Naughty Netherworld Press's Blog: Naughty Netherworld Press on Goodreads, page 3
September 23, 2025
Viking Teaser #rabtbooktours
Dixie Reapers MC (#24) Bad Boys (#2)
MC Romance
Date Published: September 26, 2025
She brought a child and a secret. He promised protection—and delivered passion.
Karoline: My world crumbled when I found out my brother was killed in action. But the shock deepened when a social worker showed up with Athena—a niece I never knew existed. With my brother’s last wish urging me to seek out his best friend, Viking, I found myself at the gates of the Dixie Reapers MC. What I didn’t expect? The dangerous, inked biker who once teased me as a kid now makes my heart race… and my body ache.
Viking: I never thought I’d see Karoline again, let alone with a kid in tow. The moment I laid eyes on her—all grown up and looking like sin—I knew I was in trouble. But with threats from her brother’s past closing in, I’ll do whatever it takes to keep Karoline and her niece safe—even if it means risking my heart and breaking every club rule. But secrets don’t stay buried, and neither does desire.
If you love protective, possessive bikers, secret baby/child tropes, and off-the-charts chemistry, Viking brings you a ride-or-die romance with heat, heart, and a hero who falls hard and fast.
Karoline
Athena fell asleep on the couch after lunch, curled into a tight ball with Hopper the rabbit clutched against her chest. I covered her with a soft blanket, watching the steady rise and fall of her breathing, the way her copper curls spilled across the cushion. She hadn’t spoken a single word since arriving -- not to me, not to the social worker. Not even a whisper. Three hours into guardianship, and I was already wondering if I’d made a terrible mistake thinking I could do this. She was so small, so vulnerable, and so completely shut down that I had no idea how to reach her.
Lunch had been an awkward affair -- me chattering nervously about nothing while she stared at the peanut butter sandwich I’d made, taking tiny mouse bites only after I’d demonstrated that it was safe to eat. She’d followed me around the house like a silent shadow, those watchful eyes taking in everything but giving nothing away. When I’d suggested a rest on the couch, she’d climbed up without protest and simply curled into herself, as if trying to take up as little space as possible.
My heart ached thinking about what might have happened to make her this way. Kris would never have neglected her -- of that I was certain. Had the woman who’d been caring for her done something? The thought made my gut clench in protest. I’d never understand people who could harm sweet innocent children.
I glanced at the small pink suitcase the social worker had brought in, sitting untouched by the front door. Maybe there were answers there. At the very least, I needed to know what she had, what she might need.
Moving quietly so as not to wake her, I carried the suitcase to the kitchen table and unzipped it. The contents were pitiful -- a few sets of clothes, most looking worn and slightly too small. A pair of pajamas with faded unicorns. A toothbrush in a plastic case. A small stuffed dog that had seen better days. I had a hard time picturing my brother neglecting his daughter to this extent, which made me think it had been the caregiver’s fault. And at the bottom, a plastic bag containing an envelope. My breath caught when I saw my name written on the front -- Kris’s handwriting, the familiar slant of his letters making my eyes sting with fresh tears.
“Oh, Kris,” I whispered, running my fingers over the ink. It was real, tangible proof that he had existed, that he had thought of me. That he had trusted me with the most precious thing in his life.
With trembling hands, I opened the envelope and pulled out several sheets of paper. The first was a formal-looking document -- legal paperwork naming me as Athena’s guardian and requesting that I adopt her in the event of his death. It was dated just three months ago, as if he’d somehow known his time was running short. Of course, I’d already handled paperwork like this from the social worker, but seeing a copy my brother personally sent to me hit me hard.
Behind this was a handwritten letter on lined paper, folded in thirds. I took a deep breath and unfolded it.
Lina,
If you’re reading this, then I’m gone, and I’m so damn sorry for that. I’m sorry for a lot of things, especially for not telling you about Athena sooner. I wanted to. Every time we talked, every time I saw you, I wanted to tell you about this amazing little person who has my stubborn chin and your fiery hair. But I couldn’t risk it -- not until I was sure it was safe.
