angela Ford

If you had your dream body for only 24 hours… What would you do? One magical pendant gives Tess one wish to use before the clock strikes twelve.

The Cinderella Princess by Melissa McClone

A scandal-ridden prince must marry a royal if he doesn’t want to be disowned, but he falls for the American sent to find him a princess bride.

The Thin Person Inside by Rochelle Weber

Kristen Jensen never expected to fall in love when she finally decided to address her morbid obesity by seeking addictions treatment—let alone with a rock star.

Wishful Thinking by Lynette Sofras

A struggling single mother and a pop-icon turned Hollywood star meet in unusual circumstances. Fate drew them together, but the intrigue and trappings of stardom threaten to unravel love’s ties.

AMBER DALTON: My mind is a wonderland of romance and adventure, laughter and awesome ways of kicking a guy when he's down. I read, write and enjoy contemporary, paranormal and historical novels alike. I just can't get enough of feisty heroines and alpha heroes. Writing takes up most of my time, aside from my tedious day job in the retail industry, and I probably wouldn't be too sane without my computer and notebooks. After all, what's a girl to do when there are people jabbering away in her head and it's hard to shut them up? Write! Nothing else works.

When I'm not busy toiling away on my computer, I acknowledge the fact that I do, indeed, live in reality and then I remember that I'm married with five adorable kitties. *Wink wink* My wonderful, punk-rocker husband supports me in my career (cough cough--obsession) and always lends a pair of eyes to my manuscripts.

JENNIFER CONNER is a best-selling Northwest author who has over sixty short stories and books in ebook, print, and audiobooks. She writes in Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance, and Erotica.

She lives in a hundred year old house that she grew up in. Her semi-small town holds an interesting mix of resident hillbillies, yuppies and Navy Seals. And of course Seattle, only a few miles away, is the birthplace of Starbucks so coffee is always on the check list. She blows glass beads with a blow torch, (which relieves a lot of stress and people don't bother you) and is a huge fan of musicals.

KATHY L WHEELER (a.k.a Kae Elle Wheeler) graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma with a BA in Management Information Systems that includes a Vocal Minor. She is an avid theater buff (holds season tickets to Broadway Series in OKC), loves the NFL and NBA (also holds season tickets to Thunder Basketball in OKC), loves travel, people and karaoke.

Kathy/Kae lives with her musically talented husband in Edmond, Oklahoma, has one grown daughter who recently had a baby, and one bossy cat!

REBEKAH R GANIERE grew up on both the east and west coasts and currently lives in the Los Angeles area. From the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to The Stand by Stephen King, Rebekah immersed herself in other people's made up worlds. She began writing in junior high and then found she liked pretending to be other people's characters in high school. Lettering in drama she went on to study theater in college as well. After college she continued acting till becoming a mom. Ultimately, she ended up going back to writing her characters down instead of acting them out, so she could stay at home with her kids.

Rebekah is an Award Winning Bestselling Author. Her novel Dead Awakenings, debuted in January 2014. Red the Were Hunter, the first in her Fairelle Series won the Paranormal Romance Guild's Fantasy Book of the year 2014. The second book Snow the Vampire Slayer was released in September. And the Series itself won Best Fantasy Series of the year. And her trilogy The Society was released with Kensington Lyrical Press.

LISA SCOTT is a former TV news anchor who now enjoys making up stories instead of sticking to the facts. She's worked in Bangor, ME, Rochester, NY and Buffalo, NY. She lives in upstate NY with her husband, two children, dog, cat, and koi fish. When not writing, she works as a voice actor.

She writes romance (Flirts! short story collections, and The Willowdale Romance Series) along with middle grade fiction for children.

Her debut middle grade novel, School of Charm, will be released by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins, in early 2014.

STACY JUBA loves to write about Characters at a Crossroads: individuals who are finding themselves and getting on the right life path after overcoming obstacles. Her goals are to entertain readers of all ages as well as inspire them through her mystery, romance and contemporary fiction books for adults, teens and children. She has written about ice hockey, sibling rivalry and sportsmanship, teen psychics, U.S. flag etiquette for kids, and determined women sleuths solving mysteries. Her latest novel is Fooling Around With Cinderella, the first in the Storybook Valley chick lit sweet romance series. Stacy is always happy to hear from readers.

CAROLINE CLEMMONS is an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances whose books have garnered numerous awards. Her latest release is GABE KINCAID, book four of her popular Kincaid series. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

Caroline and her husband live in the heart of Texas cowboy country with their menagerie of rescued pets. Prior to writing full time, her jobs included stay-at-home mom (her favorite), secretary, newspaper reporter and featured columnist, assistant to the managing editor of a psychology journal, bookkeeper for the local tax assessor and--for a short and fun time--an antique dealer. When she's not indulging her passion for writing, Caroline enjoys reading, travel, antiquing, genealogy, painting, getting together with friends, and enjoying watching the birds, butterflies, and squirrels wandering through her back yard. Find her on her blog, website, Facebook, Twitter, Shelfari, Goodreads, and Pinterest.

