Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 450

Giveaway: A Mate’s Bite by Milly Taiden

A Mate’s Bite Sassy Mates Series  Book 2Milly Taiden
Genre: Paranormal erotic romance
Book Description:
Mission: Don’t fall in love
After an explosive night of passion during a scenting ceremony, Karla Alves is sure she was just a one night stand for the man she'd been crushing on for years. She teased him and pleased him, and Nate hasn't been around since. Her fear of becoming clingy kept her from risking her heart and asking for more than a few hours of skin sin.
Mission: Crack her walls
She. Is. His. Nathan Wolfe marked Karla. His mate. Deeply involved in pack politics, Nate has had to stay away. When his sister warns that Karla needs him more than he thinks, he'll discover a bundle of secrets only his wolf can sniff out. But getting the woman he cares about to let down her guard may prove to be his undoing.
Mission: Embrace the bite
With Karla's wayward sister wreaking havoc and friends needing more of his time than ever, Nate will have to rearrange his priorities if he ever hopes to earn Karla's trust. But will time with her be enough? Only true love and a wolf's promise can hold together a relationship created with a bite, a scenting, and a hope for tomorrow.
Amazon.com  Amazon.UK   BN  ARe




ExcerptCrouched down, she glanced at the ceremony area. Her thoughts turned back to the Sexy Four, and particularly Nate—the man no one else had ever measured up to. Nate, with his muscular body and tribal tattoos over his arms and chest. He had enough that she could spend a full day drawing each line of them with her fingers. Nate, with his pierced ears and all the making of a bad, bad boy she should really stay away from. But she couldn’t.

She remembered the first time she’d met him at Ellie’s house. The way he’d smiled. She was never the same again. Christ. That was almost seven years back. He’d come to her rescue multiple times. She’d blown a tire once, and he’d shown up out of nowhere to fix it before she had a chance to call a tow truck. And she would never forget the time they’d gone to the masquerade ball Ellie had for one of her birthdays. That had been the very first night Karla had worn a girly dress and done her best to look pretty. Or as pretty as she could get away with. The gold medieval gown she’d borrowed from her drama class had allowed her to look the part of a beautiful princess. Nate had worn a pirate outfit. The one with his chest all bare. At the time, his hair had been longer, shaggy and tempting her to run her fingers through. The tight pants and almost wild features had played havoc with her thinking ability.
When she’d seen him, all she could think of was touching his half-naked chest, running her nails down the washboard abs, and biting a nipple that continued to peek from the white shirt. One look. That’s all it took for some kind of magic to happen. Her heart beat fast and her palms moistened with perspiration. She’d rushed away to grab a much-needed breath of fresh air. He’d followed her outside and kissed her. A single kiss under the moonlight, and she’d become infatuated with him for the rest of her college years. The memory of his firm warm lips over hers rushed blood to her head. Her lips tingled with the reminder of how much he’d turned her on.
Her infatuation with him wasn’t healthy, and it bordered on pathetic. Tired of feeling like a failure in the relationship department, tired of waiting on a man who might never be, she needed to start dating. She wanted a family of her own. She wanted a man who would be there long term. She wanted more.
Of course, none of her other friends ever mentioned her lack of social life, but that was because they didn’t have much of one either. Emma didn’t think they noticed how obsessed she was with Mason, and Nic tried to hide her attraction to Jake to no avail.Besides, Karla had never dated much anyway. And unlike what her sister believed, it wasn’t because she was curvy. Not at all. She loved her smaller waist and bigger hips. Heck, most men loved her big boobs and ass. Latinas were proud of their bodies, and she was no exception. But she didn’t have much of a social life because her mind was always running rampant with thoughts of Ellie’s older brother. No matter what she tried, her brain didn’t listen and focused on Nate and all his sexy tattooed glory for most of her daydreams.






About the Author:
Hi! I'm Milly (AKA April Angel) I love to write sexy stories. They're usually either paranormal or contemporary with a large dose of heat. My paranormal stories can be anything from wolf-shifters (my favorites) to witches, demons and anything in between. My contemporaries are usually anything from soldiers to corporate romances.
I was born the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. Currently, I live in New York City with my hubby, the bossy kiddo and our little dog "Needy Speedy". Don't ask.
When I'm not working some really long hours at the day job, or hanging out in the awful life-sucking invention known as Facebook, messaging my bestie in the UK or shopping with my sis Julie, then I can be found watching scary movies. Buuut when I'm not doing that, I'm usually writing because the voices won't shut up.I am addicted to shoe shopping, chocolate (but who isn't, right?) and Dunkin' Donuts coffee.
Come on over and visit me! I love to meet new readers!
Like my books? Want to stay on top of all things Milly?
Sign up for my newsletter http://mad.ly/signups/87477/join
There’s a monthly $50 GC Giveaway to all the emails signed up to get the latest news on my releases.
Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Website:  http://www.millytaiden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/millytaidenpage
Facebook Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/milly.taiden
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden

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Cover Reveal Falling by E Van Lowe

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FallingFalling Angels SagaBook FourE Van Lowe
Genre: Paranormal YA
Think twice before you agree to marry Satan. There’s no divorcing the devil.
The End is Near
Will Megan Barnett go falling back into the arms of dreamy earth angel, Guy Matson? Or, is she in fact, falling in love with the demon, Orthon?  Or, will her out-of-control abilities send her falling into Satan’s open arms?
In the final, heart-stopping chapter of the Falling Angels Saga, Megan Barnett is on a quest to rid her life of Satan forever, but Satan has other plans, including a lavish wedding, and he’s willing to destroy her family and everyone she loves to have his way.  To add to the drama, rogue demons have risen from hell with plans of their own.
Will Megan finally have her happily-ever-after, or is she doomed to an eternity in HELL?
As Amanda Ashby, author of Zombie Queen of Newbury High, writes, “E. Van Lowe is a writing force to be reckoned with and you are in masterful hands from the first page to the last.”