Athena is my daughter. Her mother was someone I met during a mission four years ago. It wasn’t serious between us, but when she told me she was pregnant, I stepped up. When Athena was born, her mother decided she couldn’t handle parenthood and signed over full custody to me. I’ve been raising her with help from friends when I’m deployed.
Here’s the part that’s going to be hard to believe, but I need you to trust me. If I died during a mission -- and if you’re reading this, that’s what happened -- then there’s a chance you and Athena could be in danger. The work I was doing was classified, and there are people who might think I told my family things I shouldn’t have. They might think Athena knows something, or that I left information with her or her caregivers.
I didn’t. I never brought my work home. But these people don’t take chances. So I need you to do something that’s going to sound crazy. I need you to take Athena and go to Lief Hansen -- Viking, as he’s called now. He’s with the Dixie Reapers MC in southern Alabama. He’ll know what to do. He’ll keep you both safe.
I know I’m asking a lot. I know you probably haven’t seen Lief in years. But he’s family to me, and he’ll protect what’s mine. And Lina -- you and Athena are mine. My sister. My daughter. The two people I love most in this world.
Just go to Viking as soon as you can. He’ll explain everything.
I love you, Christmas girl. Take care of my little one.
Kris
I stared at the letter, reading it again, and then a third time, trying to make sense of the words. Danger? People coming after Athena? It sounded like something from a spy movie, not real life. Not my life.
But Kris was dead. That part was all too real.
I glanced back at the couch where Athena slept, peaceful for the first time since I’d met her. Could someone really want to hurt this innocent child? Or me? It seemed impossible, paranoid even. Yet Kris had never been the paranoid type. If he thought there was danger, there must be some basis for it.
And Viking… Lief Hansen. The name sent a complicated flutter through my chest. In my mind, he was still the golden giant who’d called me “Little Kringle” and made my teenage heart race. But he wouldn’t be that person anymore. According to Kris’s letter, he was part of a motorcycle club now -- the Dixie Reapers. I’d never heard of them, but the name alone conjured images of rough men in leather, doing God knows what.
Could I really just show up there with a traumatized three-year-old? What would I even say? Hey, remember me, your old friend’s little sister? The one who used to follow you around like a lovesick puppy? Well, my brother’s dead, this is his secret daughter, and apparently, we might be in danger from mysterious unnamed enemies. Can we crash with you?
It was absurd. All of it.
And yet…
I looked at the letter again, at Kris’s familiar handwriting. I need you to trust me, he’d written. And I did. Always had. From teaching me to ride a bike to helping me through my first heartbreak, Kris had never steered me wrong. If he thought Viking was our best option, then that’s what we would do.
I folded the letter carefully and slipped it into my pocket. Then I walked back to the couch and knelt beside it, studying Athena’s sleeping face. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows on her freckled cheeks. Her tiny hand clutched Hopper’s ear, keeping him close even in sleep.
“I’ll keep you safe,” I whispered, gently brushing a curl from her forehead. “I promise.”
I had no idea how to protect us from whatever danger Kris thought might be coming. But I knew who might. And no matter how awkward, how difficult it might be to face Lief Hansen after all these years, I would do it. For Athena. For Kris.
Tomorrow, we would find the Dixie Reapers.
Harley Wylde is an accomplished author known for her captivating MC Romances. With an unwavering commitment to sensual storytelling, Wylde immerses her readers in an exciting world of fierce men and irresistible women. Her works exude passion, danger, and gritty realism, while still managing to end on a satisfying note each time.
When not crafting her tales, Wylde spends her time brainstorming new plotlines, indulging in a hot cup of Starbucks, or delving into a good book. She has a particular affinity for supernatural horror literature and movies. Visit Wylde's website to learn more about her works and upcoming events, and don't forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive discounts and other exciting perks.
Author on Facebook, Instagram, & TikTok: @harleywylde
Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress
Save 15% off any order at ChangelingPress.com with code RABT15
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Date Night with Death Release Blitz
Welcome to Moonridge, Book 2
Paranormal Mystery/Romance
Date Published: September 23, 2025
Running a B&B in a town cursed by magical drama wasn’t Mina Cartwright’s dream job, but it’s home. After all of the werewolf debacle over the summer, business has flatlined, and she’s barely holding on financially. Her last hope? A surprise booking from the cast of The Real Vampire Wives of Obsidian Hills, who are bringing their reality-show chaos (and impeccable fashion) to Moonridge just in time for the Halloween festival.