JOAN REEVES is a NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance. She began her career with New York traditional publishers. When the Amazon Kindle came along, she happily embraced a new career path as an independent author/publisher.

Joan lives her happily ever after with her hero, her huband, in the Lone Star State. They have four kids who think they are adults and a ghost dog--all the ingredients for a life full of love and warmed by laughter. She lives the philosophy that is the premise of all of her romance novels: "It's never too late to live happily ever after."

INES JOHNSON writes books for strong women who suck at love. If you rocked out to the twisted triangle of Jem, Jericha, and Rio as a girl; if you were slayed by vampires with souls alongside Buffy; if you need your scandolous fix from Olivia Pope each week, then you'll love her books!

Aside from being a writer, professional reader, and teacher, Ines is a very bad Buddhist. She sits in sangha each week, and while others are meditating and getting their zen on, she's contemplating how to use the teachings to strengthen her plots and character motivations.

Ines lives outside Washington, DC with her two little sidekicks who are growing up way too fast.

PJ SHARON: Award winning author of young adult books, including PIECES of LOVE, HEAVEN is for HEROES, ON THIN ICE, and Holt Medallion winner SAVAGE CINDERELLA, PJ Sharon loves writing for teens and teens at heart. Her latest work, HEALING WATERS, completes The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, a YA dystopian trilogy that RT Book Reviews calls "An action-packed read with a strong female lead." For more info on PJ's books and updates on new releases, sign up for her newsletter or visit her website.

When she's not writing, or spreading the love through her practice, she can be found kayaking in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, and renovating an old farmhouse with the love of her life.

SHARON KLEVE was born and raised in Washington and currently lives on the Olympic Peninsula with her husband. Sharon is a multi-published author of paranormal and contemporary romance. She loves romance. She loves reading romance, living romance, and especially loves writing about romance. Sharon gets no greater feeling than watching her characters come alive in each other's arms. Most of all, she loves giving her characters the happily ever after they deserve--with a few bumps and bruises along the way.

One of her favorite things to do is pick-up a new book and sinking into the story, immersing herself in the emotions between the characters. She hopes to inspire her readers the same way her favorite authors inspired her.

When not writing, she can usually be found either curled up in her recliner with her cat and a good book, or in the kitchen baking sourdough bread or bagels.

ANGELA FORD Bestselling Romantic Suspense & Contemporary Romance / Top 50 Authors on Amazon Kindle Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia...Canada's Ocean Playground! Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she's reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance - numbers by day - words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure - Best Selling Action/Adventure/Crime/Suspense. Ms. Ford continued her FBI series with Forbidden and Obsessed. In between mysteries, Ms. Ford writes short contemporary romance...sometimes with a dash of suspense!

Being a mom, her home is always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; but it is the furry family members who rule the house - a Puggle, a Chug puppy and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death - Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. Visit her website Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on social media. She loves to hear from her readers - they keep her smiling!

MELISSA MCCLONE: USA Today bestselling author, Melissa McClone has published over thirty novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group and been nominated for Romance Writers of America's RITA® award. With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa worked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn't compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! When she isn't writing, you can usually find her driving her minivan to/from her children's swim practices and other activities. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds, two goldfish and a few cats who think they rule the house. They do!

ROCHELLE WEBER is a Navy veteran and holds a BA in Communications from Columbia College in Chicago with an emphasis on Creative Writing. Her novels Rock Bound and Rock Crazy are available in both e-book and print. Her third book, The Thin Person Inside, will be coming out from MuseItUp Publishing, Inc. early in 2015. Ms. Weber edits for Jupiter Gardens Press, The Author's Secret, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter, winner of the 2013 Preditors & Editors Readers' Poll for Best Writers' Resource. She also started Roses & Thorns Reviews and now has three partners.

Ms. Weber battles bi-polar disorder, quipping, "You haven't lived until you've been the only woman on the locked ward at the VA." Her song, "It's Not My Fault," won a gold medal in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. She has lost about 130 pounds and kept it off for almost three years. She lives in Round Lake Beach, Illinois, and has two married daughters, four grandchildren, three step-grandkids, and one step-great-grandchild. Two cats allow her to live with them and cater to their every whim.

LYNETTE SOFRAS: A former teacher, Lynette gave up her career in education a few years ago in order to focus on her writing and thus fulfil her childhood dream. She writes contemporary women's fiction, often involving romance with suspense or a supernatural twist. She claims 'Killing Jenna Crane', a romantic thriller and 'Unworkers' a modern ghost story/women's fiction are her personal favourites to date. Her latest release 'The Nightclub' is a romance packed with suspense. You can find more details of her novels on her website: http://www.lynettesofras.com

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Published on December 30, 2015 08:59

December 28, 2015

This is a release tour for Miss Demeanor Suspense Series

Miss Demeanor Suspense Series

GENRE: Mystery/Crime Contemporary Romance

Four women meet in an internet group called “Lady Cops.” All work for police departments in small towns and realize that they have no hope of being promoted over their male counterparts. They band together and buy a private investigation business in Seattle and name it “Miss Demeanor Private Detective Agency.” Follow the women on their journeys as they are thrown into the dark under belly of drugs, murder, kidnapping, counterfeiting, and all the lies and unthinkable deeds the big city draws.