About The Author
E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award. His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award. 
The first two books in the Falling Angels Saga:  “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth Angel,” are best sellers. “The Zombie Always Knocks Twice” is the first book in the Hollyweird series.
In December 2014, he received a letter and certificate from the Writers Guild of America for his work on The Cosby Show, which had been selected as one of the 101 best television shows in history. 
E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.
www.evanlowe.com 
http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/E-Van-Lowe/152364748167154



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Giveaway- Known Devil by Justin Gustainis

Known Devil 
An Occult Crimes Unit Investigation 
Justin Gustainis

Print Length: 384 pagesPublisher: Angry Robot (January 28, 2014)ASIN: B00A9ET1BQThe Third Book in the Occult Investigations SeriesMy name’s Markowski. I carry a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.A new supernatural gang is intent on invading Scranton – as if I didn’t have enough to contend with!Supernatural gang warfare? Not on my watch!Other Books in This Series:1.  Hard Spell  (July 2011)
2.  Evil Dark  (May 2012)
- Marcus Pelegrimas, author of the Skinners series“A magical mystery tour of a murder case rife with supernatural suspects. Sit down for an enchanted evening of otherworldly entertainment!”
- Laura Resnick, author of Unsympathetic Magic & Vamparazzi“I enjoyed every page of Hard Spell. If Sam Spade and Jack Fleming were somehow melted together, you’d get Stan Markowski. I can’t wait to see what Gustainis does next.”
- Lilith Saintcrow, author of Night Shift and Working for the DevilFor Evil Dark:“Fans of TV shows like Supernatural and Grimm will find this worth a read, and it’s a lovely mix of real world nightmare and fantastic horror.”
- Ed Fortune, Starburst Magazine“Gustainis has proved himself time and time again, and it is no surprise to me that Evil Darkis another cracking novel.”
- Theresa Derwin, Terror-Tree“I thoroughly enjoyed Evil Dark and would recommend it to those readers that enjoy paranormal crime novels. Justin Gustainis has made it onto my must-read-author list and I look forward to what he has in store for us next.”
- Sheila at Dark Faerie Tales Giveaway is two copies of Know Devil  -- print or digital (winners' choice), open to worldwide shippingEnter via the Rafflecopter below

Blitz: Stone Angels by Laurie Olerich

Stone AngelsPrimani Book ThreeLaurie Olerich
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-494912000ASIN: B00HYYJR2W
Number of pages: 488Word Count:  150,019
Cover Artist: Angela Bauer
Amazon Paperback   Amazon Kindle
Book Description:
"The path to immortality is not a simple one. You will face both crossroads and dead ends. Each choice changes destiny. Choose well." Raphael, Archangel.
3,000 years is a long time to wait. Killian is a patient Primani. He knows the prize is worth it. He watches, he hopes, but he never interferes. The terms are clear on that--say anything at all, the promise is broken. Everything’s going according to plan until...
Sean loses his mind. Tortured by guilt, Sean walks a tightrope between two worlds. After a woman dies, he will pay the ultimate price unless someone can save him.
Mica is still Sean’s anchor. Their physical connection can’t be denied, but what of their love? Desperate to save him from falling, she risks everything she has, including Killian. How far will she go to pull him back? Every step she takes moves her farther away from Killian’s plan.

Two paths. Two destinies. One choice.
About the Author:
Laurie Olerich is the author of the new Primani series. Part romance, part paranormal, part adventure...Three things she can’t live without! Laurie spent most of her life in the Northeastern United States and in Western Europe. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her son and Dalmatian duo, Domino and Rambo.  Desperate to escape the heat, she lives vicariously through Mica and her Primani by setting their adventures in the mountain coolness of New England and the rainy days of London. Before throwing caution to the wind and diving into a writing career, Laurie dedicated 20 years to her country by serving in the United States Air Force. Much of her time was spent around men with guns and cool toys...this explains her obsession with both.
Website: http://www.laurieolerich.com
Twitter:  http://twitter.com/LaurieOlerich
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/LaurieOlerichAuthor


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Valentine Cocktails with Linda Robertson Author of The Persephone Alcmedi Series

Valentine Cocktails anyone?
Are you ready for the affection-fest? Some people regard Valentine’s Day as a pseudo holiday, but not me. It’s about being snuggly with your lover…and chocolate!
And I’ve got some affection for you, dear readers! I posted the prologue and six chapters FREE from the as-yet-untitled book seven in the Persephone Alcmedi series.
But first…
The three main characters in the series have come up with three easy-to-make drinks that would be perfect for you and your Valentine!
1.)PERSEPHONE
Persephone Alcmedi is a witch named for the goddess Persephone—we all know the Greek myth about her being abducted by Hades and eating six pomegranate seeds, right? Considering what a Valentine cocktail for her should consist of, my first thought went to PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur.
PAMA Mojito
1 ounce PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur1 ounce white rum½ ounce lime juiceSplash of Club Soda2 Tablespoons Simple SyrupMint leaves
DIRECTIONS : Muddle 2 Tablespoons of simple syrup and 6-12 mint leaves. Fill glass with ice and add PAMA, rum and lime juice. Top with a splash of club soda.
2.)JOHNNYHard rockin’ wærewolf Johnny always drinks his usual shot of Laphroaig. But he would fix Persephone something more delicate.
Persephone’s Valentine
1 oz. Kahlua1 oz. Crème de Cacao1 oz. Razzmatazz2-3 oz. milk or half & half
DIRECTIONS : Pour over ice and shake, or use blender. Garnish with a trip of fresh raspberries.
3.)MENESSOSWinter may be waning but February nights in Cleveland are still quite brisk and cozying up with your lover is the best way to keep warm. If sexy vampire Menessos was making a drink for his Valentine it would combine chocolate with his trademark cinnamon and the light sweetness of marshmallow:
Bloody Good Hot Chocolate for Adults (serves 6; about 6 ½  oz. each)
4 cups milk (or 3 cups milk + 1 cup half and half)¼ cup granulated sugar10 ounces chocolate2 teaspoons red food color1 teaspoon vanilla extract4 oz. Hot Damn Cinnamon schnapps (more or less to suit your taste)4 oz. Torani Marshmallow flavored syrup
**Wet the rim of the glass and ring it with red sugar sprinkles, then garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
DIRECTIONS : Simmer milk and sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove pan from heat. Add chocolate and stir with a whisk until melted. Add food color, vanilla, Kahlua and syrup. Garnish.
So, fix up a drink and snuggle in to read! 
Check out the free chapters of book seven. 
It’s available at my personal blog, named for Wolfsbane & Absinthe, the witchy shop Persephone frequents.
I’ll be hanging out here at Fangtastic Books all day. 
When you’re done reading, come back and ask me some questions about the series or about writing, tell me what YOUR valentine drink of choice is, or, tell me what you think of the FREE chapters and gimme your idea for a title!

