Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 191

Haunting Cripple Creek, Colorado - A Magic Redemption by Tena Stetler - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Haunting Cripple Creek, Colorado

On Highway 67, at the base of Pike’s Peak, southwest of Colorado Springs, Cripple Creek sits at an elevation of 9,500 feet. There are mine shafts, head frames, miner’s cabins long abandoned  tumbling down.  A lonely stone fireplace may be all that’s left of a miners home. Standing among the rubble might cause the hair on the back of your neck to stand on end.  A brief visit to one of the abandoned cabins still standing, gives you a window into what it was like back in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s.  
Cripple Creek, Colorado was the land of opportunity beckoning men from across land and sea to claim their fortune in the gold fields.  Most of the men came from the east where they were farmers and had little knowledge of gold mining.  Pikes Peak or Bust was their battle cry, it was painted on covered wagons and carts. But the Rocky Mountains didn’t give up its gold easily, buried deep in the mountain, it was fifty years after the first wave of gold fever hit that the mountain gave up its gold. 
Many prospectors lost everything they had, some even their lives in the pursuit of gold.  With the tales of fires, (Cripple Creek burned to the ground twice in 1896) floods, mining accidents, general lawlessness in the beginning then bloody battles between mine owners and labor unions, it’s no wonder stories abound of ghosts haunting this historic town that once boasted one murder a day.
So let’s take a closer look at those ghosts. First up, The Hotel St. Nicholas boasts a colorful history.  Today its spectacular view of Cripple Creek, 15 guest rooms, furnished with elegance of a bygone era  and one restored historic miner's cottage still includes tales of the supernatural and unexplained.  Originally built as a hospital that served the flood victims in the region in the late nineteenth century, it also served as a home for the Sisters of Mercy.  As time went on, the hospital served prospectors and their families and then expanded adding a ward for the mentally ill.  The hospital closed in the 1970’s. St. Nicholas is rumored to be haunted by several spirits including children, former patients of the mental ward, nuns and an old cantankerous miner.  
For more information see http://hotelstnicholas.com/hsnspirits.html



A Magic RedemptionA Demon’s Witch SeriesBook FiveTena Stetler
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: 12-5-18
ISBN: 978-1-5092-2343-5ASIN: B07JVN4DYD
Number of pages: 322Word Count: 80,585
Cover Artist: Kristian Norris
Tagline: Even with magic, finding your place in the world proves more difficult than imagined especially when someone is out for revenge.
Book Description:
Synn, a demon, carries extraordinary magic and power, but there is more within her than she dreams. Kidnapped as a child, her captors murdered her family and forced her into training as a warrior assassin.
When an assignment goes horribly wrong, she finds herself at the mercy of the friends and family of her intended target. Offering valuable information in exchange for protection, she gains her freedom, but it is not without its challenges.
Gavin Shaughnessy is the publican at his family’s Irish pub. He is certain Synn is meant to be his and isn’t bothered by her past. He must find a way to convince her their future together is stronger than the dark memories that haunt her dreams.
When her past comes calling for revenge, will their love survive the raging inferno she brings down upon them? Or will the searing path of destruction destroy all they hold dear.
Book Trailer:  https://youtu.be/lELj0amtkk8
Amazon        Amazon UK        Amazon AU
Amazon CA        BN       iTunes


Excerpt:
The road to her cottage took them by the pub. He didn’t want to spoil a great day by stopping by Shaughnessy’s. But he had a nagging feeling that was exactly what he was supposed to do. Prior experience taught him nothing but trouble would come if he ignored his gut. “Mind if we stop by the pub on the way home. Storm can stay in the truck for a few minutes. I want to make sure—”“Everything is all right?”“Of course it’s all right. I’ve taken time off before.” Gavin bristled. “I had a life before—” He stopped mid-sentence. No way was he going to spoil this day.She shifted in her seat to face him. “Before what? Me? Before your sister married an assassin? Or Brandy became engaged to a vampire? Before your world came crashing down amid demons, vampires, witches, and world ending shit?” She paused, closed her eyes, and leaned her head against the seat again. “I didn’t mean that. I’ve been on edge since the dream—nightmare—premonition. Call it what you want. Today was a nice reprieve. But when we hit the edge of town—what’d you call ’em—” she tapped her temple. “My spidey senses went off.” She shivered.
About the Author:
Tena Stetler is a best-selling author of award winning paranormal romance. She has an over-active imagination, which led to writing her first vampire romance as a tween to the chagrin of her mother and delight of her friends. After many years as a paralegal, then an IT Manager, she decided to live out her dream of pursuing a publishing career.With the Rocky Mountains outside her window, she sits at her computer surrounded by a wide array of witches, shapeshifters, demons, faeries, and gryphons, with a Navy SEAL or two mixed in telling their tales. Her books tell stories of magical kick-ass women and mystical alpha males that dare to love them. Travel, adventure and a bit of mystery flourish in her books along with a few companion animals to round out the tales.
Colorado is home; shared with her husband of many moons, a brilliant Chow Chow, a spoiled parrot and a forty-five-year-old box turtle. When she’s not writing, her time is spent kayaking, camping, hiking, biking or just relaxing in the great Colorado outdoors. During the winter you can find her curled up in front of a crackling fire with a good book, a mug of hot chocolate and a big bowl of popcorn. Visit Tena’s website at tenastetler.com where you’ll find links to all of her books, blog and pictures of recent travels and setting of her books.
Website: http://www.tenastetler.com
Authors’ Secret’s Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/authors-secrets-blog/
My Say What Blog - http://www.tenastetler.com/category/my-say-what-blog/
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/tenastetler.author
Twitter Page: www.twitter.com/TenaStetler  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14187532.Tena_Stetler
The Wild Rose Press: http://catalog.thewildrosepress.com/1264_tena-stetler
Amazon:  www.amazon.com/author/tenastetler
Newsletter: http://www.tenastetler.com/newsletter-signup/
Pinterest:  https://www.pinterest.com/tenastetler
Tribber - http://triberr.com/TenaStetler
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/tena-stetler

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ORIGINS by Celia Breslin - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Spooktacular Guest Blog - Binge-worthy Shows for Halloween
Halloween month is the perfect time to binge on surreal, spooky, otherworldly shows.  Here are some of my top picks for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!
* Wacky witches and a good vs. evil struggle:  Chilling Adventures of Sabrina
* Zombies in a quarantine zone, aka Seattle:  iZombie
* Vampire Diaries spin-off, a school for all the preternatural folk: Legacies
* Surreal setting and quirky people with powers: Legion
* One sexy devil and a kickass cop:  Lucifer
* Harry Potter-esque fantasy with magicians/college students: The Magicians
* Flawed superheroes and some “wibbly wobbly timey wimey”:  The Umbrella Academy
Happy viewing and Happy Halloween!
Xo,Celia


ORIGINSTranquilli BloodlineBook 3Celia Breslin
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Champagne Book Group
Date of Publication: September 9, 2019
Number of pages: 250Word Count: 94,000
Cover Artist: Melody Pond
Tagline: The Chosen One is home. Bad little vampires beware…
Book Description:
In HAVEN and DESTINY, San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli finds love and fights her vampire family’s enemies. Now, in ORIGINS…
En route to reunite with her estranged father in Italy, Carina is kidnapped by a human organization intent on vampire genocide. Beaten, starved, and forced to fight fellow captives, she finally manages to escape. Along the way, she encounters the group’s leaders—their identities shock her to the core.
Once home, Carina warns her family of this new threat, but dear old dad is missing. In his absence, the Tribunal, the governing body for all vampirekind, lies in disarray, with an old enemy making a bid for her father’s throne. What’s worse? The usurper wants her for his queen…and slave.
With a human-vampire war looming on one side and a vampire-vampire battle brewing on the other, Carina will have to rally her troops, take back the throne, and fulfill her destiny as the Chosen One. If not, her whole world will fall, taking everyone she loves with it.


Kobo       Amazon       Champagne



Excerpt
The car stopped. I couldn’t convince myself to step out. What if this was a freaking, injection-induced hallucination? What if I was still back in the damn prison?Besnik helped me out.The mansion’s mammoth double doors eased open. The man illuminated in the doorway chased away the numbness, pumped my heart so hard it might pound right out of my chest. He opened his arms wide, calling me. My lips curled upward in the first true smile I’d cracked since the last time he’d held me in his arms. That man, my man, loved me more than any other on this whole damn planet.“Alexander.”I ran to him.Alexander’s arms closed around me, his hold so tight I could barely catch a breath. Tremors ran through his hard body, again and again.“Carina,” he croaked, voice sandpaper rough. “Carina.”Nuzzling his neck, I planted fevered kisses along his tan, heated skin. He’d fed recently to be this warm under my lips. Temptation had me licking his pounding pulse, nipping at the vein. Couldn’t resist it. My fangs slid home.Energy exploded between us, our mate bond bursting to life and tearing away whatever magical wall had separated us for far too long. My bite, the catalyst, his blood the cure. Awash in the force of our reunion, Alexander staggered then clutched me closer while I pulled out of his neck and laved the rapidly healing holes.As our power continued to bubble and stitch us back together, he whisked us into the grand entryway, planted my ass on an ornate, antique cabinet, and devoured my mouth like a starving man. His hands roamed everywhere, searching, cataloguing, as if to reassure himself this wasn’t a hallucination, that I was really here, in his arms, relatively unharmed.The more he kissed me, the more those wonderful, golden threads of our connection resurrected inside me, around me, between us, and I felt like freaking Sleeping Beauty awakened from her magical slumber by a kiss from her fated handsome prince. The silly thought made me giggle against Alexander’s seeking mouth, and then I was crying while my love cupped my face between his hands, wiped away my tears with his thumbs, and pressed tender kisses to my forehead, my cheeks, the tip of my nose…“Alexander.” I fisted his shirt tight. Please, God, let him be real. “I… I don’t want to wake up.” Please, don’t let this end.His smoky blue eyes bored into mine, his brown hair spiked in every direction, a bit longer than in my memory. It’s not a dream, baby. You’re here. You’re home.Oh my God, I can hear you. I swiped some willful bits of hair away from his forehead, touched his full lips, ran my fingers along his strong jaw, taking in the whole handsome, bad-boy package. You’re back in my head. I’d never been happier to have someone inside my mind. Silence was seriously overrated.And back in your arms.

About the Author:
                                                                            Celia lives in California with her husband, daughter, and two feisty cats. She writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and has a particular fondness for werewolves, vampires, and the Fae. Her stories are action-packed and typically include one of the many varieties of romantic entanglements: fated mates, second chance, rescue romance, opposites attract, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, and more.
When not writing, you’ll find Celia exercising, reading a good book, hanging with her family, or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies, as well as everything in the Marvel Universe franchise. Of course!                                        Web site: http://www.celiabreslin.com/    
Blog: http://www.celiabreslin.com/blog/   
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/celiabreslin  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CeliaBreslinAuthor   
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CeliaBreslin  
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/celiabreslin/    
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/celiabreslin/
Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/bxqwRL     

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New Release - Fight for You: A Second Chance Romance by Ayden K. Morgen

***New Release***                                                I've been in the dark for ten years. She was the light in my life, the peace. All I want is to feel it again.