But the real trouble begins when Dex Grimm, a mysterious, breathtakingly aloof man with a cane and a suspiciously deathly aura, checks into Room Ten. He says he’s a writer. Mina suspects he’s hiding something … like the fact that he might actually be the Grim Reaper.
As ghostly activity spikes, magical boundaries fray, and her guests (living and otherwise) cause mounting mayhem, Mina finds herself caught between a brewing supernatural crisis and a man known primarily as Death who somehow makes her feel more alive than she has in years.
Add in a reality TV crew, rampaging ghosts, and the underlying danger of an ancient evil reawakening in Moonridge, and Mina’s fall season is about to be to die for.
About the Author
Avery Arujo is the pen name of a socially anxious, awkward, and proudly introverted author of the paranormal mystery/romance series Welcome to Moonridge. Avery lives in the northern U.S., where the scenery is beautiful, the weather perfect, and the food divine. When not writing, you’ll find Avery watching a horror movie or trashy reality TV or reading under a blanket with a cup of coffee, and the world’s sweetest dog trying to prove that they are more interesting than any old book.
For more information about the Welcome to Moonridge series, or to sign up for the newsletter, visit welcometomoonridge.com.
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The Fear Driver Teaser
Horror (various subgenres)
Date Published: September 23, 2025
Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by twenty-five authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.
Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what's more terrifying than that?
Featuring drabbles by the following authors: Bernardo Villela, K.J. Watson, David J. Vowell, Joshua Ginsberg, A.L. Smith, Petina Strohmer, Zari Hunt, Paul Burgess, Diana Parrilla, Angel Zapata, Vanessa Bane, Marc Sorondo, Jacek Wilkos, Arvee Fantilagan, Jodie Francis, Alex Azar, Andreas Flögel, Jade Kalb, Andrew Buckner, Ken Whitson, Jãnis Bogužs, Andrea Tillmanns, C.L. Hart, S.F.J. Painter, Monica Wenzel, Dragan Ivanović, and J.E. Feldman.
Excerpt
One Moonlit Night Copyright 2025 by C. L. Hart
As fourteen-year-old Nevil Teodoro climbed down the trellis near his bedroom window, a blood-curdling scream pierced the darkness, startling him so badly that he nearly fell. Juan Soto, the head groundskeeper, ran up from the gardens, his clothes covered in mud and his face pale as the moon.
“What’s goin’ on, Ese?” Nevil asked as he finished his descent. “You look like you seen a ghost!”
“Get back in the house, Chico, and call Mama Cecilia.”
“You trippin’, Juan Solo? You want me to call una bruja vieja and not la policia?”
“Ain’t no policia can stop a moon vampire!”
About the Author
C. L. Hart is an editor who writes or a writer who edits. She primarily pens dark fantasy (often Lovecraftian) and sweet romance. She resides in a tiny town on the Northeastern Colorado plains with her adult son, her cat daughter, and her cat grandson. When not editing, writing, or rehabilitating eldritch horrors, she enjoys coloring, crafts, and cooking things that she hopes will be palatable to someone besides the eldritch horrors.
Visit C. L. Hart
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The Wheels on the Stroller Teaser Tuesday
Date Published: 2025
Publisher: Serapis Bey Publishing
Ready…Set…Let’s Roll!
Excerpts
“The children in the yards play throw and catch! throw and catch! throw and catch! The children in the yards play throw and catch! through the neighborhood.”
“The parents crossing streets say ‘look both ways’ ‘look both ways’ ‘look both ways.’ The parents crossing streets say ‘look both ways’ through the neighborhood.”
About the Author
Claudia Kramer Kohlbrenner earned a B.S and an M.Ed. degree in the field of speech-language pathology and she also received extensive training in the teaching of reading. She maintained her American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification during her 35+ years of teaching and for many years after retirement. Claudia taught mainly in the public schools with students of all ages but primarily with special education and general education students at the preschool and elementary levels.