Book One ~ P.I. ~ I Love You

Rivers don’t let rocks hold them back.

River Nightingale has decided to blow past the rocky men in her life. She’s played by the rules for too long—especially when it came to her career as a cop. She was the top closer of cases for years, but promotions in her small town cop shop went to her less productive male counterparts. River’s friends, three other women cops, are also ready to change careers. Together they leave behind their small towns, become their own bosses, and purchase a Seattle private detective agency.

Homicide Detective Gage Hamlin takes pride in his job; he closes cases and fosters justice. All that changed the day River Nightingale sauntered into his office. River has him questioning his pride, his cases, and his aversion to private detectives, especially beautiful private detectives.

River’s client thinks Gage got it wrong, and River is forced to prove Gage missed a murder. Will River and Gage find a way to play nice, or will River be forced to leave Gage behind?

1st EXCERPT

She put her mojito down on the coffee table, and stretched out on her sofa. Laptop on her lap desk, she switched it on, sipped on her mojito, and waited for the screen to come to life. She opened her favorites and clicked on Lady Cops. Chats were in full swing as she scrolled through to see what was happening.

“Hey River, what no hot date tonight?” Maile asked.

“Not hardly, Bear Creek is lacking in the hot date department. What about you?”

“I do have a date, with my newly purchased novel, print copy I might add.”

“Now that’s pitiful—a date with a book.” River giggled. “Are Cassie and Shay on-line?”

“Hey, I’m bored. Please tell me one of you ladies have something juicy to share,” Shay said.

“Have you been following the discussion on the shipment of guns intercepted here in Arizona? Not anywhere near me, of course,” Cassie said.

“Guns? At least there’s action where you live,” River said. “We had a herd of mountain goats on Main Street this week—that’s what qualifies for action in Bear Creek.”

“It’s all about your perspective. Mountain goats walking down a street in Prescott, Arizona would be news here.” Cassie laughed.

2nd EXCERPT

“Ah yes, River Nightingale is one of our primary investigators. She just happens to be in the office. If you would take a seat, I’ll ask if she can see you now.” She disappeared into the next room.

The receptionist returned moments later followed by a petite girl. She smiled directly at him, her blue eyes quickly tracking up and down his body. He nearly blushed. As she rounded the counter she held her hand out to him.

“Nice to meet you, Mr. Baxter, I’m River Nightingale. Cory tells me that Mike referred you?”

“Um, he did, but I understood you to be a seasoned policewoman,” Blake said. Geeze, she couldn’t be more than nineteen or twenty. Is this a joke? he wondered.

“Yes. I served in a police department in Montana for ten years and no, I’m not a teenager, I assure you. I happen to be in my mid-thirties.”

“I see. I’m sorry for my ill manners.”

“No worries, you’re not the first person who has thought that and certainly won’t be the last. My only hope is when I’m seventy, people will think I’m fifty.” She smiled at him again. “If you’re still interested in a P.I., I’m sure I can help you.”

“Yes, by all means, Ms. Nightingale.”

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Joanne was born and raised in Sherburne, New York, a quaint village surrounded by dairy farms and rolling hills. From the moment she could read she wanted to explore the world. During her college years she slowly crept across the country, stopping along the way in Oklahoma, California, and finally Washington State, which she now proudly calls home. She lives with her husband and Dobermans, in their home located on the Olympic Peninsula with a panoramic view of the Olympic Mountains.

Joanne writes romantic suspense, paranormal, and contemporary romance. She loves to submerge herself in the world of her characters, to live and breathe their lives and marvel at their decisions and predicaments. She enjoys a wide variety of books including paranormal, suspense, thriller, and of course romance.

Joanne is a member of Romance Writers of America, and past President of Peninsula Romance Writers, which was Debbie Macomber’s home chapter.

http://www.authorjoannejaytanie.blogspot.com/

Book Two ~ Bare

Small town cop Shay Brooks leaves her charming safe community of Connell and moves to Seattle to open the Miss Demeanor PI Detective Agency. She’s thrown into the world of drugs, murder, and all the lies and unthinkable deeds the city draws. Renee Mills hires Shay to save her daughter. Renee believes her daughter, Beth, a straight-A student; dropped out of college to strip. Her mother blames the owner of the club and drugs. Shay goes undercover as a waitress at the club in hopes to save Beth and crack open a drug operation. An inevitable mutual attraction with the bartender, Dante Pierce, is a distraction. But is he involved in the drug operation?