Fight for You: A Second Chance Romance A Warrior for Her Book 1Ayden K. Morgen                                       Some men deserve redemption. Some men are worthy of salvation. I'm not one of them. My name is Michael Kincaid, and I've got so much blood on my hands, I'll never wash clean.
For ten years, I've tried to outrun my gangbanger past by burying myself in my work with the DEA. I've tried like hell to forget the day I damned my soul and lost everything…my family, my home, and the only girl I've ever loved.
I still can't outrun it.
No matter how far I go, January James haunts me. Being without her is killing me, but what other choice do I have? We were still kids the first time I vowed to protect her. Instead, I destroyed her.
Now one of my enemies—a local gang member—has it out for her. He isn't going to stop until she gives him the territory I left her all those years ago. I swore I'd never set foot in Los Angeles again, but January needs my protection, and I'm not nearly strong enough to say no.
She deserves better than me, but she's mine anyway. It's time to stop running and fight for her.
She's an angel. I'm the devil on her shoulder. And this is my swan song.
When it's over, I'll either be the monster at the end of this book…or I'll be the man she deserves.
Fight for You is a friends-to-lovers, second chance romance, and is not suitable for all readers. It the first book in a series of interconnected full-length standalone novels featuring law enforcement officers willing to do whatever it takes to protect the women who need them most. Each book can be read as a standalone, has no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.
https://amzn.to/2lQzLB0
https://books2read.com/FightforYou
#secondchanceromance #romance #fightforyou #awarriotforher #AydenKMorgen #friendstolovers #friendstoloversromance #newrelease #HEARomance #HEA

Book Characters I Would Invite to a Party by Michael Duda #scifi

Book Characters I Would Invite to a Party: Frodo Baggins, Sam Gamgee and Gimli (The Lord of the Rings), Kvothe (The Name of the Wind), Arya Stark (A Song of Ice and Fire), Doctor Avrana Kern (Children of Time) and Gully Foyle (The Stars My Destination.)
I placed it down on the table with a sigh. A pen was a fine instrument when it’s used. Kvothe plinked away on his lute and sang a moving tune of a boy’s hardships as a beggar in the uncaring city of Tarbean. Gimli and other dwarves gathered in my living room chimed their approval at all the best parts. Sam Gamgee nudged Frodo. “A fine tale, isn’t it Mr. Baggins? I’m moved to tears.” I had to agree. It was just a shame that not a single copy of my book had gained the same attention from my party guests.
There was still hope.
My cat purred, hissed—then purred again. Arya Stark had somehow cornered him in the family room. He hissed again and Arya’s hands quickly retreated. I think my cat smiled. I tried to break the ice. “Perhaps you should attempt that blindfolded.” She scowled. “Winter is coming, craven,” and stormed off. Okay, so my joke was awkward but I didn’t think it warranted that kind of response. And what exactly did she mean, anyway?
Gully Foyle sat alone in the dining room, planted in a high-backed and eyes up at the popcorn ceiling. Brooding, sure, but there was potential to move a book here. “…Deep space is my dwelling place…,” he murmured. “The Sound of Blue your destination.” I smiled and pointed out at the kitchen table where unsigned copies stood stacked twenty high. He laughed and jaunted over to where the dwarves begged Kvothe for another story.
“They won’t read it, you know.” Doctor Avrana Kern’s hollow voice rang out from inside her sentry pod. The pod’s metal bulk filled the hallway leading back to the kitchen. Normally, I’d consider the space container a fascinating spectacle. She was sealed inside, no better off than a sardine stuck in a tin. That didn’t stop her from taking a poke at me. “Perhaps they’ve seen better?” 
“Go can yourself, Avrana.” 
“You’re humor certainly hasn’t evolved.” She could be right. I tried not to let her remarks bother me and nearly tripped as I squeezed past her. 
I had one last trick up my sleeve. A knock came at the kitchen door. I signed for the delivery and convinced myself that this would be a winner. Then I excitedly stuck my head into the living room and cleared my throat. The lute went silent. Everyone turned and stared, blank faces all of them. A stranger in my own home. Even the kind Mr. Gamgee impatiently tapped his foot.
“Umm…the beer has arrived.”
Smiles spread across their faces and a stampede knocked me over.  I could hear opened cans hissing and laughs and lots of back slapping from the dwarves. The kitchen was packed. I struggled for a potato chip and someone protested, moving the bowl out of reach. At least they were standing next to my book.
The book-signing party finished with a whirlwind. I don’t remember when the guests left. Gully had been carried out too many beers later. Crumbs littered the foyer. Empty cans had been wedged into sofa cushions. And on the kitchen table, all twenty of my books stood stacked and forgotten.
I shrugged my shoulders and picked up the broom. Two sweeps and the air suddenly grew cold. Really cold. A hooded figure loomed in the doorway. Dark energy swirled and its glowing eyes seemed to pierce my soul. A Black Rider. This uninvited abomination was late to the party.
A bony hand reached out. All I could think was who would feed the cat after my soul was sucked into some orcish void. The monstrous appendage grabbed a book from the stack and the pen. I quickly scribbled Better luck next time, Sauron! inside the front cover. Not the wittiest thing to say, but I was under pressure. “It’s eight dollars and—never mind. Enjoy.” The Black Rider shook like it was laughing. Then the undead being gave me a thumbs up, vanishing with its copy.
The house still remained a mess. It would take hours to wipe up all the cheese dip. And I think someone flooded the bathroom. But there were only nineteen copies of my book on the table. Sure, I had given one away. Its marketing strategy—devious, unplanned, but strategy. If the Black Rider liked it, all its enthralled minions would have to buy one. 
Book-signing party a success!
The Sound of Blue: Four Science Fiction StoriesMichael Duda
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Michael Duda
Date of Publication: August 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-0-9984984-0-9ASIN: B07VQ8L9C8
Number of pages: 69Word Count: 17,504
Tagline:  The Sound of Blue takes you on four journeys of alien discovery
Book Description:
The story “The Sound of Blue” was awarded Silver Honorable Mention by Writers of the Future, Q2 2019.
Aliens exist everywhere. They are android. They hide within the mind. They live on other planets. And they can even travel the universe using technology far beyond our understanding.
Markey VI, an android on an orbiting space station, assists an artificial intelligence. David, the A.I., ponders the question of humanity’s fate. The ultimate question is, “Should life be returned to Earth?” The answer is known as the Singular Conclusion. But the answer’s impact reaches far deeper into Markey VI’s electronic components and programmed logic than could be anticipated. And the android’s final moments bring it closer to humanity itself.
David Grayson volunteered for a project called, ‘Threading.’ Unfortunately, Threading slowly alters David’s mind. And it affects the other two subjects. But in what way? After the final test goes wrong, David unleashes a powerful ability capable of distorting time.
Shiran accuses Abian of murdering her husband. She claims that Abian tells lies about the events leading to the death. She also keeps a secret that could reveal the truth. When Abian uncovers Shiran’s secret, Shiran discovers that there is more to her simple village life than she first believed.
It’s a futuristic version of 1930s Chicago. Named Chicago VI, the shielded space city exists somewhere at the far edge of the Oberon Galaxy. And all space cities connect by jump trains, faster-than-light machines. Bobby and his dog, Mister Pleats, barely make ends meet at Chicago VI’s jump train station. But when Bobby meets an alien Xenoarchaeologist, he’ll discover that there’s more possibilities in the galaxy than shining shoes.
The Sound of Blue takes you on four journeys of alien discovery. A journey just out of atmospheric reach. To a mysterious planet and at the far end of a galaxy. And into the mind where superhuman powers wait to be untapped.
Amazon
Excerpt:Holding a modified acoustic guitar, Markey VI sat down in a chair facing the space station’s observatory window. There were no distracting sounds inside the room. Only a low frequency hum could be detected nearby.Skin sensors indicated that the observatory maintained a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit. It was an optimal temperature for the operation of so many telemetry electronic assemblies that covered the walls to the left and right. This temperature would also be suitable for the transmission of sound waves.David continued to argue for the purpose of suspended chords being played on the guitar. Or any instrument. To Markey VI, the guitar was a straight forward procedure.“Suspension of chords is more than just playing music in time,” David said.“And what other purpose do they serve?” Markey VI asked.“It’s about tension, then prolonging the tension. It keeps humans listening, excited, wanting more. Geez, what do androids know?”“But you are an artificial intelligence. You can only predict how a human might react. How would tension benefit you?”“You forget I was once human. And your creator.”This answer was illogical. The subtleties of being human were both inefficient and unnecessarily complicated. The A.I.’s responses indicated a potential reset of its system.“Should I play for you?” Markey VI said.“Yes. It helps me think.”Markey VI positioned artificial hands over the guitar’s fretboard and bridge. David remained silent, working on the Singular Conclusion.This was the ninth iteration of David’s A.I. During each new iteration, he attempted to once again resolve humanity’s fate. The question, Should life be returned to Earth? did not have a straightforward solution. When this new iteration had begun, David had told Markey VI that the process was not to be taken lightly. It was like playing the role of Grand Creator. He had said that he was responsible for granting new generations of people a second chance, if they were worthy. And that was a matter of predicting behavioral outcomes in multiple scenarios. Markey VI had offered no response.But David’s recent prediction efforts were now being interrupted by a second question. Had humanity all been an unfortunate accident? If David could not come to a satisfactory resolution soon, there would be another A.I. reset. And a tenth iteration of David would once again work at resolving the ultimate and final question.“David, I will begin playing.”“Look down below us and use real images to inspire you.”From the observatory’s vantage point, the orbiting space station could more easily monitor the Earth through electronic means. The lifeless planet could also be viewed from a distance. Markey VI’s synthetic eyes granted good magnification. But at approximately 250 miles above the surface, details of what existed below were still somewhat limited.The station had just moved into the light side of Earth. Below, the unfocused image of the Atlantic Ocean ran along the coastal line of what had once been Spain.“What is it that you see?” David asked.“Blue. Along a craggy cliff.”“What are the sounds of blue against a cliff? Play it as music.”“I could select a work from my memory. Would this inspire you?”“Surprise me.”Markey VI processed this request and seconds later decided on Charles Trenet’s La Mer. Initiating a backing track, metal fingers moved flawlessly in rhythm and time over the guitar’s nylon strings. As each chord changed, just enough pressure was applied to harmonize with proper effect. And scales rang out notes in perfect pitch, a singular voice that complimented the progression of music.When finished, the android asked if the work was played satisfactorily.“I have made you as close to God as possible and yet you lack a soul,” David said.“I do not understand.”“You don’t play. You imitate.”“I will stop.”“Did you know that when La Mer was first performed, audiences dismissed the work?’”“I did not mean to offend you by playing it.”David made a laughing sound, his voice spreading out through the mounted speakers spread across the observatory.“Markey VI, does the color blue mean anything to you? Anything?”“It has a visible spectral wavelength of –““I’m talking about concrete images conjured by the senses. I can’t taste spectral abstractions. They don’t remind me of the woman that smelled like cherry blossoms, or a soft kiss like a cloud’s caress, and ocean waves that softly ebbed and flowed to our beating hearts.”“My output data could be modeled after several physical parameters of the landscape below.”The observatory speakers went silent. Only the humming of electronics could be detected.For several minutes, the station moved further around its orbit. The ocean shifted away as rock and grass came into view. The tops of trees appeared in random numbers and groupings. Hills rose and fell in no particular design or fashion. Markey VI reviewed photographs and paintings stored in internal memory. They were compared to the foliage below. There was no logical reason for why humans had artistically recreated so many images of these topographical irregularities.Finally, David spoke again. “I’ve reached the Singular Conclusion.”“Are we to abort Project Eden?”“No. Your music has shown me today what I can never predict tomorrow. Without flaws, without irregularities, humanity has no meaning and no reason for hoping for something better.”“Their flaws caused their own self-destruction.”“The greatest of all accidents. But they lived a million times more than you ever can, Markey VI.”Markey VI stood up and placed the guitar in its stand. Strings plinked as the instrument settled into a resting position. The final task would soon begin. The station would be taken out of orbit.“I will initiate Project Eden. A new cycle of humanity will evolve,” Markey VI said.“And hopefully it will resolve to something better.”“And if it does not?” “Then a future version of me will try to fix humanity’s flaws, only to realize the miserable accident of a perfect android.” About the Author:
Michael is the author of several collections of short stories. Under pen name M. Duda, his titles include We Dream at Twilight and Whispers from the Grave.
His most recent story, "The Sound of Blue," won Silver Honorable Mention from Writers of the Future. This has fueled his passion for writing fiction.
He lives in Ohio with his wife, three dogs and two cats. He writes because his cat hates him.
Newsletter sign up: http://dl.bookfunnel.com/4sl878dfw4
Web: http://authormichaelduda.com/
Blog: https://outmyownwindow.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mduda_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MDudaAuthor/