When teaching at the preschool level, Claudia encouraged busy parents to utilize the time spent carrying out daily routines as language-rich opportunities. Parents were counseled to talk about what was happening in a child’s “here and now” - while getting dressed, brushing teeth, taking a stroller walk! Claudia used available and self-generated rhymes and songs and involved as many bodily senses and movements as possible to facilitate developmental skills in preschoolers. She considers the repetition used in The Wheels on the Bus book and now in The Wheels on the Stroller to be a valuable learning tool for young children. According to early childhood research, repetition reinforces language processing, pattern recognition and a sense of predictability. It also provides children with opportunities to rehearse new sound and word sequences.
After retirement, Claudia’s love of rhyme inspired her to take a few children’s poetry writing classes. She was pleased to have several poems published in “Highlights High Five” and “Highlights” magazines, with two poems also published in children’s anthologies. The joy of reading to her sons long ago and now her grandchildren sparked her desire to write a children’s book as well. One day, after she and her young grandson enthusiastically sang and motioned along with The Wheels on the Bus book, grandma and grandson set out for one of their many adventure-seeking neighborhood stroller walks. As the wheels on his stroller went round and round, they greeted neighbors with tail-wagging dogs, watched squirrels scurry up trees and delighted in the “ding! ding! ding!” of an approaching bicycle along with other encounters- The Wheels on the Stroller was spontaneously born!
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September 18, 2025
Babymaking Reveal #rabtbooktours
Memoir
Date to be Published: December 11th, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Making a baby is one of life’s most precious and natural acts. But sometimes, despite our deepest wishes and most sincere prayers, the body has other plans.
Vincentia Schroeter dreams of building a family of her own and expects an easy pregnancy. She imagines following in her mother’s footsteps, surrounded by the love of children. However, when complications mount, she must face the likelihood that her wish will never come true.
As her sisters bear children, and women all around her share their happy baby news, Vin grows more envious than ever. The frustration continues as hard truths test her patience and faith and medical professionals deliver devastating blows. The only thing she knows for sure is that she is determined to become a mother.
A story of one woman’s harrowing path through trauma and disillusionment, Babymaking is a heartfelt memoir of vulnerability, rupture, and repair. Vin’s journey reminds us that hope and unconditional love have the power to lead us to the place we were always meant to be.
About the Author
Vincentia Schroeter grew up in a small town in central California as the fourth of twelve children. Intrigued by the many different personalities in her family, she knew by the age of sixteen that she wanted to be a counselor. She put herself through college and graduate school in order to pursue her dreams.
Vin is the author of the award-winning self-help book, Communication Breakthrough: How Using Brain Science and Listening to Body Cues Can Change Your Relationships (2018). She also co-authored a training manual on somatic psychotherapy that has been translated into three languages.
After a forty-year career as a psychotherapist listening to clients’ stories of pain and trauma, Vin felt drawn to share her own story. She now lives in San Diego with her husband Steve and enjoys pickleball, painting, and time with family, including her dog, Ren.
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Hook and Jill Book Blitz #rabtbooktours
Literary Fiction
An ageless fable grows up...
Wendy Darling learns. What appears to be good may prove otherwise, and what seems to be evil…is irresistible. In this startling new vision of a cultural classic, Wendy intends to live happily ever after with Peter Pan. But Time, like this tale, behaves in a most unsettling way.
As Wendy mothers the Lost Boys in Neverland, they thrive on adventure. She struggles to keep her boys safe from the Island’s many hazards, but she finds a more subtle threat encroaching from an unexpected quarter.…The children are growing up, and only Peter knows the punishment.
Yet in the inky edges of the Island, the tales Wendy tells to the Lost Boys come true. Captain Hook is real, and even the Wonderful Boy can’t defend his Wendy against this menace. Hook is a master manipulator, devising vengeance for his maiming. Insidious and seductive, Hook has his reasons for tempting Wendy to grow up. Revenge is only the first.
Deepening the characters so artfully sketched by J.M. Barrie, Hook & Jill reveals the dark side of innocence at which Barrie hinted in the figure of Peter Pan. It brings alive a daring Wendy who asks questions and seeks truth; it delves into the man, Hook, the iconic villain. Striding from fairy-tale and thrusting into reality, Captain Hook becomes a frightening force indeed.