About the Author:
Linda Roberston is the author of the Persephone Alcmedi series from Pocket Books. In addition to writing, she is a single mother of four boys (two still at home), tends bar part-time at a VFW, rocks out on one of her many electric guitars, and occasionally her band plays a gig.
Find Linda at her Website  Facebook
Twitter  Goodreads 
And on Wednesdays she's at Word Whores 

The Plague Legacy: Acquisitions by Christine Haggerty

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The Plague Legacy: AcquisitionsChristine Haggerty
Print Length: 229 pages
Publisher: Fox Hollow Publications
ASIN: B00H15COZQ
Book Description:
Half a century after the world was decimated by a bio-engineered plague, military scouts are acquisitioning a new supply of exports—slaves.
With his family dead, sixteen-year-old Cameron Landry is a reluctant survivor, haunted by nightmares and bound by promises. When he and his worst enemy, Devon, are both selected for shipment to a civilization called Salvation, Cam suddenly has nowhere to run. Devon is a mutant, stronger and faster, and his hatred for Cam grows with each passing day. As Cam makes friends, and finds a surprising ally in Devon’s twin sister, Tara, he learns a secret that could change everything.
But Devon is on the hunt, and Cam is running out of places to hide.
Amazon
Publisher’s website: www.foxhollowpublications.com
Publisher’s Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fox-Hollow-Publications/597575960271720
Chapter 1: The Stalls

“Put him down, Devon!” Cam spit out dirt.

“Or what, Pig Boy?” Devon sneered and shook Cam’s new stallmate like a rag doll. A small boy, Peter hung by his coat, his collar riding up against his throat as he kicked his legs in the air. With his eyes pinched shut and his hands balled into fists, Peter twisted and swung his arms, trying to reach the blond mutant who held him at least three feet off the ground.

Cam’s stomach clenched as Peter’s face turned colors. Why didn’t he just run? I told him to run. He’s small. He could’ve hid with the pigs and this idiot would’ve walked on by.

“He’s just a little kid, Devon,” Cam tried reasoning with the mutant. “You’re choking him.”

Devon grinned wickedly and shook Peter again. “Whatcha gonna do about it?”

Grinding his teeth, Cam reached behind him, searching for a rock or stick. The ground was cold, not fully thawed, and Cam’s fingertips found only a few small rocks through the thin layer of topsoil. I’m gonna smash in your empty mutant head. But Cam didn’t say it out loud. Devon had a mutant-strength temper to match his mutant-strength arms.

Peter squeaked and clutched at his throat, freckles speckling the tops of his cheeks like pepper flakes as his face turned white and then red.

A few feet away, a blond girl shifted her weight and rubbed her arm nervously. “Devon, I think you’re actually hurting him.”

“Good, then maybe the Pig Boy will do something about it,” he shook Peter again and looked at Cam. “You gonna tell the Regulators? You gonna tell them to bring their tasers and stop the big mean mutant so he don’t hurt the little boy?”

Cam’s fingers curled around a rock half the size of his fist and he glared at Devon.

Devon laughed. “No, you aren’t gonna tell the Regulators. You’re gonna tell Mama Lucy, aren’t you? You’re gonna run and tell her poor little Peter’s in trouble.” He smirked, “I bet she don’t even know his name. I bet she tells me to chop him up and throw him in the soup. She hates the little ones cuz they ain’t worth feeding. Not when she’s got mutants like me.”

“Devon, just let him go,” the blond girl pleaded.

“Shut up, Tara,” Devon growled at her, keeping his eyes on Cam. The muscles in Devon’s bare arm bunched and flexed with the weight of the boy in his hand, but Cam had too much experience to hope that Devon was getting tired. He also had too much experience to think that he could make Devon let go by getting up and fighting him. “So what’s it gonna be, Cam? You gonna save your little friend?”

“Let him go,” Cam warned again.

“Piggy boy, piggy boy, piggy boy,” Devon danced while Peter’s face went dark purple and his eyes rolled up in his head.

“Let him go!” Jumping to his feet, Cam stepped to charge Devon, but Tara pushed between them. She pulled Peter’s coat out of Devon’s grip and the small boy flopped onto the ground next to Cam, his breath coming in a rush as he rolled onto his back and coughed.

A look of pure hatred twisted through Devon’s face as he wrapped his fingers around Tara’s slender neck and pushed her up against the weathered wall of the horse stalls. “Why are you interfering?”

She clutched at his fingers and met his eyes in silence.

Cam’s breath rushed in and pressed against his ribs as he watched Devon squeeze the girl’s throat. The strawberry colored mark that identified her as a mutant was mirrored in the face of her brother, along with her hazel eyes and blond hair.

Twins.

Lifting her up, Devon stretched Tara’s chin so far it looked like her neck would snap, then let out a growl and snatched his hand back. “Stay out of my way.”

She rubbed her throat and watched Devon stalk off to the pavilion where Mama Lucy was calling the orphans in for dinner.