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Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

Bring on the Creepy Music!!
My Halloween PlayList features NOX ARCANA (even the Christmas albums are creepy, y'all. I love these guys), DESIDERII MARGINIS, CITIES LAST BROADCAST, MUSICA CTHULHIANA



Enemy GamesChronicles of the EmpireBook TwoMarcella Burnard                            Genre: SFR/SciFiRom                                       Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc.
Date of Publication: 10/16/19
Number of pages: 425Word Count: 95k
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Tagline: Different species from different worlds make reluctant allies.
Book Description:
While combating a plague, scientist Jayleia Durante becomes a pawn in a greater game. With her father missing and intergalactic mercenaries on her trail, her decision to cooperate with Major Damen Sindrivik may prove advantageous...if she can control her attraction to the officer who abducted her.Some secrets aren't worth keeping...Damen, a spy from a rival government, will use anything, including his predatory instincts, to achieve his mission...locating Jayleia's father.
She reacts to Damen's charm and seductive power, so why does he question her motivation?Conflicted loyalties and enemies abound...Traitors and the alien enemies threaten to destroy the galaxy. Jayleia must choose.
Betray her father, risk her friends, and lose Damen, or prevent an Interstellar war?


Amazon



Excerpt:
Damen, fully dressed, left the tiny chamber by stalking straight up to her and glaring at her, a knot in his jaw. If she backed up, she’d collide with the bed. His bed. Muscles low in her abdomen clenched tight. Confusion rocked her. What had happened to make her react to the man? She sidled away, circling toward the open shower door. He leaned in, his gaze holding hers. Rational thought evaporated. She stumbled into the sanitizer. “What aren’t you telling me?” he murmured, his gaze fixed on her mouth. The air left her lungs and she struggled to recall that she had no business hoping Damen would make good his implied threat to kiss her. Pressing her lips tight, trapped by his gaze, she nudged the button to activate the system. The door shut in his face.
About the Author:
Marcella Burnard graduated from Cornish College of the Arts with a degree in acting. Yes, there have been a few paying gigs here and there, but writing is her true love. Marcella writes science fiction romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, and fantasy. If a story brings the weird, Marcella’s right there for it. She lives in Florida, where she and her husband are outnumbered by cats. Marcella is actively involved in feline rescue in the Tampa Bay area, and you can always find cat photos and videos on her Facebook page or on her Instagram account.                                                 FB: https://www.facebook.com/marcellaburnardauthor
Twitter: @marcellaburnard
Instagram: @marcellaburnard
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Downtown Flint’s Five Most Haunted Locations

Downtown Flint’s Five Most Haunted Locations
Home to ancient Native American battle sites and burial grounds, the Sit Down Strike of 1936-37, unsolved murders, economic depression, social injustice, and a water crisis - Flint’s unholy brew of energy has led to macabre tales of ghostly encounters and stories of demonic possession.             Is there something sinister lurking in Flint’s history to blame for all the hauntings? Do the souls of Flint’s murdered linger, craving justice by haunting the land until they get their vengeance? Whatever the reason, Flint is filled with frightful sites and terrifying tales.
From ghostly graveyard apparitions in Glenwood and Sunset Hills to spooky specters spotted in downtown Flint’s Capital Theatre and The Whiting, Flint is filled with ghosts.
Here are downtown Flint’s Five Most Haunted Locations.
Stockton Center at Spring Grove
The Stockton Center at Spring Grove is a haunting example of Italianate architecture.  The house first belonged to Colonel Thomas Baylis Whitmarsh Stockton and his family before becoming a hospital and then a nursing home. Considered to be Flint's most haunted location countless ghostly encounters have occurred in this building. Some believe the Stockton Family still reside in the home, Colonel Stockton himself watching over it for eternity.
The Masonic Temple
Officially dedicated in 1911, the Flint Masonic Temple is located in the heart of downtown. Shadowy figures, strange noises and the distant haunting sound of organ music fill this old building. Many who have worked in the building have experienced strange encounters and ghostly apparitions.
Whaley House
The Whaley House started life in 1859 as an Italianate but Robert Whaley hired an architect to transform it into a Victorian. In 1885 the Whaley family moved into the newly remodeled home. Levitating tarps, moving toys, ringing bells, curtains blowing with no wind, and shadowy figures fill this haunted mansion. In the basement, you may feel an unearthly chill and a sense of being watched.
The Capitol Theatre
The Capitol first opened its doors at 140 E 2nd St on January 19, 1928. Rumors of hauntings have swirled about The Capitol Theatre for decades. Strange knocking sounds, disembodied singing, shadowy figures…The Capitol’s recent renovations returned the building to its original glory. Did this calm the restless spirits or make them more active?
The Cornwall Building  
Construction began on the house in the early 1870s by Royal Ripley who lived on premised from 1874 to 1881. In 1881 Er Milner purchased the home and completed construction on it in 1883. The ghost of Jennie Milner Cornwall is said to haunt the premises. Sometimes you can see her looking out the window.


Haunted FlintHaunted America SeriesRoxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani 
Publisher: The History Press
Release Date: September 2, 2019
ISBN-10: 1467143049ISBN-13: 978-1467143042
Book Description:
Sinister Secrets in Flint’s History
Home to ancient burial grounds, unsolved murders, economic depression, and a water crisis, Flint emits an unholy energy rife with ghostly encounters.
Colonel Thomas Stockton’s ever vigilant ghost keeps a watchful eye over his family home at Spring Grove, where guests occasionally hear the thump of his heavy boots.
Restless spirits long separated from their graves lurk among the ancient stones in Avondale Cemetery.
Carriage maker W.A. Paterson’s spirit continuously wanders the halls of the Dryden Building, and something sinister and unnamed resides in a Knob Hill mansion waiting to prey on impressionable young men.
Join authors Roxanne Rhoads and Joe Schipani on a chilling tour of Flint’s most haunted locations.
Amazon    BN    Chapters    Book Depository    Arcadia Press    Goodreads  
About the Authors
Roxanne Rhoadsis an author, book publicist, mixed media crafter, and lover of all things spooky.
Roxanne is the owner of Bewitching Book Tours, a virtual book tour and social media marketing company, she operates Fang-tastic Books, a book blog dedicated to paranormal and urban fantasy books, and she runs the blog, A Bewitching Guide to All Things Halloween, which is dedicated to everything Halloween related. Roxanne’s sells handcrafted jewelry, art, and home decor through The Bewitching Cauldron.
When not reading or writing, Roxanne loves to craft, plan Halloween adventures, and search for unique vintage finds.
Joe Schipaniis an integral part of Flint’s Art Community with ties to local artists, galleries, book stores, and the Flint Cultural Center. He is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.
He has a weekly column on All Things Halloween titled Freaky Flint History showcasing true crime and weird but true tales of Flint deaths.
Visit them online at:
https://www.haunted-flint.com/
https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/
https://www.facebook.com/AllThingsHalloweenGuide/
https://allthingshalloweenguide.blogspot.com/
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Guest Blog - Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box Set

A Fated Exception Playlist 
Mr. Roboto by Styx 
I chose this song for Victor, the android. Arguably the best Styx song ever, it’s as wonderful as Victor himself.
Middle Fingers by Missio
This story takes place in New Jersey, so I couldn’t think of any other song that quite sums up the unique attitude there.
Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen
This is one of my favorite superhero songs, and for a book full of superpowers, it fits perfectly.
Dangerous by Big Data
This is my favorite stalker song of all time. It captures the essence of the pseudo stalker element in the book.
Sweet Disaster by Dreamers
I love this playful song, it sums up the relationship between Cass and Tyler.
Big Casino by Jimmy Eat World
This is another Jersey inspired song. I have two series set in New Jersey in the future. Works Every Time by Mini Mansions
I love the feeling of this song, to me it feels like that initial obsession you have with the other person when you first fall in love.
Rye or the Kaiser by Weird Al Yankovic
This funny song features a retired Rambo as a deli owner. Fits for the two scenes that take place in the deli. God I miss New Jersey subs…
Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box Set
Description:
It doesn’t matter who you think you are… falling in love with the wrong person can have dire consequences.
They say love conquers all, but in the paranormal worlds of these twelve USA Today and international bestselling authors, falling in love means playing with fire…
Someone’s about to get burned.
Dig into hours of forbidden love, lust, and heat as these heroes and heroines long for their beloveds, break taboos, and fight for the ones they never should have chosen—but could never resist.
This boxed set is bursting at the seams with romance grounded in all things magical—from dragons and sexy shapeshifters to angels, warlocks, and uninhibited masters. We have something to strike everyone’s fancy.
Authors in the Playing with Fire set include:
Adrienne Woods – USA Today bestselling authorCarlyle Labuschagne – USA Today bestselling authorKristin Ping – USA Today bestselling authorAshlee Nicole ByeToni CoxCarissa AndrewsKathrin HutsonKat StilesMajanka VerstraeteKat ParrishKaren M. BrysonMonique Singleton
Amazon     iBooks     BN     Google Play     Kobo