“Careful with that one,” Shay said and startled her brother. She couldn’t believe how much she’d collected in four years, even after she’d sold most of her furniture. She wouldn’t need a houseful in her new apartment.

“This must be Grandma’s china in here,” her brother teased as he reached down for the box.

“My guns.”

Her brother rolled his eyes and laughed. “Figures. No wonder you can’t get a date.”

“Ha, ha, Ray the comedian. Everybody here is either married, in a relationship or old.”

“So you’re moving to Seattle for a man.”

Shay knew Ray loved to torment as most brothers did.

“I’m moving for a career, not for a man.” She made her point with her arms crossed. Silently she hoped that Seattle offered more choice than Connell.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Angela Ford originates from Nova Scotia…Canada’s Ocean Playground!

Her love of the ocean and sunsets are always in her heart and give her inspiration. Her love for words keeps her turning the page. She is never without a book, whether she’s reading or writing. Now residing in Ontario, Angela works in Finance – numbers by day – words by night. Her dedication to volunteer and involvement with cyber safety seminars gave her an Award of Distinction and sparked the idea for her first book Closure – suspense with a dash of romance that hit the best- selling Action/Adventure and Women’s Fiction. Angela continued this FBI suspense with Forbidden and will deliver the final of the series in 2015. She also writes contemporary romance, sometimes sweet…sometimes spicy and sometimes with a dash of suspense. Unforgettable Kiss delivers a spicy romance with a dash of suspense. Blind Tasting of The Love List series and The Christmas Wreath of the Forever Christmas series are sweet reads. 2015 kicked off with a new Romantic Suspense Surrender.

Between two jobs, being a mom with a home always filled with young adults and rather interesting stories; she is lucky to have one very patient and understanding man. But it is the furry family members who rule the house – a Puggle (Pug/Beagle), a new Chug puppy (Pug/Chihuahua) and two loveable cats. Every possible quiet moment she finds, she treasures and just writes about the moments to come. Angela is an avid reader of romance, a member of the RWA, KOD (Kiss of Death – Suspense Chapter) and Mississauga Writers Group. You can follow her at BTGN www.bookstogonow.com or visit her website/blog Romantic Escapes at http://www.angelafordauthor.com to connect with her on her social network sites. She loves to hear from her readers – they keep her smiling!

Book Three ~ Choreographed Crime

Maile Kuhiwinui is tired of her dead end job as a police officer in Hilo, Hawai’i, so when she joins a group of lady cops on vacation and one proposes opening a detective agency in Seattle, Maile goes all in. She’s excited about the prospects Seattle offers, but after the grand opening of The Miss Demeanor Detective Agency, Maile finds herself sitting on the sidelines feeling inadequate while her three partners are hired to solve cases.

Kalama Haleamau considers himself a simple guy who loves to cook. When the wahine from the Big Island starts to hang out at his Happy Hawaiian Food Truck, he figures they’d make a pretty good pair and asks her to spend time with him.

When Maile finally gets her first case, she’s thrust into a world of refined deceit as she investigates the murder of a principal dancer at the Seattle Ballet. When she discovers Kalama’s murky association with the key suspects, she’s forced to separate her feelings for Kalama in order to identify the killer.

Lama whipped up a Spam loco moco. The smell of the rich brown gravy drew Maile into the kitchenette. “Thanks for showing me the skyline. It reminds me I live in a beautiful place. It’s not Hawai’i, but Seattle has its own charm."

He turned from the stove and looked at her as if he adored her. On impulse, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until her lips ached.

When he released her, she helped herself to a beer.

“I thought you didn’t want to drink and drive.” Lama looked over his shoulder as he stirred the gravy.

“Who’s driving?” Maile smiled and raised her eyebrows.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Jackie Marilla writes contemporary romance from the Hawaiian Islands and beyond. She and her husband live on a macadamia nut farm on the island of Hawai'i where they feed a clowder of cats and a flock of hodgepodge chickens. In a past life, she was an elementary school teacher.

Book Four ~ Golden Ribbons

Cassie Holmes has made a big change. She left sunny, warm Arizona and moved to Seattle to join three friends in a new endeavor. They started Miss Demeanor Private Detective Agency. She wants to carry an umbrella, but is told by people around her that to live in the Northwest means not using the dreaded thing.

Her first case involves the disappearance of a fourteen year old girl, Cami Reynolds. Her mother is desperate to find the young girl and, even though she doesn’t have much money, hires Cassie for the job. The new private detective finds a dark underworld lurks under the Via-duct that runs along the Seattle Waterfront. Some kids are used, some turn to prostitution, and others find solace in drugs.

In the process of her search, she meets Jack Donovan, a undercover detective connected to a Seattle drug task force. He’s six-foot-four and tries to be an imposing presence in her life. He appears to her as a homeless man, but she knows he’s a cop and as the two compare notes, discover their cases criss-cross paths.

After a rocky beginning, the two begin to work side by side to take down one of the worst child prostitution rings in the Northwest.