“Tara,” Cam reached for her to ask if she was okay, but she just glanced at him with pain and sadness and followed her brother to the tables.

On the ground next to Cam’s feet, Peter wheezed on all fours. Cam pulled the boy back to a sitting position and unzipped his coat. A dark purple line had formed where the blood rushed to the surface of his throat, but he was breathing.

“I told you to hide!” Cam grabbed Peter’s shoulders and made the boy look him in the eyes. “Why didn’t you run? You can’t win if he catches you, but if you hide with the pigs, he’ll never go in there for you. Devon hates the pigs.”

“Sorry,” Peter croaked out in a small voice. “Sorry, I wanted to warn you.” He curled up and coughed into his knees, a faint scar on the back of his neck peeking above his shirt collar. “I heard Devon saying that he was going to find you with the horses,” he looked up with tears in his eyes. “I didn’t want him to hurt you again.”

Relieved to see Peter’s freckles return to their normal shade of brown, Cam pulled him up by the arm. 
“C’mon, let’s go get you some dinner before it’s all gone,” he tucked a pair of silver tags inside the boy’s shirt, “and next time, at least unzip your coat so that he has to pick you up by your overall straps. That will keep him from choking you with your own clothes.”

Peter nodded and sniffed, wiping a tear from his cheek as he jogged to keep up. They walked around the south run of horse stalls and passed by the pig yard that sat on the east end.

The pigs were out sniffing at the sun, three big ones and five sucklings, shuffling around their pit of half-frozen mud. It had been a litter of twelve; the squealing mess born only a month ago, but the orphanage was so desperate for food this time of year that seven of the piglets had already been chopped up for stew.

A mixture of girls and boys swarmed under the pavilion, half of them slopping sludge into their mouths and the other half jostling for a place in line. Devon already sat at a table near the orchard with his bowl and a withered apple, his feet bare on the cold, packed dirt.

While he’s loading up on sludge, maybe he could also load up on some brains. Cam glared at the mutant for a moment as he and Peter tacked themselves on to the end of the line. Peter zipped up his coat and winced.
“Hey, little man, don’t do that if it hurts.” Cam tugged down the zipper to ease the pressure on the bruised flesh and crouched down to meet Peter’s big, brown eyes. “Mama Lucy won’t care if you have a few bruises, won’t even wonder why, so don’t suffer for her sake.”

Peter frowned. “I don’t care about Mama Lucy.” He nodded up at the ragged orphans bent over their bowls. “But they call me names when they see what Devon does.”

“What kind of names?” Cam swallowed. Devon only picks on Peter because he shares a stall with me.

Peter tugged on his ear and looked down at his sloppy boots. “‘Stew Meat,’ ‘Sty Fly,’ ‘Sludge Face,’ stuff like that.”

Cam shot a warning look at the grungy smattering of kids even though all of them hovered over their bowls, eating as quickly as they could. They reminded him of the wild dogs who sniffed around the pavilion at night, looking for scraps of food.

He patted Peter on the back. “Stick by me, little man, and they’ll leave you alone.”

“I know,” Peter shrugged, “but then I never get to play with anybody.”

“I’ll fix it,” Cam promised. “I have a plan.”

Peter smiled at him. “You do?”

“You bet,” Cam’s stomach tightened, “but you can’t say anything to anybody, okay?”

Peter nodded, serious.

The Stalls had just fewer than thirty orphans, ages spanning from seven, like Peter, to sixteen, like Cam and the mutant twins. Peter’s group had arrived from a daycare somewhere on the other side of the mountains three days ago. Many of them were undersized and underfed, soulless children who cried for their dead parents as they dug themselves into the straw at night.

He reached the pot, last in line with Peter behind him. The girl serving looked at him with hollow brown eyes, her hair a rat’s nest with straw sticking out of it. Cam watched her hands, which were at least cleaner than her face, as she handed him a bowl and scooped the bottom of the pot with a bent ladle.

“Almost gone,” she wheezed out as she turned the ladle over. His dinner oozed into the bowl in clumps of oat sludge, making a sucking sound as it separated from the spoon. “That’s all you get. Next!”

Cam shuffled forward and waited for Peter, whose bowl was only half full when the girl handed it to him. The small boy pouted and followed Cam to a table on the far side of the pavilion from Devon. A skinny boy with spiky black hair and narrow eyes looked up when they sat down by him.

“Hey, Cam,” Jake smiled and scraped up the last of his mush. “Wondered where you were, then I saw Devon come across the field. What’s he been up to this afternoon? Tormenting your horses?”

“What he’s always up to,” Cam sat down and winced, his butt tender from landing on the packed dirt behind the old horse stalls where Devon had shoved him.

“You mean skinning live rodents, wringing chickens’ necks, threatening small children? Or just generally making our life the hell it is today?”

Cam didn’t answer as he helped Peter climb onto the tall bench that ran the length of the table.

Jake’s eyebrows shot up. “None of those?” His eyes narrowed. “Has he expanded his repertoire?”

Shaking his head, Cam glanced over at Devon, hoping the blond boy would leave before Jake said something stupid and loud enough for the mutant to hear, which happened often enough. Jake had the bruises to prove it. “Shut up!” Cam elbowed Jake’s arm. “When will you learn to control the things that come out of your mouth? Do you have any sense of self-preservation?”

Twirling his spoon, Jake answered in a low voice. “He’s a mutant, Cam, he can hear everything. He’s like the official Emperor of Evil. There’s no getting away.”

Unless you run away. Cam dropped his eyes to his bowl and scooped a bite of tasteless oats as Devon looked over at them. Peter’s dinner was already nearly gone, the small boy swinging his feet as he chewed.
Jake pushed his bowl away and leaned his elbows on the table, his hands squishing his cheeks up into narrow black eyes as he rested his chin on his palms. “I swear sometimes he can hear what I’m thinking. He’s even worse than Mama Lucy.”