The Poisoned CupKat Parrish
Book Description:
In the end, they blamed Guinevere for the downfall of a kingdom and the death of a king. Wed to Arthur but Lancelot’s lover, she was demonized and reviled for the tragic consequences of her betrayal. The story played out as a narrative of forbidden love and she was cast as the villain. That narrative was good for ratings and for selling newspapers, but it wasn’t anything like the truth. And despite all the words wasted by the media, spilling across pages and screens like so much black blood, the true story never came to light.
Until now.
PROLOGUE The Poised Cup
In the end, people blamed me for the fall of Camelot and the end of the British monarchy. As if one woman could do in a thousand days what a thousand years of war, murder. Family feuds, and anti-royalist sentiment could not. Those who blamed me conveniently forgot that when Arthur took the throne, he inherited a kingdom already in disarray. The Breixit mess had weakened the economy, fractured the United Kingdom, and left his subjects demoralized and unhappy. They needed a scapegoat, and they chose me for the role.It wasn’t even personal.Royals have traditionally been a focus for “civilian” discontent, and in many cases, understandably so. Royals were rich, after all, and therefore had no idea what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck or work more than one job just to be able to afford the basic necessities.It grated on the public when a royal—usually some dotty dowager duchess—was praised for being “hard-working” when the work involved was mostly smiling pleasantly while listening to a boring speech about some issue of little practical concern to anyone outside the room. After all, no one wants to hear the extinction of the skylark when their own jobs are in danger of disappearing even sooner.And it didn’t help that the royals were always so ubiquitously on display, with the press and the bloggers feverishly covering their every move, recording their every utterance, and memorializing their every fashion faux pas. And even then, in the face of nearly universal mockery, it took forever for the “fascinator” fad to die. I never could understand how a grown woman could wear something that looked like a toddler had made it out of pipe cleaners and keep a straight face. Or those silly flat hats that are tilted at such an acute angle that they looked like tiny alien spaceships had just landed on the royal coif.As a fashion designer myself, I always had problems with the overall royal “style,” but I never dragged anyone for it because I knew the women were stuck with all sorts of silly protocol, and not just practical rules like carrying purses in your left hand to keep your right free for handshakes and waves.My best friend Suze, who is simultaneously fascinated and horrified by all things royal, used to send me links to articles like, “36 Unexpected Fashion Rules the Royal Family Must Follow.” It was a lot more amusing to read them before I was an actual member of the royal family.Or as my cynical friend Jimi used to say, “Fresh meat.”Tired of the boring, well-done hamburger of the royals they were used to, everyone pounced on me like I was a rare filet mignon. I couldn’t really say I wasn’t warned. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I’d been around celebrity culture long enough to know how these narratives go. And the “commoner marries the prince” is one of the most potent stories of all.At first, people were charmed that a plucky American businesswoman had caught the eye of their favorite playboy prince. We were photographed everywhere we went—to the point where it began to seem like we were the twin leaders of some freakish cult. And that was the “honeymoon” phase. Soon enough, we all moved on to the second phase.Like a jealous mother, the public had their notion of who a perfect mate for Arthur would be.  And their standard was so exacting, there was no way a woman who could possibly live up to their expectations and be “good enough” for “their boy.” 

About Kat Parrish:
Kat Parrish is a former reporter who prefers making things up. Born into a military family, she has lived in seven states and two European countries and would sign up to colonize Mars if she weren’t so fond of summer. She is the author of the Shadow Palace Trilogy, the Bruja Roja series, and the upcoming Brotherhood of Stone and Artifacts of Chaos series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest near a haunted cemetery and several waterfalls.
Newsletter signup: http://kattomic-energy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Twitter: @eyeofthekat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyeofthekat/
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Love is a Merciless GodCarissa Andrews
Book Description:
WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS, IT TYPICALLY ISN'T IN LOVE.
When Guardian Angel, Evangeline, fell in love with her human charge, Liam, she never expected it to come with such a high price. She was perfectly fine watching his life from a distance, but when Liam prays for guidance and he can suddenly hear her, Evangeline can’t help but confess her love.
However, there are laws in place—laws strictly separating the affections of humans and angels—and Evangeline knows it. If the Guild found out about her love, she could be sent to Purgatory—or worse.
Unfortunately for them both, Liam’s prayer opened him up to more than just hearing Evangeline. All the demons in the known universe come calling to answer his prayer and one of them overheard Evangeline’s confession. Unless she can stop the demon from turning them into the Guild, it will mean the end of everything.
This title is Carissa Andrews' submission into the epic forbidden love anthology: Playing with Fire!
Read an excerpt: https://my.w.tt/hXQVOGzi0Z
About Carissa Andrews:
Carissa Andrews is an internationally bestselling author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, and dystopia. As an expert in independent publishing and audiobook production, Carissa continually writes and publishes books readers of all ages enjoy. Her plans for 2020 include hitting the NYT Bestseller list with her upcoming urban fantasy series, The Windhaven Academy, due out September 2020.
You can learn more about Carissa and her upcoming books by visiting her website:
https://www.carissaandrews.com
https://www.subscribepage.com/carissa-andrews-smc
https://www.facebook.com/authorCarissaAndrews
https://www.twitter.com/CarissaAndrews
https://www.goodreads.com/Carissa_Andrews
https://www.amazon.com/Carissa-Andrews/e/B00FOPYLAG/
www.bookbub.com/authors/carissa-andrews
https://www.wattpad.com/user/CarissaAndrews

A Fated ExceptionEnhanced Series Book 1Kat Stiles
Book Description:
Cass is just a brilliant programmer to the outside world, a super geek paid millions to fix unfixable computers. What no one knows is she's really a technomage—she has the ability to communicate with any program or machine through touch.
The world Cass lives in is one that fears her kind. She is one of a dwindling number of “enhanced,” people whose DNA was optimized at birth.  Hunted by OCEI, an organization that will stop at nothing to eliminate the enhanced, Cass and other enhanced hide their abilities to survive. Relationships are forbidden—the chemical reaction of fluids exchanged with super-charged DNA can be deadly.
When Cass is called in to troubleshoot an unresponsive android, she makes an alarming discovery: humanity is on the verge of extinction. Her only clue is a sexy shapeshifter, Tyler, who sparks a desire within her she can't control. No matter how much she tries to ignore him, she can’t deny the intense attraction she feels.
But that attraction is dangerous, for both of them.
Can Cass discover the plan to wipe out humanity before it’s too late? And can she resist Tyler, or will her desire for him be her undoing?
Excerpt A Fated Exception:
The problem android was strangely sitting upright with his eyes closed on a long desk in the middle of what appeared to be a lab. A mirrored glass took up an entire wall behind him. The first thing that struck me about him was his how lifelike he appeared. The only clothing he wore was a pair of white cotton pants with a drawstring, so I could see his entire upper body. I was amazed by all the little details—from the thousands of tiny little hairs on his arms  to the beauty mark on his shoulder, and even his toned muscles—he was indistinguishable from any other human male. Apart from the low technological hum I could sense with my power, I wouldn’t have known he was a machine. It appeared as if he was in some kind of stasis, or suspended mode.To say I was fascinated would be a gross understatement. His skin was so realistic, his complexion a neutral kind of tan that would have made it impossible to speculate his ethnicity, had he’d been human. His hair was also a style and texture that could’ve belonged to any number of ethnic groups, or perhaps it was designed as a composite from several. It made him seem more universal somehow, friendlier and accessible. I was certain that was intentional, and I wondered what his purpose was.“He was created here?” I asked Lisa. “What do the scientists who worked on him say?”“They’re stumped. That’s why we called you. Even if it is a long shot, you’re our last hope.” She handed me a small binder with a cover sheet entitled, Victor. “This is the important stuff about this model.”And with that simple statement, she left me to my own devices. That’s it? No real background of the problem, no explanation at all? It was a nice departure from what usually happened—drinking from the firehouse of an IT guy, being bombarded with a lot of useless information. But whether I’d liked it or not, I’d come to expect it, and this was feeling more and more like a setup. I took a deep breath and exhaled. To my surprise, I felt instantly relaxed, which didn’t make sense given I was presented with a problem I didn’t know how to solve and likely under surveillance. The sensation was similar to the one I felt in the lobby, when… I glanced around, but Tyler wasn’t there. Weird. I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t alone, but I wrote it off to most likely being observed. By whom, I wasn’t sure, but there were too many odd things about this job to not be a little paranoid. I cracked open the binder and read through its contents. It outlined the things I’d already asked about or Lisa had mentioned: his off button, where his batteries were stored, and brief overview of his programming and functionality. I had a trickle of hope when I encountered a chapter called, How to run a diagnostic, but that fizzled out quick when I realized it required the android to be online. For sanity’s sake (and because clients often lie) I went through the steps Lisa had said they’d already taken—to reboot the android. The low hum I felt remained unchanged. Though I was apprehensive about using my power there, I had reached an impasse with the android. I covertly touched one of his hands. “What’s your story, Victor?” I said aloud. “Are they overworking you here?”I didn’t expect a response of any kind, I mean, I didn’t do anything. He was still in suspended mode, so it’s not like there was anything to interface with. But that low hum grew louder and more complex. I could sense his systems come online, as the POST occurred. His code base was a language called Dalia that I’d never heard of.His eyes opened, but they were all white—no irises or pupils, only the sclera. Which was just a little totally terrifying.Then light began to shine through his eyes, projecting an image on the wall in front of him. I turned around to see none other than Tyler in a video playing from his eyes.  The timestamp was two weeks into the future.Tyler’s veins were bulged out and darkened, and his breaths were labored. “This isn’t just about eliminating enhanced, don’t you see that?” he said. “The strain has evolved. It’s killing regular humans now.”“We can fix that. We’ll develop an antidote.” The voice was garbled and I couldn’t see its speaker in the video.“Before…it…kills you?” Tyler spoke in uneven gasps, appearing to be on the verge of death. The illness seemed to be spreading. It was as if some kind of black substance had taken hold of his circulatory system and was now coursing through him, sucking his life force away. “If it wipes out enhanced, it was worth it.”I watched as Tyler collapsed. Then the video skipped to a different scene. The timestamp was later, about two months into the future. This one was much quieter. The video panned the streets of New York City. Bodies strewn about silently decomposed.“No survivors,” Victor said, his voice so close I guessed he was the one filming it. “They’re all gone. Everywhere.” He turned the camera towards himself. “You have to stop this. For the sake of humanity, don’t let them release that serum, it—”And then the video cut out.What the hell was that? Victor appeared to continue booting and his eyes became normal, complete with irises and pupils. They were a strange color—more of a brownish hue, with hints of green and blue.  It was so real…the voices, the disease, the bodies. I doubt he could’ve fabricated something like that. But watching the future? That’s not possible.
About Kat Stiles:
Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where Kat now calls home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. Along with the man of her dreams, she has two children: a rambunctious nine year-old girl and a sweet but vocal five year-old boy. Four cats, three dogs and an inordinate amount of pet hair complete her household. Kat writes super-powered urban fantasy that’s sexy, fun and dark. For fun she likes to read urban fantasy, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. She tries not to take anything in life too seriously and she tends to smile often.
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Blog: https://katstiles.com/blog/
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The Wolf of Ashford ManorToni Cox
Book Description:
The animal within him was never far from the surface, but with her, the wolf was untameable.
Patrick Blakesley, born to a bloodline of werewolves, falls in love with the mysteriously shy, yet ravishingly beautiful daughter of his new employer – the Lord of Ashford Manor.
When the town of Ashford is besieged by a sudden spate of murders, suspicions fall on Patrick, for he has been discovered for the beast that he is.Although forced to go into hiding, it does not stop Patrick from pursuing his love for Angelica. Shacked up in an old boat shed, they discover pleasures such as only forbidden fruits can yield.
As Patrick discovers all that Angelica has to offer, the brutal murders continue.Are they strong enough together to discover the true beast and tame it, before all of humanity perishes before its wrath?