About the Author
Andrea Jones is the author of the Hook & Jill Saga, an award-winning series of Neverland novels for adult readers.
Jones graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Oral Interpretation of Literature, with a Literature Minor. In her career in television production, she worked for CBS and PBS affiliates, and corporate studios, also performing as on-camera and voice-over talent.
Jones is an editor of the Reginetta Press Classics Restoration program, which seeks to preserve the integrity of beloved old manuscripts before they are lost to time. The first project in the program is Peter and Wendy: The Restored Text. In tribute to J.M. Barrie, Jones corrected alterations made by modern publishers, returning Barrie’s timeless tale to its exact 1911 first edition text. This book is the basis of the Hook & Jill Saga, and Jones remains true to J.M. Barrie’s vision of his Neverland and its inhabitants.
Andrea Jones is known around the world as Capitana Red-Hand of the web-based pirate brotherhood, Under the Black Flag. She is also a member of the pirate re-enaction troupe, the Brethren of the Great Lakes. Her home port is near Chicago.
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Friday Book Blogger Special: My Ex Is A Vampire
Genre:
Fantasy Romance, Vampires, Young Adult
Length: 431 pages
Buy Link:
https://amzn.to/4psQG7NPublication Date:
October 1, 2025
Book Blurb:
Relationships bite!Jane Dela Cruz's life is anything but normal. By day, she's your average honor student, the girl next door who's dating the guy on the football team. By night, she hunts vampires with her family. She hates what she's been called to do, the gifts she inherited from her family bloodline. At the same time, she craves revenge and closure for past emotional scars.
Andy Santiago is the new kid in the swanky suburb of Sugar Land, Texas. Haunted by nightmares of red eyes and fangs, he hunts down vampires and attracts his share of trouble along the way. He keeps his life of vampire hunting a secret from his mother and finds himself in hot water when he finds out his new girlfriend is a fangirl for romantic vampires, which only exist in fiction.
When Jane's boyfriend and Andy's girlfriend get taken by the local vampire court and turned into vampires, they have to team up and figure out how to take down their exes. What they don't realize is that they will unravel a darker conspiracy that will change their lives forever. The First Line/Book Beginnings
https://www.rosecityreader.com/
https://readingismysuperpower.org/Jane thought she had the perfect plan. Step one: Hone in on some random hot vampire. Step two: Flirt up a storm. Step three: Lure him outside. Step four: Stab him right in the heart. It should have been that easy.
The Friday 56
http://www.fredasvoice.com/Saint Anthony’s Oddities was a moderately-sized place, located between a jujitsu dojo and a grocery store.
I am reading this story with an intent to have a review ready on its release date of October 1, 2025. It is currently available for preorder on Kindle.
Book Blogger Hop
Book Blogger Hop
September 19th - Do you know more than one language? If so, do you read books published in other countries?
(submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer) Well, funny you should ask. I do know a modicum of Spanish, which I have been studying on and off for decades. I doubt I will ever be conversationally fluent, but if you give me a book written for Spanish-speaking elementary school students, I'll do okay. I recently started studying Spanish again with the Lingo Legend app. You can download it from the Apple store or Google play. Enter my code when prompted, and we'll both get 1000 Ludos (Lingo Legend currency) which can be used to purchase neat things like fighting gear. QXES3
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September 16, 2025
Crush and Byte Teaser #rabtbooktours
(Grim Road MC)
Motorcycle Club Romance, Suspense, Age Gap
Date Published: September 19, 2025
One crazy grandma and a wild adventure with two sexy bikers… What happens when I fall for both?
River -- My life got derailed by a sneaky old woman in an assisted living home. The cloak-and-dagger story she frames is both unnerving and exciting. I thought Mrs. Walsh was living in her past, some heartbreaking episode of dementia… until I found the package she sent me looking for in a library in Vancouver. Next thing I know, I’m on a wild ride with two ridiculously handsome brothers -- Mrs. Walsh’s grandsons. I’ve spent my life feeling like the background character, but now I’m the star of the show. I’m a little scared, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t intrigued.