Once a mutant slave across the ocean in Salvation, Mama Lucy was now the domineering matron of the Stalls. She watched her orphans from a rocking chair only a few yards away from the pavilion, swinging herself back and forth as her boots dangled in the air. She was a round woman who looked like she was made of dough, with a House mark branded on the right half of her face. The two concentric circles puckered in the fat of her cheek, like someone had punched a permanent dent in her face.

Both short and short tempered, Mama Lucy had beady eyes that stared straight ahead. Cam couldn’t tell if she was looking at them because her eyes never seemed to move, but he figured she knew what they were saying. He had the feeling she could see and hear everything as she sat tearing the meat off a greasy chicken leg with her teeth and smacking a broken porch spindle against the leg of the rocking chair.

She had a mean swing with that spindle, and she never missed.

Devon dropped his empty bowl on one of the tables and snatched a spoon out of another kid’s hand. The boy, probably about ten or eleven, wrapped his body around his bowl of sludge and tried to escape under the table. Devon caught the boy’s coat and hung him on an old iron hook that bent up out of a pavilion post.

“I’m still hungry,” Devon grabbed the sludge, leaving the boy to hang, and snatched another bowl from a girl at the same table.

We’re all still hungry you mutant bastard, a mouthful of food caught in Cam's throat and he fought it down. Beside him, Peter circled his arms around his own bowl.

The boy hanging from the post whimpered and squirmed out of his coat, and the girl cried quietly at the table, her long hair caught under the chain of her tags.

“Shut up!” Mama Lucy waddled between the tables and smacked the girl on the knuckles. “Quit your whining!”

The boy scooted back and hid behind the post as the girl sniffled in an effort to smother her sobs.

The grease on Mama Lucy’s chin caught the light as she shook her spindle at the orphans’ haggard faces. “All of you, quit your complaining! I hear you cry for your mamas at night, you bunch of babies. Don’t you know that the dead can’t hear you?”

Nobody dared meet her beady eyes except Cam. She was the authority, the gateway to their meager food and supplies, and her temper left many of them out in the cold or without meals as punishment for no more reason than that she hated them.

Her smile hung crooked in her sagging cheeks. “You look like you got something to say, Mr. Landry,” she stretched the spindle across the table and dug the broken end into Cam’s shoulder. “Well, spit it out, boy, or would you rather I beat it out of you?”

Why does someone as stupid as you get to be in charge? Cam glanced behind Mama Lucy to where Devon grinned through a mouthful of stolen sludge and answered her. “I don’t think Devon should take food from the little ones. It’s not fair.”

Mama Lucy licked the grease from her lips, then shoved him back with her spindle and laughed. “You want things to be fair, huh? Stupid boy, nothing’s fair, nothing’s equal. Devon’s a mutant. When the Scouts come, I’m gonna trade the boy and his sister for something good, something fat. They’ll be here soon, in their fancy uniforms, and I might even get enough for the blondies to get me out of this pig pit. You immunes,” she spun and waved the stick at the kids cowering at the tables, “you ain’t worth the slop in them bowls. Worthless, squealing rats. Salvation only wants the strong ones for the arena, the fighters, the mutants. 

Their entertainment.” she emphasized the last word, a drop of spittle clinging to the corner of her mouth.

“We deserve just as much as the mutants,” Cam ignored Jake, who was pulling on his sleeve, and instead gave Mama Lucy a stern glare. “We’re worth something, too.”

The black eyes twitched and Mama Lucy dug the end of the spindle deeper into the center of Cam’s chest with each word, “No. You. Ain’t,” she leaned over the table. “You’re a worthless stray, and I know you’ve been stealing out of my cellar, boy. I could kill you for it, and nobody would come looking.”

Cam held her eyes, determined not to even flinch, but Peter climbed off the bench and hugged Cam’s knees, hiding, Mama Lucy grinned, showing gaps in her yellow teeth as her eyes shot a glance down at Peter. “Got yourself a little rat to protect now, huh? Knew I was smart when I stuck him with you and those pigs.” She backed away slowly, the grin like a scarecrow’s in the early spring twilight. “Didn’t learn your lesson when your brother burned, did you? Still stupid enough to go on and care.”

The pavilion was silent as Mama Lucy waddled up the porch steps and into the house, chuckling to herself. When the door banged shut behind her, the orphans quietly left the tables and dropped their bowls in a tub next to the sludge pot. The girl with the hollow eyes watched the dishes pile up.

“Hey little man,” Cam untangled Peter’s arms from his legs. “You alright?”

Peter nodded. “She scares me.”

Jake huffed at Cam. “And you scold me for saying stupid things? It’s one thing to piss Devon off, but Mama Lucy’s on a whole other level. What were you thinking?”

“I’m not scared of her. Besides,” Cam shrugged as he watched Devon throw his bowl in the dish tub and walk off toward the horse stalls where the orphans slept, “it’s our job to stand up for the smaller ones.”
“Says who?” Jake asked.

“I don’t know,” Cam handed his bowl of sludge to Peter. “We’re all they got. They’re so small they don’t have a chance, Jake.”

Jake pressed his fingers to the sides of his head. “There is so much wrong with what you’re saying right now, I don’t even know where to begin. First, you should be afraid of Mama Lucy. That one should be self-explanatory. Second, protecting the little ones is pretty much suicide since it just gets you the attention of the aforementioned Mama Lucy, and even worse, Devon. Third—“

“I get it, Jake,” Cam put his hands on Jake’s shoulders and held the boy still, “I get that mutants are stronger and faster. I get that we aren’t worth as much to Salvation because we can still get hurt and die while the mutants can nearly get cut in half and still swing a sword. I get all that. What I don’t get is who decides that it has to be that way? Who’s making the rules?”

“Right here, right now, it’s Mama Lucy who gets to make the rules. And mutants like Devon. And the Regulators who’ve hauled you back here both times you’ve run away. That’s who gets to make the rules.” 
Jake pushed Cam’s hands off of his shoulders.