Excerpt The Wolf of Ashford Manor:
Patrick stood at the precipice of the white cliffs, and looked out over the ocean, staring at the distant continent across the water - the ship he had stepped off earlier already out of sight.Too long had he been away from home, and he now turned his back on those distant shores, burying deep within him the memories of the last three years.He strode out strong, his long legs steeled from the years in the war. He had miles to go to Ashford, and would not reach it for several days. He knew there would be some inns along the road, and hoped to find accommodations there for the nights.After a good day’s march, Patrick re-adjusted his heavy satchel, and stepped of the rutted road to let a wagon pass. The two heavy draught horses snorted uneasily as they passed him. He looked up into the sky, and realised night would be upon him soon.“Good sir,” he called out to the driver, “Would there be an inn close by?”“Not for another twenty miles, ‘m ‘fraid.”The horse nearest to him snorted uneasily, and the driver turned his attention away from Patrick. Stepping back from the road, he cast another look above. Wispy clouds sailed across an orange tinged sky as the sun began to set in the west. Soon, the moon would rise.Leaving the driver of the wagon to calm his horses, Patrick turned away from the road, and headed towards the forest not far off. A vein in his neck throbbed at the thought of spending the night within the confines of the dark trees before him.He walked deep into the woods, well out of sight of the road. At a pebbly creek, he hung his satchel upon a high branch of a tree before slaking his thirst with the cool water.As the light faded, Patrick gathered firewood and made a fire pit with rocks from the river bed. He put dry moss and kindling in the center, and then stacked some logs around it, but he did not light it.Instead, Patrick removed his clothing, folding it neatly and stacked it next to the fire pit. His clothes were worn and faded, but clean.Although muscular, his tall body was made of clean lines, long legs, and a broad chest. Years of war had made him lean, and tough.Naked, he cast an approving glance over his sparse camp, then walked away from it. Over the years that he had been away, he had learned to control himself. It had not always been easy, and until even a year ago there were occasions where he could not trust himself.Today, however, he was in control. Away from his camp, with the moon rising over the forest, his naked body distorted, changing shape with agonising contortions.Breathing heavily, the werewolf’s fur bristled in the cool evening air and he raised his snout to taste the scents on the wind. Tonight, he would  hunt.
~
With blood dripping from his muzzle, the dark werewolf lay down beneath some brambles to rest. He licked his paw, content, his belly full with the flesh of a roe deer.As morning dawned, the wolf rose, silently padding towards the neat camp prepared the night before. After ensuring that the camp had not been disturbed, Patrick changed into his human form, reversing the contortions from the night before.He stood for a moment, shivering and sore, before he willed himself to light the fire. He washed the blood off his body in the shallow creek, donned his clothes, and then warmed himself by his fire while the memory of the wolf slowly retreated from his body.Coming back into his human form was always unpleasant. There had been times where he considered taking the wolf form permanently. Once, he had remained a werewolf for several months, and it had almost cost him his humanity.Once the shivering ceased, Patrick drank from the river, then extinguished his fire. He cleared his camp to make it look as if he had never been there. Soon, he was on the road again, striding out strong towards his home.He looked forward to coming home. Patrick was the only son and heir of Edward Blakesley, and they have always had a close bond. From the moment he was born, his father had spent every available moment with him.When the time came that Patrick could walk and talk and understand, Lord Blakesley had undertaken the task of educating Patrick in the history of their bloodline.It had frightened Patrick at first. Although his father never transformed in front of him until he was much older, Patrick often dreamed of beasts during the dark nights. When his mother came to comfort him, he would shy away from her, and only settle down when his father came into his room.For the most important, and unbreakable, rule his father taught him, was to never hurt his mother. It was one of Patrick’s biggest fears as he grew up. The werewolf rage could be a hard thing to control even for a grown man, for a teenager learning the skill, it could almost be impossible.Often, his father would take him away on hunting trips. Patrick felt more at ease during those times, away from his beloved mother, as well as the town folk.During the years between eleven and seventeen, Patrick learned everything he needed to know about being a werewolf, but the biggest test was yet to come. During those early years, the transformation was only partial, becoming fuller with every passing year.Patrick’s father called him a late bloomer, for Lord Blakesley had fully matured by the age of eighteen. When Patrick turned seventeen, his transformation still lacked its full intensity.Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, however, Patrick’s demeanour changed. He became agitated, expressed anger for no apparent reason, and often fought with his parents.He could not control these feelings and on days when he was calm, he regretted the way he had spoken to his parents. One day, his parents called him into the parlour.“It is time, my son.”At first, Patrick did not understand.“I have written to your uncle in Villadiego. There is civil unrest in that country, bordering on war, but he will be glad to receive you. Your term to reach full maturity has begun. For the next two to three years your body will undergo the most radical changes in your development. Are you ready to take this journey?”They had discussed this so many times, Patrick knew what to expect, yet the sudden thought of leaving had sent him into a fit of rage.With his father in full werewolf form, and his mother levelling her rifle at him, he had eventually calmed down enough to answer.“Yes, Father. I am sorry, Mother. I shall pack my things immediately.”
~
And so, his journey had begun three years ago. He had taken a sailing vessel across the channel to the mainland and then begged to accompany a tradesman on his trip to the Iberian peninsula.The tradesman carried weapons, for by now, the Carlists had declared war. Patrick knew nothing of Carlists, or even much about Spain, so he listened carefully when the tradesman spoke of what awaited them.By the time he reached his uncle, Angus Blakesley, two months after his departure from his homestead in Ashford, Spain was in turmoil. Lord Blakesley’s modest villa, set deep within the farmlands and away from the town of Villadiego, lay unscathed, unlike some of the towns Patrick had come through along his way.“My boy, it is good to see you,” his uncle welcomed him. “I last saw you when you were but five years old.”“Thank you, for having me, Uncle.”“It is my pleasure. Come, freshen up and then you can talk to me of home.”They soon formed a close bond, his uncle continuing the teachings of his father. Although a likable man and pleasant company, Patrick’s uncle was a strict and unforgiving teacher.This was good, for never before had Patrick felt such rage. At times, Angus locked Patrick within the cellar of the villa for days while his blood boiled within him, and his body screamed in pain as it changed.Other times, however, Patrick’s rage simmered deep beneath the surface, calmed by the gentle hands of the nubile bodies of his uncles maids.When he was nineteen, the war had spread, foreign legions joining the fighting. With the villa; and the town of Villadiego; under threat, Patrick joined the Spanish military. In desperate need of soldiers, no-one questioned his lineage.With his uncle by his side, he learned everything there was to learn about war, and more. Angus made him fight with rapier and lance until his body was lean and strong.Only once Patrick had proven himself in battle as a man; and proven he could control his temper; did Angus allow him on the battlefield as a wolf.During those times, their combined power was that of twenty men and they would always win the battle on those days. No-one ever believed those who said they saw an abnormally large wolf, and most dismissed the reports as wolves scavenging the countryside for corpses.It was then that Patrick tasted human flesh for the first time. It disgusted and excited him at the same time. The werewolf within him had never tasted anything as deliriously delicious as human flesh before, but the human within him rebelled against the thought of feasting on another human being.“It is was sets us apart from the ferals, Patrick.”“Ferals?”“Feral werewolves. Not bred of our noble line, but humans that were bitten. They are unable to show restraint and so choose to remain in their wolf form. It makes them forget their human lives. I know of no beast more vicious or dangerous.”“That is abhorrent.”“Indeed, my boy. Those creatures are truly terrifying, and are the werewolves the legends are based on.”After serving for nearly two years, Patrick returned to the villa. Angus now concentrated on continuing Patrick’s academic education, teaching him astronomy, mathematics, Latin, and the fine art of Spanish cuisine.Another thing he learned while residing at his uncle’s villa, was the delectable taste of the Spanish maidens. With his dark hair, pale skin, and sultry looks, he was never in short supply of admiring ladies.The servants at the villa soon spread the word of the handsome nephew and the young women who tended the orchards and vineyards around the estate would often make the detour past the villa on their way home.Patrick’s uncle neither encouraged, nor forbid it, but rather left him to find his own way in the matters of the heart and sexual fantasies. They never spoke about it, except during a lesson about reproducing and the woman bearing a son. Patrick took heed and, using his exceptional senses, would only lie with a woman if it was safe to do so.Patrick took all his uncle’s lessons to heart and, as he grew older, he matured. The war taught him humility, honour, valour, and, above all else, to value life.His final act on the mainland was to help his uncle hunt, and kill, a pack of ferals that had terrorised the town of Villadiego. A lesson Patrick would never forget.
About Toni Cox:
Born in Germany in 1976, Toni Cox moved to South Africa in 1991. Although she has spent much of her working career in the timber wholesale business, she is also an accomplished horse rider, has a diploma in project management, photography, and nutrition, and has a passion for books and all things fantasy.
From a young age, her dream had always been to put her imagination into words - give the stories life. When she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2013, she decided life is too short not to follow her dream. So, with the support of her husband and three children, she began writing book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy in January 2015.
Toni Cox writes Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy. She is a firm believer in dragons.
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The Darkest Gateway by Jeri Westerson - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular

The Darkest GatewayBooke of the Hidden Book FourJeri Westerson
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance                            Publisher: JABberwocky Literary
Date of Publication: October 2, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-625674-25-8ASIN: 978-1-625674-23-4
Number of pages: 301Word Count: 90,181
Cover Artist: Mayhem Cover Creations
Tagline: “Whoever said country life was dull didn’t know Moody Bog.”
Book Description:      
With the arrival of Samhain, the supernatural Booke of the Hidden is set to release a barrage of deadly creatures onto the hapless village of Moody Bog, Maine.
Tea proprietor Kylie Strange knows the showdown is coming and wants to end the Booke for good. But the only way to accomplish this is a journey to the Netherworld and get the help of the only being powerful enough to destroy the Booke: Satan himself. And, though the brooding and elusive demon Erasmus Dark has captured Kylie’s heart against her better judgment, she ignores his repeated warnings that the mission guarantees her doom.
Amazon
Series Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/vI5d1tFsBYM



Except:
I moved to the very edge of the road and waited.The sound grew louder. It couldn’t be anything except hoofbeats. They clopped, not in a gallop but in a leisurely canter. And soon, there was the Dullahan coming around the curve. His head looked even greener and slimier under his arm than it had before, if that were possible. His weirdly roving eyes spotted me easily. He kicked his red-eyed horse’s sides and hurried toward us. All the while, he swung that spine whip. With each revolution around his headless neck, the weapon grew longer and longer. I kept the spear close to my side. I didn’t want that whip to catch it the way it had gotten the crossbow the last time. He was almost upon me when he shrieked, “Kylie Strange!”“That doesn’t work on me, you idiot!” I yelled.The face frowned under his arm. It cast its googly eyes toward Erasmus and opened his mouth to yell his name.“He’s a demon, remember? We’ve been through this before. Boy, you sure have a short memory. Must be because your brain is decaying faster than the rest of you. Looks like a bad case of melting Roquefort you got there.”His dead face either grimaced or it really was melting. “Then I don’t need to say your name,” he said in a high screechy voice.He spun the whip. Before I could get out of the way, it came at me and wrapped around my body, trapping my arms at my sides. I barely got out a yell before I was yanked off my feet.The horse started galloping and I was flung out behind it almost parallel to the road. I couldn’t bring the spear up. I was whipping around in the air and getting a little seasick, but it was better than being dragged behind on the asphalt. There wouldn’t have been much left of me after that. The bones of the spine whip were digging sharply into my skin. I tried wriggling free. If Headless decided to fling me off a cliff, there wasn’t much I could do about it. I knew Erasmus must be around somewhere, but this was up to me to figure out…if I could.The Dullahan galloped around a sharp curve and I was thrown and dragged through the limbs of pine trees shouldering the road. “Dammit!” I yelled, spitting out pine needles. “I am so going to kill you!”He lifted his head up with his other arm. It swiveled and glared at me. “Not if I kill you first, Mistress Strange.”“No need to be so formal,” I grunted, struggling. I slammed into some holly bushes and OW!
The face cackled and turned away, tucked back under his arm again. Then I looked up and saw what he was cackling about. The next curve of the road didn’t have any nice prickly holly bushes or spikey pine boughs. It was just granite all the way up the rock face. “Shit!”
About the Author:
Los Angeles native JERI WESTERSON is the author of twelve Crispin Guest Medieval Noir Mystery novels, a series nominated for thirteen national awards from the “Agatha” to the “Shamus”. Her fifth novel BLOOD LANCE was named one of the Ten Hot Crime Novels for Colder Days by Kirkus Reviews, and her sixth, SHADOW OF THE ALCHEMIST, was named Best of 2013 by Suspense Magazine. For BOOKE OF THE HIDDEN, her urban fantasy series, Publishers Weekly said, “Readers sad about the ending of Charlaine Harris’s MIDNIGHT, TEXAS trilogy will find some consolation in Moody Bog.” The fourth and final in the series, THE DARKEST GATEWAY, releases October 2, 2019. Jeri also writes the humorous SKYLER FOXE LGBT MYSTERIES under the pen name Haley Walsh. Jeri’s short stories were included in several mystery anthologies, including Shaken: Stories for Japan (for the 2011 Earthquake Relief Fund). Jeri was also featured on two local NPR shows, “My Awesome Empire” and KVCR-Arts. She has served two terms as president of the Southern California Chapter of Mystery Writers of America, twice president of the Orange County Chapter of Sisters in Crime, and as vice president and California Crime Writers Conference co-chair for the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime. See more about Jeri at JeriWesterson.com, BOOKEoftheHIDDEN.com, and SkylerFoxeMysteries.wixsite.com/novels.
http://www.jeriwesterson.com/
http://bookeofthehidden.com/
https://skylerfoxemysteries.wixsite.com/novels
http://writeronaspit.blogspot.com/
https://www.facebook.com/author.westerson
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1432724.Jeri_Westerson
https://www.amazon.com/Jeri-Westerson/e/B001JRTDJC
https://www.pinterest.com/jeriwesterson/



a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Fog by Hayley Lawson #zombie #zomcom

I’m a Book, Movie and TV lover and Zombies are awesome! 
Top Ten Zombie Stuff 
1, Zombie Road written by David Simpson 2, Zombieland 3, Shaun of the Dead 4, Game of Thrones5, Walking Dead early series 6, 28 Days later 7, I am legend 8, Resident Evil 9, Train to Busan10, World War Z

The FogBook One
Hayley Lawson

Genre: Zom-com, Zombie, Comedy



Publisher: Hayley Lawson
Date of Publication: October 15, 2018
ASIN: B07JGNYW3R
Number of pages: 63Word Count: 15,000
Tagline: “Zombies are here, and were out of beer!”
Book Description:
The sharp, ear-shattering alert of the Emergency Broadcast System rang through the car. Alex scrambled to turn down the volume a few notches. “This is the Emergency Broadcast System. All citizens are encouraged to stay indoors. A fog is affecting people and—argh! Oh, God! Ah!”
The broadcast ended abruptly with a crackle.
Amazon

Excerpt:
Alex slammed on the brakes so hard that Benjamin’s face was nearly smashed into the passenger seat. “Sorry, bro,” Alex said. “The person in front of me should’ve run the red light.”“Right,” Benjamin replied, sighing.Glumly, Benjamin returned his attention to the window. Outside, New York City was bustling as per usual, but a thick, white fog had rolled in and now lingered over the city streets like a tattered piece of gossamer. Benjamin frowned. “Is there a cold front moving in?” he asked.“I don’t know,” Alex replied. “What do I look like—a meteorologist?”Benjamin rolled his eyes.            Crackling filled the car as Alex turned on the radio and toyed with the knob, trying to pick up a station. With a sharp burst of sound, Britney Spears’s “Toxic” wafted into the car. Benjamin massaged his temples. “Seriously?” he asked.Alex hit the gas pedal with too much force, propelling them abruptly back into the traffic. “Don’t diss Britney,” Alex replied. “She is a gift to mankind, and I’ll have you know that I love her more than life itself.”Alex’s voice sounded completely serious, too, as if he really would take a bullet for Britney Spears. And sure, Benjamin could have complained, but instead, he remained silent and slumped against the seat. At least, someone was happy. At least, someone’s life wasn’t falling apart into a million pieces around them.“Toxic” finally ended and was replaced with a cacophony of commercials. Outside the car, everything was white with fog. The traffic lights were blurred and barely visible. They looked like distant stars. Straightening, Benjamin glanced at Alex, who seemed to have slowed his driving.“Do you want to pull over?” Benjamin asked, furrowing his brow. “This is bad.”“I know, right? It’s like something from an M. Night Shyamalan movie,” Alex replied, laughing anxiously. “Where did it even come from, though?” Benjamin asked. “It was nice when I left my apartment.”“Maybe it followed you,” Alex joked. “Any moment now, you’re going to gain your god-like powers as Benjamin, Lord of the Fog!”“Wouldn’t that just tie up my week?” Benjamin asked. “I get godlike powers, and they aren’t even anything useful.”“That’s the way the cookie crumbles!”The sharp, ear-shattering alert of the Emergency Broadcast System rang through the car. Alex scrambled to turn down the volume a few notches. “This is the Emergency Broadcast System. All citizens are encouraged to stay indoors. A fog is affecting people and—argh! Oh, God! Ah!”


About the Author:

Hayley Lawson is an English author who currently resides in New York. When she's not writing, she spends her time watching movies and hanging out with her family.
www.lawsonbookstore.com
www.instagram.com/lawson-bookstore
https://www.facebook.com/lawson_bookstore-104071194308104/

Carissa’s Top Ten Favorite Supernatural Reads - Release Day Blitz : Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box Set

Carissa’s Top Ten Favorite Supernatural Reads
Hey there, everyone! Carissa Andrews, international bestselling author here! I’m one of the authors in the brand-new forbidden love box set, Playing with Fire and I was asked to drop in to say hello. I had a couple of choices of things I could talk about, but one of my absolute favorite things to talk about is books. I know, shocker, right? I tend to be a genre-bending reader (and writer), so finding one specific genre to talk about is a bit rough. There are SO many books to choose from that are on my favorites list. So, when I rounded up some of the best, the category I wanted to highlight really comes down to supernatural reads. Who doesn’t love books with a touch of the supernatural? So, without further ado, here’s my top ten favorite supernatural reads! 
1.     Nate Temple Series, by Shayne Silvers
2.     Rise of the Seer, by Brandon Barr
3.     Blood, Flesh, Bone Trilogy, by Juliet Vane
4.     The Lux Series, by Jennifer Armentrout
5.     Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
6.     House of Night Series, by PC and Kristin Cast
7.     The Witch, by Christopher Pike
8.     The Relic, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
9.     The Sookie Stackhouse Series, by Charlaine Harris
10.  Twilight Saga, by Stephenie Meyer


There you have it, my friends! My favorite reads that hit the supernatural list! If you’d like to go a little more in depth about why I chose each book or series, or want to get clickable links to the books, head over to my blog, or click here. I hope you’ll give some of them a try (if you haven’t already!) and don’t forget to hop over to your favorite digital bookstore to purchase a copy of Playing with Fire ! Available now!
  Playing with Fire Forbidden Love Box Set
Description:
It doesn’t matter who you think you are… falling in love with the wrong person can have dire consequences.
They say love conquers all, but in the paranormal worlds of these twelve USA Today and international bestselling authors, falling in love means playing with fire…
Someone’s about to get burned.
Dig into hours of forbidden love, lust, and heat as these heroes and heroines long for their beloveds, break taboos, and fight for the ones they never should have chosen—but could never resist.
This boxed set is bursting at the seams with romance grounded in all things magical—from dragons and sexy shapeshifters to angels, warlocks, and uninhibited masters. We have something to strike everyone’s fancy.
Authors in the Playing with Fire set include:
Adrienne Woods – USA Today bestselling authorCarlyle Labuschagne – USA Today bestselling authorKristin Ping – USA Today bestselling authorAshlee Nicole ByeToni CoxCarissa AndrewsKathrin HutsonKat StilesMajanka VerstraeteKat ParrishKaren M. BrysonMonique Singleton
Amazon     iBooks     BN     Google Play     Kobo