Crush -- The moment I see River, I know my life is about to change. She’s got that “sweet and innocent” thing that makes me wonder how I’m going to resist her. Or if I even want to. I know I’m a pawn in one of my grandmother’s games, and I’m OK with playing along. But what am I supposed to do when I want a woman my brother also wants? Something about River makes the risk worth taking, even knowing this arrangement could blow up in my face.
Byte -- River’s beautiful, courageous, slightly crazy… and the woman I want for my own. However she’s got just as tight a hold on my brother Crush as she does on me, and no one comes between me and my brother. Our grandmother’s a master strategist, but I don’t think her plans include the three of us getting stuck in a tiny cabin on the side of a mountain… or does it?
River
The public library in Vancouver, Washington looked like a cross between an urban mall and the Roman Coliseum. With more overdue notices and fewer gladiators. I had no idea why I was here. It’s not like I actually expected to find anything. I just couldn’t seem to resist the thought of an adventure.
At exactly four in the afternoon, I stepped through the revolving glass doors and tried to look inconspicuous. Not an easy feat, considering the purpose was to retrieve a mystery envelope for a possibly ex-CIA spymaster or some shit from behind an old, out-of-date encyclopedia, like the world’s nerdiest drop point. And maybe I was lost in my own fanciful musings. I had to smile. I was kind of having fun. It was like an adventure!
It wasn’t raining, for once, but the air still had the clinging, wet asphalt smell that was oddly comforting. I thought I should be nervous or something, but it was too much fun to think about to be nervous. I’d been assigned a quest by a cryptic, possibly delusional fairy godmother with a Parkinson’s tremor and a talent for psychological warfare. The thought made me stifle a giggle.
I drifted through the main floor, past the help desk and the “Local Authors” display, straight to the elevator. Behind me, a kid in a Spiderman backpack trailed his mom toward the children’s section, skipping along and looking excited. I definitely felt the same way.
The elevator doors closed on a guy in a T-shirt with a faded band logo and I rode in silence to the third floor. According to Mrs. Walsh, the reference section was tucked back behind geography, a quiet warren of study carrels and shelves no one under sixty ever browsed. I’d scoped it online the night before. I’m not dumb.
Mrs. Walsh had been explicit. “The 1986 World Atlas, behind the second row, center shelf. Not the 1992 edition. Only the ‘86.” If she’d specified a Dewey Decimal code, I might have laughed, but her face had been stone cold when she said it. Like there’d be real consequences for screwing this up, and not just “forgetting to refill the saltshakers in the dining room” level consequences.
When I found the book, I couldn’t suppress a little thrill zinging through me. I remembered the library in the group home I’d spent the most time in during my childhood had mystery series that I loved to read. Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden were my absolute favorites. I could see both amateur sleuths in my exact place.
The cover was two shades of dark maroon, sun faded at the edges, and heavier than I’d expected. I was careful as I pulled out the book, but my hands were actually trembling. There was no one else in the aisle, unless you counted the porcelain bust of some stern-faced man from a couple hundred years ago glaring from the endcap.
Just behind where the book had been, affixed to the back of the shelf with two strips of black tape, was a little metal box. Like an Altoid tin but with no writing on it, and bigger. My pulse thumped and I had to take a deep breath to keep from giggling in excitement. What the hell was going on? I probably should be alarmed instead of thrilled. There were so many questions I had a feeling I was going to have a hard time finding answers for, but I knew there was no way I wasn’t going to let this whole adventure play out on its own.
I slid the box free, tucked it in my back pocket, and hurried down the aisle, around the corner, and into the bathroom. Once safely inside a stall with the door locked, I slid the tin from my pocket and popped it open. I lifted off the top and tucked the lid into the base and braced myself for… what? A flash drive? A bloodstained thumb? Uranium? You know, just for kicks.
Nope. Inside the little box was a small phone. Not an old-ass flip phone like I expected, but a sleek, dark rectangle with no brand, already powered up. There was one unread message notification on the screen. In the box, there was a folded sheet of plain white paper and a sealed envelope. The paper was blank except for a single line written in bold Sharpie.
Remember the words. Do not write them down.
Yeah. I remembered.