“Yeah, well, I’m getting smarter. I’m making plans this time,” Cam looked around at the empty pavilion, then sat down next to Peter while the small boy scraped the last of the sludge from the bowl Cam had given him.

Jake huffed. “If you were smart, you’d stay out of their way, be invisible like you say your brother always told you. What was it Devon did to you yesterday after you called him a cow’s butt? Um, let me see if I can remember…” Jake rolled his eyes up at the pavilion rafters, then pinned Cam with a hard look. “Oh, yeah, he tried to drown you in the river.”

“Mama Lucy wouldn’t have let him go that far,” Cam said, but he wasn’t sure. “Besides,” he shrugged, “I got away.”

“No, Tara saved your freezing ass. You couldn’t hear what she said because your head was under water, but she’s the only reason her psycho brother pulled you out.” Jake nodded toward the far corner of the main house, where Tara sat alone on the cold ground.

“Maybe I should go and thank her,” Cam watched the blond girl dig a toe into a patch of dead grass.

“You’re going to just walk up and talk to her? Do you want her brother to have more reason to hurt you? If he saw you talking to her, he’d do more than just try to drown you.” Jake pushed past Cam and Peter, then paused a few steps away. He turned around and pointed at Cam, “You’re the one who seriously lacks a sense of self-preservation.”

Now you’ve gone and started to care. Cam thought of Mama Lucy’s taunt as he let Jake go and looked at Tara. She hugged her knees, her arms long and golden out of the short sleeves of her thin, white tee shirt. The deepening twilight made her blond braid turn copper over her shoulder, long lashes touching her mismatched cheeks.

Beautiful. Cam remembered what he had thought the first time he saw her seven months ago when the Regulators first dragged him to the Stalls. Beautiful and unpredictable. Cam wondered what she would do if he did talk to her. Probably tell me I’m just an immune, tell me to go away, punch me like her brother. Or worse, a thin shudder snaked along his spine,tell her brother.

Peter tugged on Cam’s sleeve. “I’m tired.”

“Full?” Cam picked up the bowls, both of them licked clean.

Shrugging, Peter picked at the tabletop. “Sort of.”

“Enough to sleep?”

Peter nodded, the bruise like a dark red noose on his throat.

“Alright then, little man, let’s get you to bed. It’s getting dark. Stay by me.” Cam wound his way to the dirty dish tub. Bowls leaned in a haphazard tower, spoon handles sticking out of the apocalyptic sculpture like branches of a dead tree. The girl who had served the sludge was gone, along with the cooking pot. He dumped the bowls in the corner of the tub and reached down to steer Peter toward the pigsty.

He was gone.

Dammit. Heart pounding, Cam scanned the garden and the yard, then caught a glimpse of Peter’s head peeking out from behind the house, his reddish hair sticking up in chunks.

Peter. Cam headed toward him, then stopped.

Tara walked out from behind the house, watching her bare feet trace a path on the frozen ground until she reached the dish tub. Looking up, she caught Cam’s eyes and scowled. “What did you see?” She closed the distance and grabbed his arm.

“Nothing,” Cam said, pulling away.

Her grip tightened. “What did you see?”


“Nothing!” Cam wrenched his arm away.

Tara couldn’t get a good grip on him through the fabric of his sleeve, so she curled her fingers around the skin of his wrist and pulled him toward her.

“I was looking for Peter,” Cam stammered, his breathing shallow. “Did you do anything to him?”

“Let’s stick with the ‘nothing,’ shall we? You saw nothing, I did nothing. Got it?” Her breath was hot on his neck, and she smelled like frost and sweat and girl.

Cam met her eyes. “Got it.”

Tara nodded and dropped his wrist, pushing past him toward the horse stalls. Cam watched her go, then caught up to Peter coming around the corner of the house.

“Are you okay?” Cam asked.

Peter nodded but hung his head.

Taking the small boy’s thin wrist, Cam tugged him toward the lean-to where they slept with the pigs. He was mad, mad that Peter had gotten hurt, mad that Tara had acted even a little bit like Devon, mad that his brother had died and left him alone.

Mad that he had let Peter out of his sight again. Mad that he cared.

The sty smelled like moldy straw and frost, the cold seeping up through the frozen ground now that the sun was gone. The pigs curled up in one heap, the bigger ones snoring over the soft squeals of the nursing piglets. Cam lay with his hands behind his head, watching what stars he could through the open front of the makeshift shelter. One bright spot peeked out and then disappeared behind a cloud.

Peter squirmed restlessly, trying to wrap himself up in the wool blanket that Cam let him use, but he couldn’t seem to get both elbows inside it at the same time.

“Here,” Cam tightened the blanket around the small boy like a cocoon, then pulled him up farther on the straw and built a nest around him. “That should be better. Can you go to sleep now?”

He heard the straw rustle, then Peter murmured, “Uh-huh.”

Lying on his back again, Cam shifted around until he caught a glimpse of the star as the cloud passed.

“Hey, Peter?”

“Yeah?” The boy yawned.

“What was Tara doing to you behind the house?”

“Oh,” more rustling, “I’m not supposed to tell.”

Cam swallowed. “Did she hurt you?”


“No.”

“Peter,” Cam bit his lip, not sure how to convince the boy that he had to tell or whatever it was could get worse. “You can tell me. Tara already knows I saw something.”

“She does?”

“Yeah. But I couldn’t see you very well, and she wouldn’t tell me.” Cam swore he heard Peter thinking, the boy’s breath speeding up in the darkness. “Did she hurt you?”

“Well,” Peter stalled. “Do you promise not to tell her I said anything? Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Pinky promise?”

Cam rolled his eyes. Little kids. “Pinky promise.”

“You know if you break a pinky promise you’ll die, right?”

“Peter, I pinky promise. What did she do?”

The cloud passed over the star again.

“She gave me her apple.”

Swallowing, Cam stared as the star winked on. She wasn’t angry, he realized as he recalled her scowl, the darkness in her eyes, she was afraid.