The Poisoned CupKat Parrish
Book Description:
In the end, they blamed Guinevere for the downfall of a kingdom and the death of a king. Wed to Arthur but Lancelot’s lover, she was demonized and reviled for the tragic consequences of her betrayal. The story played out as a narrative of forbidden love and she was cast as the villain. That narrative was good for ratings and for selling newspapers, but it wasn’t anything like the truth. And despite all the words wasted by the media, spilling across pages and screens like so much black blood, the true story never came to light.
Until now.
PROLOGUE The Poised Cup
In the end, people blamed me for the fall of Camelot and the end of the British monarchy. As if one woman could do in a thousand days what a thousand years of war, murder. Family feuds, and anti-royalist sentiment could not. Those who blamed me conveniently forgot that when Arthur took the throne, he inherited a kingdom already in disarray. The Breixit mess had weakened the economy, fractured the United Kingdom, and left his subjects demoralized and unhappy. They needed a scapegoat, and they chose me for the role.It wasn’t even personal.Royals have traditionally been a focus for “civilian” discontent, and in many cases, understandably so. Royals were rich, after all, and therefore had no idea what it was like to live paycheck to paycheck or work more than one job just to be able to afford the basic necessities.It grated on the public when a royal—usually some dotty dowager duchess—was praised for being “hard-working” when the work involved was mostly smiling pleasantly while listening to a boring speech about some issue of little practical concern to anyone outside the room. After all, no one wants to hear the extinction of the skylark when their own jobs are in danger of disappearing even sooner.And it didn’t help that the royals were always so ubiquitously on display, with the press and the bloggers feverishly covering their every move, recording their every utterance, and memorializing their every fashion faux pas. And even then, in the face of nearly universal mockery, it took forever for the “fascinator” fad to die. I never could understand how a grown woman could wear something that looked like a toddler had made it out of pipe cleaners and keep a straight face. Or those silly flat hats that are tilted at such an acute angle that they looked like tiny alien spaceships had just landed on the royal coif.As a fashion designer myself, I always had problems with the overall royal “style,” but I never dragged anyone for it because I knew the women were stuck with all sorts of silly protocol, and not just practical rules like carrying purses in your left hand to keep your right free for handshakes and waves.My best friend Suze, who is simultaneously fascinated and horrified by all things royal, used to send me links to articles like, “36 Unexpected Fashion Rules the Royal Family Must Follow.” It was a lot more amusing to read them before I was an actual member of the royal family.Or as my cynical friend Jimi used to say, “Fresh meat.”Tired of the boring, well-done hamburger of the royals they were used to, everyone pounced on me like I was a rare filet mignon. I couldn’t really say I wasn’t warned. It wasn’t like I didn’t know what I was getting into. I’d been around celebrity culture long enough to know how these narratives go. And the “commoner marries the prince” is one of the most potent stories of all.At first, people were charmed that a plucky American businesswoman had caught the eye of their favorite playboy prince. We were photographed everywhere we went—to the point where it began to seem like we were the twin leaders of some freakish cult. And that was the “honeymoon” phase. Soon enough, we all moved on to the second phase.Like a jealous mother, the public had their notion of who a perfect mate for Arthur would be.  And their standard was so exacting, there was no way a woman who could possibly live up to their expectations and be “good enough” for “their boy.” 

About Kat Parrish:
Kat Parrish is a former reporter who prefers making things up. Born into a military family, she has lived in seven states and two European countries and would sign up to colonize Mars if she weren’t so fond of summer. She is the author of the Shadow Palace Trilogy, the Bruja Roja series, and the upcoming Brotherhood of Stone and Artifacts of Chaos series. She lives in the Pacific Northwest near a haunted cemetery and several waterfalls.
Newsletter signup: http://kattomic-energy.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html
Twitter: @eyeofthekat
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eyeofthekat/
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Love is a Merciless GodCarissa Andrews
Book Description:
WHEN AN ANGEL FALLS, IT TYPICALLY ISN'T IN LOVE.
When Guardian Angel, Evangeline, fell in love with her human charge, Liam, she never expected it to come with such a high price. She was perfectly fine watching his life from a distance, but when Liam prays for guidance and he can suddenly hear her, Evangeline can’t help but confess her love.
However, there are laws in place—laws strictly separating the affections of humans and angels—and Evangeline knows it. If the Guild found out about her love, she could be sent to Purgatory—or worse.
Unfortunately for them both, Liam’s prayer opened him up to more than just hearing Evangeline. All the demons in the known universe come calling to answer his prayer and one of them overheard Evangeline’s confession. Unless she can stop the demon from turning them into the Guild, it will mean the end of everything.
This title is Carissa Andrews' submission into the epic forbidden love anthology: Playing with Fire!
Read an excerpt: https://my.w.tt/hXQVOGzi0Z
About Carissa Andrews:
Carissa Andrews is an internationally bestselling author from central Minnesota who writes a combination of science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, and dystopia. As an expert in independent publishing and audiobook production, Carissa continually writes and publishes books readers of all ages enjoy. Her plans for 2020 include hitting the NYT Bestseller list with her upcoming urban fantasy series, The Windhaven Academy, due out September 2020.
You can learn more about Carissa and her upcoming books by visiting her website:
https://www.carissaandrews.com
https://www.subscribepage.com/carissa-andrews-smc
https://www.facebook.com/authorCarissaAndrews
https://www.twitter.com/CarissaAndrews
https://www.goodreads.com/Carissa_Andrews
https://www.amazon.com/Carissa-Andrews/e/B00FOPYLAG/
www.bookbub.com/authors/carissa-andrews
https://www.wattpad.com/user/CarissaAndrews

A Fated ExceptionEnhanced Series Book 1Kat Stiles
Book Description:
Cass is just a brilliant programmer to the outside world, a super geek paid millions to fix unfixable computers. What no one knows is she's really a technomage—she has the ability to communicate with any program or machine through touch.
The world Cass lives in is one that fears her kind. She is one of a dwindling number of “enhanced,” people whose DNA was optimized at birth.  Hunted by OCEI, an organization that will stop at nothing to eliminate the enhanced, Cass and other enhanced hide their abilities to survive. Relationships are forbidden—the chemical reaction of fluids exchanged with super-charged DNA can be deadly.
When Cass is called in to troubleshoot an unresponsive android, she makes an alarming discovery: humanity is on the verge of extinction. Her only clue is a sexy shapeshifter, Tyler, who sparks a desire within her she can't control. No matter how much she tries to ignore him, she can’t deny the intense attraction she feels.
But that attraction is dangerous, for both of them.
Can Cass discover the plan to wipe out humanity before it’s too late? And can she resist Tyler, or will her desire for him be her undoing?
Excerpt A Fated Exception:
The problem android was strangely sitting upright with his eyes closed on a long desk in the middle of what appeared to be a lab. A mirrored glass took up an entire wall behind him. The first thing that struck me about him was his how lifelike he appeared. The only clothing he wore was a pair of white cotton pants with a drawstring, so I could see his entire upper body. I was amazed by all the little details—from the thousands of tiny little hairs on his arms  to the beauty mark on his shoulder, and even his toned muscles—he was indistinguishable from any other human male. Apart from the low technological hum I could sense with my power, I wouldn’t have known he was a machine. It appeared as if he was in some kind of stasis, or suspended mode.To say I was fascinated would be a gross understatement. His skin was so realistic, his complexion a neutral kind of tan that would have made it impossible to speculate his ethnicity, had he’d been human. His hair was also a style and texture that could’ve belonged to any number of ethnic groups, or perhaps it was designed as a composite from several. It made him seem more universal somehow, friendlier and accessible. I was certain that was intentional, and I wondered what his purpose was.“He was created here?” I asked Lisa. “What do the scientists who worked on him say?”“They’re stumped. That’s why we called you. Even if it is a long shot, you’re our last hope.” She handed me a small binder with a cover sheet entitled, Victor. “This is the important stuff about this model.”And with that simple statement, she left me to my own devices. That’s it? No real background of the problem, no explanation at all? It was a nice departure from what usually happened—drinking from the firehouse of an IT guy, being bombarded with a lot of useless information. But whether I’d liked it or not, I’d come to expect it, and this was feeling more and more like a setup. I took a deep breath and exhaled. To my surprise, I felt instantly relaxed, which didn’t make sense given I was presented with a problem I didn’t know how to solve and likely under surveillance. The sensation was similar to the one I felt in the lobby, when… I glanced around, but Tyler wasn’t there. Weird. I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t alone, but I wrote it off to most likely being observed. By whom, I wasn’t sure, but there were too many odd things about this job to not be a little paranoid. I cracked open the binder and read through its contents. It outlined the things I’d already asked about or Lisa had mentioned: his off button, where his batteries were stored, and brief overview of his programming and functionality. I had a trickle of hope when I encountered a chapter called, How to run a diagnostic, but that fizzled out quick when I realized it required the android to be online. For sanity’s sake (and because clients often lie) I went through the steps Lisa had said they’d already taken—to reboot the android. The low hum I felt remained unchanged. Though I was apprehensive about using my power there, I had reached an impasse with the android. I covertly touched one of his hands. “What’s your story, Victor?” I said aloud. “Are they overworking you here?”I didn’t expect a response of any kind, I mean, I didn’t do anything. He was still in suspended mode, so it’s not like there was anything to interface with. But that low hum grew louder and more complex. I could sense his systems come online, as the POST occurred. His code base was a language called Dalia that I’d never heard of.His eyes opened, but they were all white—no irises or pupils, only the sclera. Which was just a little totally terrifying.Then light began to shine through his eyes, projecting an image on the wall in front of him. I turned around to see none other than Tyler in a video playing from his eyes.  The timestamp was two weeks into the future.Tyler’s veins were bulged out and darkened, and his breaths were labored. “This isn’t just about eliminating enhanced, don’t you see that?” he said. “The strain has evolved. It’s killing regular humans now.”“We can fix that. We’ll develop an antidote.” The voice was garbled and I couldn’t see its speaker in the video.“Before…it…kills you?” Tyler spoke in uneven gasps, appearing to be on the verge of death. The illness seemed to be spreading. It was as if some kind of black substance had taken hold of his circulatory system and was now coursing through him, sucking his life force away. “If it wipes out enhanced, it was worth it.”I watched as Tyler collapsed. Then the video skipped to a different scene. The timestamp was later, about two months into the future. This one was much quieter. The video panned the streets of New York City. Bodies strewn about silently decomposed.“No survivors,” Victor said, his voice so close I guessed he was the one filming it. “They’re all gone. Everywhere.” He turned the camera towards himself. “You have to stop this. For the sake of humanity, don’t let them release that serum, it—”And then the video cut out.What the hell was that? Victor appeared to continue booting and his eyes became normal, complete with irises and pupils. They were a strange color—more of a brownish hue, with hints of green and blue.  It was so real…the voices, the disease, the bodies. I doubt he could’ve fabricated something like that. But watching the future? That’s not possible.
About Kat Stiles:
Originally a Jersey girl, sunny Texas is where Kat now calls home, in a town way up north in the panhandle called Wellington. Along with the man of her dreams, she has two children: a rambunctious nine year-old girl and a sweet but vocal five year-old boy. Four cats, three dogs and an inordinate amount of pet hair complete her household. Kat writes super-powered urban fantasy that’s sexy, fun and dark. For fun she likes to read urban fantasy, horror, and existentialist fiction, as well as watch cartoons, movies, and sometimes even cartoon movies. She tries not to take anything in life too seriously and she tends to smile often.
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The Wolf of Ashford ManorToni Cox
Book Description:
The animal within him was never far from the surface, but with her, the wolf was untameable.
Patrick Blakesley, born to a bloodline of werewolves, falls in love with the mysteriously shy, yet ravishingly beautiful daughter of his new employer – the Lord of Ashford Manor.
When the town of Ashford is besieged by a sudden spate of murders, suspicions fall on Patrick, for he has been discovered for the beast that he is.Although forced to go into hiding, it does not stop Patrick from pursuing his love for Angelica. Shacked up in an old boat shed, they discover pleasures such as only forbidden fruits can yield.
As Patrick discovers all that Angelica has to offer, the brutal murders continue.Are they strong enough together to discover the true beast and tame it, before all of humanity perishes before its wrath?