“What’s your name?”

“Cassandra Holmes. You?”

“Miss Holmes, you might as well give up. You’re chasing a lost cause.”

Cassie wanted to give this guy a swift-kick. “God, Mr. Negative, who died and made you the expert? Do you work vice?”

“No, drug task force, and I know these streets. Your girl is probably in Bangkok by now.”

“She was seen here just last Friday. What do you know about Sally Skinner?” Cassie felt ready to pull her Glock out and shoot him in the foot.

“Sally Skinner works for Fred and Rick Powell, two of the biggest drug traffickers in the Northwest. Fred’s hobby is prostitution—the younger the better. The guy’s sick.”

“One of this kid’s friends said she was being watched by some guy named Fred. I’ve heard of the Powells. I worked drugs down in Arizona...”

“Yeah, if those pansy-asses down in Arizona and Texas kept the doors closed to Juarez and Nogales, we wouldn’t have this situation up here.”

“Focus, please. Where can I find Sally Skinner?”

He leaned against the dumpster and stared, again. She wanted to slap him across the cheek just to wake him up.

Amazon ~ Goodreads

Lauren Marie is the author of Golden Ribbons - story 4 of the Miss Demeanor Private Detective Agency series, I’m Not What You Think, Love’s Embers - book 1 of the Canon City Series, Love on Ice - book 2 of the Canon City Series, One Touch at Cob’s Bar and Grill - story 3 of the Montana Ranch Series, Love’s Touch - Then and Now, Going to Another Place and The Men of Haller Lake - Trilogy.

When she isn't pounding the keys, she is an amateur paranormal investigator. She formed her own group in 2006 to hunt ghosts and some unusual experiences have put in an appearance in some of her stories.

Lauren likes to receive feedback. If you want to send her likes and dislikes, you can go to the contact us page on the web-site laurenmariebooks.com or write to her at laurenmariebooks@gmail.com, themenofhallerlake@hotmail.com. or friend her at facebook.com/laurenmariebooks. She does respond to feedback.

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Published on December 28, 2015 00:32

This is a release tour for And Night Descends by Bruce Blake

AND NIGHT DESCENDS

Book 3 of the Small Gods Series

AUTHOR: Bruce Blake

GENRE: Epic Fantasy
CONTENT WARNING: 18+

To raise the Small Gods, a Small God must die,
When stars go out, the end is nigh.
One must die to raise them all,
Should Small Gods rise, man will fall,
One can stop them, on darken’d wing,
The firstborn child of the rightful king.

WHEN SHADOWS FALL…THE DARKNESS COMES…AND NIGHT DESCENDS

The moment Teryk and Danya, the royal siblings, spoke the words inscribed on the long-forgotten scroll, they foolishly set in motion events destined to bring about the prophecy’s predictions. Teryk is the firstborn, but why do the words only make sense to his sister?

As they each launch themselves recklessly into a heroic mission to save mankind, it seems inevitable that key elements in this game of the gods would be drawn to one another and collide with frightful and yet-unfathomable consequences.

With a Small God already captured and being dragged to his death by a colossal, bloodthirsty golem, is it too late to turn back fate? Can any of them find a way to resist their destinies?

Intrigue in the court, an impenetrable veil between two worlds, escape, sacrifice, retribution and magic pull the strings of these puppets of destiny on a massive, creation-spanning chessboard hidden in shadow, veiled in darkness, lost in the night.

Prologue

Long ago, blood and anger colored his dreams red every night until the night she came to him.

In his sleep, steel glinted through the haze of crimson, pain flashed. A coppery scent stirred him in his bed, rank bile soured his tongue, and Trenan woke with sweat on his brow and agony tearing through him from an arm no longer there. Every time he awakened, he reached out with a phantom hand, expecting—hoping—for fingers to brush the rough wool blanket or touch his face. But they found nothing because they remained attached to an arm rotting in the bottom of a ditch with the rest of the dead.

“At least the rest of you isn’t down there,” Erral had said with a chuckle one day as he sat beside his bunk, struggling to articulate his appreciation.

Trenan thought lying in the ditch with the dead might be better than losing the arm meant to wield his sword.

What good is a soldier with no hand to hold his weapon?

The one-armed swordsman stared up at the dark ceiling, the muscles in his jaw clenched hard against the throb in his shoulder and the knot clogging his throat. Since the days of his childhood, his life had been based on what that arm could do with a sword. It performed feats others couldn’t, moved in ways and with speed beyond the abilities of but a few men. It took lives, saved lives, helped to put down a rebellion.

But no more. Off it came, a sacrifice to save the king from a blow meant to separate his royal head from his regal body. A more than fair trade in the kingdom’s mind, but a bitter mouthful to a master swordsman left with the wrong arm.

Trenan closed his eyes and inhaled through his nose, filling his lungs to capacity and using the air to squash regret from his chest. Sacrificing himself for the king was expected of him and an honor. But it wasn’t he who’d been sacrificed but his arm, with the rest of him left behind to cope without it.