About the Author:
Christine Nielson Haggerty grew up in rural Utah with three brothers, a sister, several chickens, a goat, and an outhouse. She always loved the escape of science fiction and fantasy and the art of writing, and her passion is to craft stories of strength and survival.
Christine taught high school language arts for several years, encouraging perfection of the language in her young adult students. Now she appreciates her background in classic literature and history as she draws on the past to write about the present and the future.
Her favorite genres to write are young adult dystopian fiction and young adult urban fantasy.
You can follow her news and mental wanderings at www.christinehaggertyauthor.com
Series Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Plague-Legacy/223213037848622   
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristineHaggertyAuthorChristine
Twitter: @chaggerty99


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His Secrets by Lisa Renee Jones

His Secrets Inside Out Series eNovella 3.1
Lisa Renee Jones
Genre:  Adult Romance
Publisher: Pocket Star Date of Publication:   February 24, 2014
ASIN:  B00G0ZQIS2
Number of pages:  320 pages
Amazon   BN  
Book Description:
An Inside Out story, Chris's POV
In a world where my only escape has been my art, Sara has been the light in my darkness. And there is darkness, the kind of inky black that can bleed from my life to hers.
She doesn't see it. She doesn't understand what I've shown her. And mybiggest fear is that soon...she will.

About the Author:
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones is the author of the highly acclaimed INSIDE OUT TRILOGY which has sold to more than ten countries for translation with negotiations in process for more, and has now been optioned by STARZ Network for a cable television show, to be produced by Suzanne Todd (Alice in Wonderland).
Since beginning her publishing career in 2007, Lisa has published more than 30 books with publishers such as Simon and Schuster, Avon, Kensington, Harlequin, NAL, Berkley and Elloras Cave, as well as crafting a successful indie career. Booklist says that Jones suspense truly sizzles with an energy similar to FBI tales with a paranormal twist by Julie Garwood or Suzanne Brockmann.
Prior to publishing, Lisa owned multi-state staffing agency that was recognized many times by The Austin Business Journal and also praised by Dallas Women Magazine. In 1998 LRJ was listed as the #7 growing women owned business in Entrepreneur Magazine.
Lisa loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her through her website and she is active on twitter and facebook daily.
Website -  http://lisareneejones.com
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaReneeJones
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Weather ChildThe Awakened EpochBook OnePhilippa Ballantine

Genre: Historical Fantasy
Publisher: Imagine That! StudiosDate of Publication:  1st March 2014
ISBN: 978-0615953489ASIN:
Word Count: 105,000
Cover Artist: Alex White
Book Description:
Never alone. Never apart.
They are the Awakened, a unique breed of people in a remote corner of the world. Faith is one of these gifted carriers of the Seraphim; and in return of her unconditional love, her Seraphim grants her powers of incredible potential.
But not all carriers embrace their blessing.
Jack loathes being an Awakened. He never asked for it, his Seraphim keeping him alive even in spite of his desire to die. Not even a great war could rid him of this curse.
Now a magician of incredible ability and a walking dead man must find a way to work together to save the Seraphim. Someone covets the power of the Awakened, and will not stop until that power belongs to him.
About the Author:
New Zealand born fantasy writer and podcaster Philippa (Pip) Ballantine is the author of the Books of the Order and the Shifted World series. She is also the co-author with her husband Tee Morris of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences novels. Her awards include an Airship, a Parsec, the Steampunk Chronicle Reader’s Choice, and a Sir Julius Vogel. She currently resides in Manassas, Virginia with her husband, daughter, and a furry clowder of cats.
Twitter: @PhilippaJane
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pjballantine
Website: http://www.pjballantine.com/

Giveaway with Chloe Neill: Wild Things Release Day Tour Stop

Since Merit was turned into a vampire, and the protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House, it’s been a wild ride. She and Master vampire Ethan Sullivan have helped make Cadogan’s vampires the strongest in North America, and forged ties with paranormal folk of all breeds and creeds, living or dead…or both.

But now those alliances are about to be tested. A strange and twisted magic has ripped through the North American Central Pack, and Merit’s closest friends are caught in the crosshairs.  Gabriel Keene, the Pack Apex, looks to Merit and Ethan for help.  But who—or what—could possibly be powerful enough to out-magic a shifter?
Merit is about to go toe to toe, and cold steel to cold heart, to find out.
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You can also enter Chloe’s Wild Things Grand Prize Giveaway, which runs January 27  through February 7 on Chloe’s web site. What is the Grand Prize Giveaway prize? A Kindle PaperwhiteA $50 Amazon gift card!A complete set of Chicagoland Vampires Audiobook CDs (graciously provided by Tantor Audio)An autographed Chicagoland Vampires or Dark Elite novelTwo Cadogan House Novitiate Luggage TagsA Cadogan House lanyard and BITING BAD All Access PassChicagoland Vampires bookmarks, pens, buttons, and swag! Wild Things Blog Tour ScheduleMonday, January 27 – A Book Obsession | Drey’s LibraryTuesday, January 28 – Naomi’s Paranormal Palace | Fangs, Wands & Fairy DustWednesday, January 29 – The Book Swarm | Krista’s Dust JacketThursday, January 30 – Reading RainBlog | Between Fantasy & RealityFriday, January 31 – Tsk Tsk What To Read | Book Lovers For Life
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Stick to Your Romantic Guns: A Guest Blog by Dylan Madrid