Excerpt The Wolf of Ashford Manor:
Patrick stood at the precipice of the white cliffs, and looked out over the ocean, staring at the distant continent across the water - the ship he had stepped off earlier already out of sight.Too long had he been away from home, and he now turned his back on those distant shores, burying deep within him the memories of the last three years.He strode out strong, his long legs steeled from the years in the war. He had miles to go to Ashford, and would not reach it for several days. He knew there would be some inns along the road, and hoped to find accommodations there for the nights.After a good day’s march, Patrick re-adjusted his heavy satchel, and stepped of the rutted road to let a wagon pass. The two heavy draught horses snorted uneasily as they passed him. He looked up into the sky, and realised night would be upon him soon.“Good sir,” he called out to the driver, “Would there be an inn close by?”“Not for another twenty miles, ‘m ‘fraid.”The horse nearest to him snorted uneasily, and the driver turned his attention away from Patrick. Stepping back from the road, he cast another look above. Wispy clouds sailed across an orange tinged sky as the sun began to set in the west. Soon, the moon would rise.Leaving the driver of the wagon to calm his horses, Patrick turned away from the road, and headed towards the forest not far off. A vein in his neck throbbed at the thought of spending the night within the confines of the dark trees before him.He walked deep into the woods, well out of sight of the road. At a pebbly creek, he hung his satchel upon a high branch of a tree before slaking his thirst with the cool water.As the light faded, Patrick gathered firewood and made a fire pit with rocks from the river bed. He put dry moss and kindling in the center, and then stacked some logs around it, but he did not light it.Instead, Patrick removed his clothing, folding it neatly and stacked it next to the fire pit. His clothes were worn and faded, but clean.Although muscular, his tall body was made of clean lines, long legs, and a broad chest. Years of war had made him lean, and tough.Naked, he cast an approving glance over his sparse camp, then walked away from it. Over the years that he had been away, he had learned to control himself. It had not always been easy, and until even a year ago there were occasions where he could not trust himself.Today, however, he was in control. Away from his camp, with the moon rising over the forest, his naked body distorted, changing shape with agonising contortions.Breathing heavily, the werewolf’s fur bristled in the cool evening air and he raised his snout to taste the scents on the wind. Tonight, he would  hunt.
~
With blood dripping from his muzzle, the dark werewolf lay down beneath some brambles to rest. He licked his paw, content, his belly full with the flesh of a roe deer.As morning dawned, the wolf rose, silently padding towards the neat camp prepared the night before. After ensuring that the camp had not been disturbed, Patrick changed into his human form, reversing the contortions from the night before.He stood for a moment, shivering and sore, before he willed himself to light the fire. He washed the blood off his body in the shallow creek, donned his clothes, and then warmed himself by his fire while the memory of the wolf slowly retreated from his body.Coming back into his human form was always unpleasant. There had been times where he considered taking the wolf form permanently. Once, he had remained a werewolf for several months, and it had almost cost him his humanity.Once the shivering ceased, Patrick drank from the river, then extinguished his fire. He cleared his camp to make it look as if he had never been there. Soon, he was on the road again, striding out strong towards his home.He looked forward to coming home. Patrick was the only son and heir of Edward Blakesley, and they have always had a close bond. From the moment he was born, his father had spent every available moment with him.When the time came that Patrick could walk and talk and understand, Lord Blakesley had undertaken the task of educating Patrick in the history of their bloodline.It had frightened Patrick at first. Although his father never transformed in front of him until he was much older, Patrick often dreamed of beasts during the dark nights. When his mother came to comfort him, he would shy away from her, and only settle down when his father came into his room.For the most important, and unbreakable, rule his father taught him, was to never hurt his mother. It was one of Patrick’s biggest fears as he grew up. The werewolf rage could be a hard thing to control even for a grown man, for a teenager learning the skill, it could almost be impossible.Often, his father would take him away on hunting trips. Patrick felt more at ease during those times, away from his beloved mother, as well as the town folk.During the years between eleven and seventeen, Patrick learned everything he needed to know about being a werewolf, but the biggest test was yet to come. During those early years, the transformation was only partial, becoming fuller with every passing year.Patrick’s father called him a late bloomer, for Lord Blakesley had fully matured by the age of eighteen. When Patrick turned seventeen, his transformation still lacked its full intensity.Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, however, Patrick’s demeanour changed. He became agitated, expressed anger for no apparent reason, and often fought with his parents.He could not control these feelings and on days when he was calm, he regretted the way he had spoken to his parents. One day, his parents called him into the parlour.“It is time, my son.”At first, Patrick did not understand.“I have written to your uncle in Villadiego. There is civil unrest in that country, bordering on war, but he will be glad to receive you. Your term to reach full maturity has begun. For the next two to three years your body will undergo the most radical changes in your development. Are you ready to take this journey?”They had discussed this so many times, Patrick knew what to expect, yet the sudden thought of leaving had sent him into a fit of rage.With his father in full werewolf form, and his mother levelling her rifle at him, he had eventually calmed down enough to answer.“Yes, Father. I am sorry, Mother. I shall pack my things immediately.”
~
And so, his journey had begun three years ago. He had taken a sailing vessel across the channel to the mainland and then begged to accompany a tradesman on his trip to the Iberian peninsula.The tradesman carried weapons, for by now, the Carlists had declared war. Patrick knew nothing of Carlists, or even much about Spain, so he listened carefully when the tradesman spoke of what awaited them.By the time he reached his uncle, Angus Blakesley, two months after his departure from his homestead in Ashford, Spain was in turmoil. Lord Blakesley’s modest villa, set deep within the farmlands and away from the town of Villadiego, lay unscathed, unlike some of the towns Patrick had come through along his way.“My boy, it is good to see you,” his uncle welcomed him. “I last saw you when you were but five years old.”“Thank you, for having me, Uncle.”“It is my pleasure. Come, freshen up and then you can talk to me of home.”They soon formed a close bond, his uncle continuing the teachings of his father. Although a likable man and pleasant company, Patrick’s uncle was a strict and unforgiving teacher.This was good, for never before had Patrick felt such rage. At times, Angus locked Patrick within the cellar of the villa for days while his blood boiled within him, and his body screamed in pain as it changed.Other times, however, Patrick’s rage simmered deep beneath the surface, calmed by the gentle hands of the nubile bodies of his uncles maids.When he was nineteen, the war had spread, foreign legions joining the fighting. With the villa; and the town of Villadiego; under threat, Patrick joined the Spanish military. In desperate need of soldiers, no-one questioned his lineage.With his uncle by his side, he learned everything there was to learn about war, and more. Angus made him fight with rapier and lance until his body was lean and strong.Only once Patrick had proven himself in battle as a man; and proven he could control his temper; did Angus allow him on the battlefield as a wolf.During those times, their combined power was that of twenty men and they would always win the battle on those days. No-one ever believed those who said they saw an abnormally large wolf, and most dismissed the reports as wolves scavenging the countryside for corpses.It was then that Patrick tasted human flesh for the first time. It disgusted and excited him at the same time. The werewolf within him had never tasted anything as deliriously delicious as human flesh before, but the human within him rebelled against the thought of feasting on another human being.“It is was sets us apart from the ferals, Patrick.”“Ferals?”“Feral werewolves. Not bred of our noble line, but humans that were bitten. They are unable to show restraint and so choose to remain in their wolf form. It makes them forget their human lives. I know of no beast more vicious or dangerous.”“That is abhorrent.”“Indeed, my boy. Those creatures are truly terrifying, and are the werewolves the legends are based on.”After serving for nearly two years, Patrick returned to the villa. Angus now concentrated on continuing Patrick’s academic education, teaching him astronomy, mathematics, Latin, and the fine art of Spanish cuisine.Another thing he learned while residing at his uncle’s villa, was the delectable taste of the Spanish maidens. With his dark hair, pale skin, and sultry looks, he was never in short supply of admiring ladies.The servants at the villa soon spread the word of the handsome nephew and the young women who tended the orchards and vineyards around the estate would often make the detour past the villa on their way home.Patrick’s uncle neither encouraged, nor forbid it, but rather left him to find his own way in the matters of the heart and sexual fantasies. They never spoke about it, except during a lesson about reproducing and the woman bearing a son. Patrick took heed and, using his exceptional senses, would only lie with a woman if it was safe to do so.Patrick took all his uncle’s lessons to heart and, as he grew older, he matured. The war taught him humility, honour, valour, and, above all else, to value life.His final act on the mainland was to help his uncle hunt, and kill, a pack of ferals that had terrorised the town of Villadiego. A lesson Patrick would never forget.
About Toni Cox:
Born in Germany in 1976, Toni Cox moved to South Africa in 1991. Although she has spent much of her working career in the timber wholesale business, she is also an accomplished horse rider, has a diploma in project management, photography, and nutrition, and has a passion for books and all things fantasy.
From a young age, her dream had always been to put her imagination into words - give the stories life. When she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2013, she decided life is too short not to follow her dream. So, with the support of her husband and three children, she began writing book 1 of the Elemental Trilogy in January 2015.
Toni Cox writes Epic Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Sci-Fi Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian Fantasy, and Dark Fantasy. She is a firm believer in dragons.
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