I’d rather have died.

And they knew it; it was the reason his chambers were devoid of sharp weapons.

“Trenan?”

The whispered word didn’t startle him, but he was surprised by the timbre of the voice speaking it. The doctor assigned to his bedside like a hairy-chested wet nurse would return soon to touch his forehead to gauge his temperature, or give him more of the acrid herbs to hide a pain that would never leave, but the man charged with caring for him didn’t speak with a woman’s voice.

Trenan dragged his lids open, cocked his head. The woman perched on the chair set beside his bunk was the last person he’d have expected to find.

Her hair, which he’d only ever seen her wear up, hung loose past her shoulders in waves the color of honey tinted with a few drops of blood. Her eyes sparkled with the dim light of the taper flickering in the far corner of the swordsman’s chamber, worry plain in their set. Concern tilted the corners of the full lips of her exquisite mouth.

“My queen.”

Trenan scrambled to push himself up on his elbows, forgot he had but one, and tumbled onto his side on the mattress, jarring his wound. He gritted his teeth and pressed his lips together to keep from crying out, but when he found the queen’s hand upon him, he forgot the pain.

“Are you all right?”

He looked into the eyes of the young woman who’d seen the seasons turn eighteen times since her birth and once since she’d become wife to the king. The knot of despair that had choked him dissipated, the pain in his shoulder faded. He nodded.

“Yes, my queen.”

“Ishla,” she said and brushed his cheek with the backs of her fingers. “You poor man.”

She settled back on the edge of the chair, removing her touch from his face, but the feel of it remained with him. He struggled himself up to sitting, the wool blanket falling from his bare chest as he stretched to see past the wife of his friend. Behind her, the chamber lay empty.

“Where is Gollard?” He looked to her face, found her still gazing at him, so diverted his eyes. “Where is the doctor?”

“Do you need him?”

She stood, took a half-step toward the door and stopped, awaiting his reply. He’d have answered at once but, when she stood, he saw she’d chosen not to wear one of the elaborate dresses he’d seen her wear every other time he’d been in her presence. Instead, she wore white bed clothes with sleeve cuffs that clung to her wrists and a hem that brushed her ankles.

“N...no. I’m fine, just wondering where he’d gone.”

Ishla clasped her hands in front of her, lowered her chin to regard her intertwined fingers.

“I had him called away.”

Trenan stared at the young woman. Now her eyes weren’t upon him, he let his gaze linger, saw that the taper burning behind her cast her outline in the fine cloth. Trenan swallowed hard.

“Called away? For what?”

She raised her head, making him slip his gaze back to her face, then gestured toward the side of the bed.

“May I?”

Trenan looked from her to the bed and back, uncertain what she meant, at first. He cleared his throat and nodded.

“Of course, my quee...Ishla.”

She alighted on the edge of the mattress close enough Trenan felt her warmth. Her perfume filled his nose—not a cologne she’d put on, but the smell of her hair, the scent of her skin. Apprehension stirred in the swordsman’s chest, excitement, confusion.

Why is she here?

“I’ve come to thank you for saving the king, Trenan.”

It might have surprised him that she read his thoughts, but what else might he have been thinking? Trenan shifted away, trying to quell his excited discomfort.

“There’s no need. The king has conveyed his appreciation with the best surgeons the kingdom can offer and his promise to take care of me as long as I need.”

The words were Erral’s, but this marked the first time Trenan had spoken them aloud. They tasted of vinegar on his tongue, but the queen’s sweetness was enough to overpower the bitter morsel.

Ishla wiggled nearer, closing the distance he’d created, her lithe body making little impression on the mattress. His eyes strayed from hers, fell to her curves beneath the bed clothes before returning to find a smile beginning on her lips.

“That is Erral’s way of thanking you, not mine. And I suspect his method may be more hurtful than fulfilling.”

She lifted a hand and touched her palm to his cheek. Trenan nearly jerked away out of sense of duty to king and kingdom but didn’t for fear of offending the queen. And because he liked the way her warm flesh felt against his.

Ishla moved closer and leaned in, leaving a hand's-breadth between the tips of their noses. Her breath touched his lips, her gaze found its way inside him.

“It is my thanks I bring tonight.”

“And Gollard?”

“Won’t be back until morning.”

“Who else knows you had him called away?”

She shook her head. “A queen can be discreet.”

Trenan licked his lips, resisted the urge to close the space between them. A plethora of furtive smiles returned to his memory. From the first time he’d seen his friend’s wife—the queen of the kingdom—they’d been there, finding their way to her lips whenever their eyes met. As much as he wanted them to be for him, about him, he’d convinced himself her nature and her youth brought them forth, convinced himself the tingle-inspiring smiles and gentle blushes weren’t meant for him.

Now he didn’t know if he should be elated he’d been wrong, or fearful.