I recently had a conversation with fellow romance author Kait Ballenger , during which we discussed what it means to do just that: to write love stories for a living. More importantly, we shared the second-class citizen status we’re often relegated to by some literary scribes who consider what we do and create to be of lesser value and certainly not as challenging. We both agreed we wear our romance monikers with pride. We are in love with love and we’re not ashamed to admit it.
Growing up I devoured every Jane Austen novel I could get my hands on. I memorized every line of dialogue spoken between Romeo and Juliet. I rooted for Cathy and Heathcliff and I envied Jane Eyre and Scarlett O’Hara. It’s no wonder that as a writer I feel compelled to create to-die-for love on the pages of my novels. It is the driving force behind my every written word. The discovery of attraction between two people and the possibilities of what that ignited spark might set off is what motivates me to sit down daily on convince my readers what I firmly believe: true love really does exist.
Unlike Kait Ballenger, though, the love stories I’m telling are for and about men. Without a doubt, mine is a tougher audience to please – and to find. While fans of gay romance novels exist and are very faithful readers, the concept of selling romance to a male reader is complex. Erotica tends to not only grab the shelf-browsing reader (thanks in part to aggressive and sexually suggestive cover art) but also gets the lion’s share of marketing and reviews.
So what’s an author to do who wants to stay on the sensual side of erotica and is more inspired by the courtship and ignited spark of love between characters rather than the hard core details of the sex between them? Stick to your romantic guns, I say. Yes, yes, yes. We’re told over and over again write what you know. But I also firmly believe an author should write from the center of curiosity, whether it’s about places unexplored, cultures that have piqued your interest, or beautiful strangers you meet in your life who leave such a lasting impression that you just have to write about them.
M/M Romance is now a genre of its own. And it’s a popular one, too. Up until the last few years, the majority of romance novels about gay men were written by female authors, as many female readers (yes, it’s true) read these novels just as soon as they are published. While that trend is still alive and kicking, more and more male authors, such as me, are stepping into the arena with romance novels of their own. The correspondence I get from readers always confirms my theory that gay readers are looking for love, too. For some readers, the erotica is not what they are seeking in a story. Instead, they crave the happily-ever-after; they want a modern day version of a Prince Charming; like I once did for Cathy and Heathcliff and Romeo and Juliet, they also want to root for star-crossed lovers. They want the reassurance that love has not become a casualty of an ever-growing desensitized society. They want the promise of forever.
Is it any wonder why both gay authors and male readers have only recently embraced this genre? From the beginning of our young lives, men are led to believe that romance is sentimental, it is a sign of weakness, it’s feminized and is strictly reserved (and is wholly marketed to) women. For the young man who is discovering love for another man for the first time in his life, finding an echo of his feelings in contemporary literature is no longer as arduous task as it once was. Authors such Michael Thomas Ford, Neil Placky, Dan Stone, Greg Herren, and Ken O’Neill all incorporate romance into their bestselling novels.
To date, I’ve written three romance novels. My most recent is a romantic spy thriller set in Europe called Love in the Shadows, just released by Bold Strokes Books. Although I loved the characters and the plot kept surprising me each step of the writing process, I often found myself struggling with the erotica vs. romance factor in Love in the Shadows. As the author I finally had to ask myself: is it my job to titillate, or to tell the best story possible? In the end, and as I do in my novels and in my life, I chose love.




Love in the Shadows 
Dylan Madrid
Genre: LGBT/Romance/Suspense/Thriller/Spy/Espionage
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Date of Publication:  January 14, 2014
ISBN: 978-1602829817ASIN:
Number of pages: 192Word Count: 50,000
Amazon   Barnes and Noble
Book Description:
Quintin Pearson, an American living in London, has spent the last two years working as a magazine staff writer and nursing a broken heart. Craving a change in his quiet life, Quintin accepts an invitation to an exclusive party hosted by Regina Bremington, the U.S. ambassador’s glamorous wife. At the party, terror takes over when the electricity suddenly goes out and the ambassador is assassinated.
In the safety of a dark bedroom, Quintin meets a mysterious stranger named Luca, an Italian spy. Even though the two men can’t see each other, a spark is ignited that soon becomes a mutual lust. Within days, Luca arranges for them to meet again at a remote seaside town in Belgium. There, Luca confesses his true identity and convinces Quintin they must team up to bring the ambassador’s killer to justice.
Love in the Shadows was inspired by a dream I had and a song of the same title.
Original Version of the song by E.G. Daily: http://youtu.be/O6aMrwMqumE

New Version of the song  by Circuit 21: http://youtu.be/-zF-aet-rPo
About the Author:
Dylan Madrid is the author of the novels Mind Fields, Love in the Shadows, and Backstrokes. A California native, Dylan grew up in the Bay Area. He opted to backpack through seven countries before heading to college and spent a year living in Europe, primarily on the Greek island of Ios. When he's not dreaming about living on the Italian Riviera or running away to Belgium, Dylan teaches college courses in writing and the arts.

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Jan 13 SpotlightNight Owl Reviewshttp://www.nightowlreviews.com
Jan 14 SpotlightLarissa and Friends' Bookish Life  www.larissaslife.com
Jan 15 Guest blogBehind Closed Doorshttp://bcdromance.blogspot.com
Jan 16 Guest blogWords, Words, Words    http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Jan 17 SpotlightBooks to Get Lost Inhttp://bookstogetlostin.blogspot.com
Jan 20 InterviewSharing Links and Wisdom; http://sharinglinksandwisdom.blogspot.com/
Jan 21 SpotlightSapphyria's Book Reviewssaphsbookblog.blogspot.com
Jan 22 SpotlightBookwormBridgette's Worldhttp://bookwormbridgette.blogspot.com
Jan 23 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
Jan 24 Spotlight and Review
Lissette Manning
http://www.simplistik.org/lissetteemanning

Jan 27 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
Jan 28 Guest blogErotica For All http://eroticaforall.co.uk
Jan 29 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
Jan 30 Guest blogMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
Jan 31 SpotlightShare My Destinyhttp://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
Feb 3 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogsopt.com
Feb 4 Guest blog and reviewInner Goddess.     Http://www.innergoddessforum.com
Feb 5 SpotlightZipper Rippers:http://zipperrippers.blogspot.co.uk/
Feb 6 SpotlightSoaring Eagle Publicitywww.soaringeaglepublicity.com
Feb 7 InterviewButterfly-o-Meter Bookshttp://butterfly-o-meter.com/
Feb 10 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com