I opened the envelope and stared at what looked like a find-a-word puzzle, only with no words listed to circle. Also, not all the symbols on the page were numbers or letters. Some were mathematical symbols or hieroglyphs. Yeah. That was hopeless. A small stack of one-hundred-dollar bills tucked inside another folded piece of paper looked at me like an accusation, like I was doing something naughty. I’d be lying to myself if I didn’t get a little thrill with the thought. The second paper had a number written on it. No dashes or spaces and it was too many digits for a phone number. Right. So much for written instructions. I stuffed the paper back in the envelope and tucked it inside my bra. Why? Because I’d always wanted to do that! It was like I was really smuggling something out of the library like a real spy. I giggled. So not telling Maggie about that.
I left the bathroom and, just in case, I put the metal box behind a row of obsolete encyclopedias a few shelves over, figuring that if I was being tailed by hostile librarians they’d have to earn their stripes.
She hadn’t really given me any instructions past finding the box and its contents but I was starting to get a bit of an eerie feeling. Not like I was in danger, exactly, but like maybe I should take Mrs. Walsh at face value until proven definitively otherwise. So, instead of sticking around, I went back to my apartment before I opened the message on that phone.
Call the contact listed in this phone. Use the video option.
I tried to remember if I’d actually committed to doing this, or if I was just being swept along by Mrs. Walsh’s gravitational pull. The only people who had ever really wanted something from me either needed a bath or a ride to physical therapy, not a covert op involving classified code words and burner phones.
But the truth was, I had nothing better to do. Literally nothing. My next shift wasn’t for three days. I didn’t own a car, so I either Ubered or bused everywhere. No long-term friends, no family, no one to say “don’t do it.” And what if it was real? What if Mrs. Walsh had once been the spook she said she was? Was this some kind of generational torch-passing, or did she just want a patsy for plausible deniability? I mean, given the whole no family, no friends situation I certainly fit the profile in either case.
I stared at the phone. The contact hovered, daring me to press “call.” Before I could think better of it, I did.
The phone rang once, then again. I thought it would go to voicemail, but on the third ring the screen flickered to life with the video call I’d just initiated.
For half a second, I almost dropped the phone. The screen showed two men in a small, windowless room. The older of the two had a full face that was deeply tanned and rough with more than a few days’ growth of dark beard. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt rolled to the elbows, his arms crossed on the tabletop like he was expecting a confession. The other man was maybe five or ten years younger than the larger man, with short, dark hair and glacial blue eyes. Neither looked amused and both looked more than a little confused.
“Who is this?” The big one asked. “Where did you get this phone?”
About the Author
Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.
Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.
Author Links
Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland
Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress
The 6th Heaven Release Blitz #rabtbooktours
Speculative Fiction; Visionary and Metaphysical; Christian Fiction
Date Published: September 17, 2025
Publisher: Acorn Publishing
Derek Hollinger has walked a long, hard road since a fateful encounter with an Indigenous shaman woman turned his life upside down. Now married to Kendal, his angel and savior, Derek desperately wants to be the man she deserves. But his obsession with his tattoos—what they mean and how to get rid of them—is tearing down everything they’ve built together.
Paralyzed by depression and self-loathing, Derek is convinced that only one person can help him now: the granddaughter of the shaman whose power inked him from head to toe. Enlisting the aid of his loyal friend and spiritual advisor, Father Mike, Derek treks deep into the heart of the Amazon jungle, where a final reckoning between good and evil awaits.
But God’s plan for Derek isn’t what he expects. And coming back alive—whole in mind, heart, and spirit—will require every ounce of his fortitude and faith.
About the Author
Writer, speaker, and certified life coach Monica Broussard is passionate about writing fiction that contains fantasy elements and keeps the reader intrigued about the lead character’s motives. She also writes an occasional article for her hometown’s magazine, SeaCliff Living. She belongs to American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and enjoys attending national writers' conferences.
Born in North Carolina on a Marine Corps base, Monica now lives in “Surf City,” Huntington Beach, California, with her husband of thirty-nine years. She has enjoyed various occupations, but her favorite job is the one she’s doing now—writing.
The 6th Heaven is book 3 in the 21 Tattoos Series.
Contact Links
Purchase Links
Naughty Netherworld Press on Goodreads
- Naughty Netherworld Press's profile
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