His gaze slipped form her eyes to her mouth. He imagined his lips pressing against hers, their tongues finding each other, until the king’s angry visage intruded on his thoughts.

“Erral—”

“Is your friend,” she finished for him. “And my husband, but he isn’t here. There is you and me, and no one else knows I’m here.”

Her hand left his face, fell to rest on his upper chest. The tight thrill swirling beneath his ribs expanded, flowing into his stomach, lower, stirring other things. Ishla held his gaze but moved no more, staring into his eyes with her lips parted, her head tilted.

This is wrong.

Trenan’s mind continued to resist even as he leaned forward and their mouths came together.

***

Ishla ran the tip of her finger along the swordsman’s breast bone, tracing a line through the cooling perspiration. The ache in Trenan’s shoulder he’d forgotten as the queen expressed her appreciation crept back as though someone pressed the tip of a stick into his wound.

The queen peered at him and he held her gaze. Though neither spoke, words swam through his mind—things to say, plans never to be executed, the vision of an impossible life. He thought he saw the same shining in her eyes, hidden behind a mix of nurturing care and sadness.

After a moment, the breathtaking young woman climbed off him, her weight lifting from his hips as another palpable one settled into his chest.

“I must go before I am missed,” she said, one corner of her mouth lifting in a lopsided smile.

She bent and retrieved her nightgown from the floor. Trenan watched as she shook it out, revelling in the way her muscles moved beneath her porcelain skin, the tremor shaking her breasts. She stretched her arms toward the ceiling and slipped her hands into the sleeves, let the nightshirt fall around her like the curtain falling at the end of a masterful play.

A performance Trenan never wanted to end.

The gown fell into place and she smoothed the front with her palms. The swordsman reached out, a jolt of pain shooting along the right side of his chest, and grasped her wrist, coaxed her back toward the bed.

“When will I see you again?”

She looked at him, the smile still on her face, but he watched the sliver of sadness in her eyes overtake it. The queen said nothing in response; she didn’t need to. He’d already known the answer before his lips spoke the words—this was a dangerous game they shouldn’t play again.

Dangerous, but worth the risk.

Ishla leaned over and put her lips to his, the passion and longing of their earlier kisses usurped by regret, mourning. The touch lingered, and he thought to grab her, pull her to him, but the moment passed and she moved away. Trenan released his hold on her wrist and watched her stride across the room to the chamber door.

She let herself out without a backward glance.

***

“I’ve seen the seasons pass nearly fifteen times,” Dansil mumbled under his breath as he stalked through the castle halls. “I’ll be a man soon enough; bitch can’t tell me what to do.”

His cheek still stung in precisely the shape of his mother’s hand, but her punishments didn’t hurt like they did in his youth. Then, they’d caused him more than physical pain; it was as though she’d struck his soul.

But if something gets beaten enough times, it toughens.

He came to a corner and slowed his pace, peeked around before continuing. Getting caught wandering the halls wouldn’t get him killed, but none of the king’s men would be impressed should they discover him. Even with the red haze of anger at his mother hanging around him, he knew better than to be careless—he’d crept these halls enough times.

Dansil followed the hall and went up the next staircase, avoiding the routes the guards followed when patrolling in the evening. At the top of the stairs, he paused a second time, checking both ways along the corridor. Thick carpet in a shade of deep red covered the floor in both directions; portraits of people he neither recognized nor cared to recognize lined the walls.

On a whim, he took a right and maintained a slow but steady pace, the muscles in his thighs tight and ready to hie him away should one of the many doors lining the hall open and a visiting noble step out. He figured none would this late at night, but better ready than caught.

The end of the hall intersected another; here he stopped again and found himself rewarded for his care. Halfway along the corridor, a door opened. A woman clothed in white bedclothes emerged, the wall sconces behind her illuminating the outline of her body through the cloth.

Dansil sucked a sharp breath at the sight and his hand darted to his groin. The woman stood for a short time, hand on the door’s handle, her head hung. Her long hair caressed her arms and shoulders, the light highlighted the shape of her breasts, the curve at the small of her back. After a moment, she raised her head, glanced along the hall away from where Dansil peered around the corner, then swivelled her head toward him. The young man faded back from the corner before she saw him, a silent curse on his lips.

He waited, breath held, resisting the urge to peep around the corner again. If he did, and she was walking away, the wall sconce’s light might shine between her legs, outlining the most secret of places. But if she headed toward him, he’d be discovered.

The whisper of footsteps padding on the rug interrupted his thought.

She’s coming this way.

No time to hurry back the way he’d come; if he tried, she’d see him, even if she didn’t turn his direction. Lips squeezed hard together, he pressed himself against the wall and hoped she’d continue straight along the corridor.

A moment later, she passed by and Dansil saw her face. His eyes widened and his grip on his half-swollen man thing released.

The queen!

As she hurried down the corridor, Dansil stepped out from his hiding spot to watch her go, forgetting the possibility she might glance back and see him. She didn’t and, instead of admiring the swing of her hips, the shape of her body hidden beneath the bedclothes, the young man wondered why she’d be out alone at this time of night. When she disappeared around the far corner, he peered back toward the door she’d exited.

The curiosity was too much for Dansil. He crept along the corridor in the direction from which the queen had come, his hand extended and fingertips dragging along the rough stone wall. Every door appeared the same as the others, but he’d noted the one from which she’d emerged: the third on the left. A moment later, he stood in front of the plain wood slab, staring at the handle. After a quick survey of the empty hall, he leaned close, pressed his ear to the door, but heard no sounds within.

Excited saliva filled his mouth. He swallowed hard, raised his hand and rapped his knuckles against the wood.

The knock garnered no immediate response so Dansil assumed the chamber empty until a man’s voice spoke a single word.

“Ishla?”

The curiosity burning in his brain tingled into his chest and along his limbs. The hand he still held raised after knocking fell to the door handle, gripped it. He didn’t recognize the voice or know who might reside within, but was aware he shouldn’t enter any room in the castle without invitation. He also knew no invitation would come if he waited for one, and he’d never discover who the door concealed.

Dansil set his jaw and pushed the door open.

A musky odor filled the air in the room, one he recognized from the occasions when his mother came home with a man and sent him off to his chambers. The furnishings were sparse and a man lay upon a bed to the left, one shoulder wrapped with a pink-tinged bandage where his arm was missing. The tender expression on his face went stony when he spied the lad.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“Beg your pardon, m’lord swordsman. Wrong chamber.”

Dansil backed out of the room and closed the door behind him, a wicked grin creeping onto his lips as he went. The door clicked shut; he hurried away along the hall lest the man rise and come after him.

Trenan and the queen. The king’s friend and his wife. Together.

He rounded the corner and hastened to the staircase, the path of his future falling into view.

Sometimes, one unexpected turn of events can change a boy’s life.

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OF THE SMALL GODS SERIES

A hundred hundred seasons have turned since the Goddess banished the Small Gods to the sky, leaving the land to mankind alone.

For Prince Teryk, life behind the castle walls is boring and uneventful until he stumbles upon an arcane scroll in a long-forgotten chamber. The parchment speaks of Small Gods, the fall of man, and the kingdom's savior—the firstborn child of the rightful king. It's his opportunity to prove himself to his father, the king, and assure his place in history. All he needs to do is find the man from across the sea—a man who can't possibly exist—and save mankind.

But ancient magic has been put in motion by a mysterious cult determined to see the Small Gods reborn. Powerful forces clash, uncaring for the lives of mortals in their struggle to prevent the return of the banished ones, or aid in their rebirth.

Named in a prophecy or not, what chance does a cocky prince who barely understands the task laid before him stand in a battle with the gods?

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When shadows fall, the darkness comes...

A disgraced Goddess Mother wanders blind and alone, praying for her agony to end. When a helpful apostle finds her, could it truly be salvation, or does worse torment lie ahead?

A sister struggles to understand a prophecy that may not be meant for her while her brother fights for his life. If the firstborn child of the rightful king dies, will it spell the end for everyone?

Darkness and shadow creep across the land in the form of a fierce clay golem animated by its sculptor's blood. It seeks a mythical creature whose sacrifice portends the return of ancient evil banished from the world long ago. With its return will come the fall of man.

As the game unfolds, the Small Gods watch from the sky, waiting for their time to come and their chance to rise again. They wait for the fall of shadows, the coming of the darkness.

They wait for night to descend.

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Bruce Blake lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. When pressing issues like shovelling snow and building igloos don't take up his spare time, Bruce can be found taking the dog sled to the nearest coffee shop to work on his short stories and novels.

Actually, Victoria, B.C. is only a couple hours north of Seattle, Wash., where more rain is seen than snow. Since snow isn't really a pressing issue, Bruce spends more time trying to remember to leave the "u" out of words like "colour" and "neighbour" than he does shovelling (and watch out for those pesky double l's). The father of two, Bruce is also the trophy husband of a burlesque diva.

Bruce's first short story, "Another Man's Shoes" was published in the Winter 2008 edition of Cemetery Moon. Another short, "Yardwork," was made into a podcast in Oct., 2011 by Pseudopod. Bruce's first Icarus Fell novel, "On Unfaithful Wings", was published in Dec., 2011 while the follow up, "All Who Wander Are Lost", came out in July, 2012. The third in the series, "Secrets of the Hanged Man", came out in July, 2013. The first part of his Khirro's Journey epic fantasy trilogy, "Blood of the King", was released Sept., 2012, book 2, "Spirit of the King," in Dec., 2012, and book 3, "Heart of the King," in Feb., 2013.

The two books in the Small Gods series, "When Shadows Fall" and "The Darkness Comes", were released in 2013, after which Bruce took a year out to concentrate on his family and career. Book three in the Small Gods series is Bruce Blake's current project.