Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 75
November 1, 2022
A Bewitching Tuesday
Character Confessions, Featuring the Goddess of Death from Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards #PNR #ParanormalRomance
#bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/v2gy50LqvgK
Release Day Blitz Savage Deceit by J.N. Sheats #ParanormalRomance #DarkFantasy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/TnVb50LqvvC
A recovering alcoholic woman with the ability to experience people’s memories helps a secret government agency take down drug syndicates. But when she meets an artist, she loses focus and opens herself to danger
The Color of Betrayal #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/msaH50Lqvlr
Release Day Blitz Savage Deceit by J.N. Sheats #ParanormalRomance #DarkFantasy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/hVYx50Lqvr3
Release Day Blitz Savage Deceit by J.N. Sheats #ParanormalRomance #DarkFantasy
https://creativelygreen.blogspot.com/...
October 31, 2022
Release Day Blitz Savage Deceit by J.N. Sheats #ParanormalRomance #DarkFantasy
Savage DeceitThe Opsona Journey Series Book FourJ.N. Sheats
Genre: Dark Fantasy Adventure/Paranormal Erotic RomancePublisher: J.N. SheatsDate of Publication: 11/01/2022ASIN: B0BJCV6SRJNumber of pages: 78Word Count: 22100Cover Artist: J.N. Sheats
Book Description:
“No,” I snapped. “You are not going to do this now or ever! You are alive for a reason, don’t question it.” ~Cret
Fleeing into the Wastelands, Cret has saved Serenity from the rumble of Tentusa. Now with a simple yet daunting task of keeping her alive, Cret has found himself in need of allies. One of which that has arrived right in time to aid him at this most dire time, but is she truly an ally?
Serenity has survived the fall of Tentusa and the Vampire Nation’s Armies, but what comes next? With no more master and no more direction in life Serenity is starting to question her place in the world when the woman Mysheik appears to help both her and Cret. She is suspect of the Opsona woman and the strange town they stumble upon in the desert Wastelands.
What are Mysheik’s true intentions? And have the Vamdari survived like Serenity? Find out in book four of the Opsona Journey Series.
Amazon
Excerpt 3:
Amyriad of garbled death grunts and pain-filled wails called out into the ever twilight of the Crypt Realm—chaos echoing off dirty rubble stone that nature started to reclaim as ghouls lay slain on display for any who might oppose fate. These were my enemies, demons and ghouls who liked to infest the mortal world with their wrongness. An infection that often seeped into the cracks, but not if you killed them off at the root. That was the plan for my Opsona brethren and myself. I was fulfilling my Opsona duty, helping my brothers invade the Underworld Realms, but not everyone saw me as an asset.
“I found another one trying to get away,” the man standing over me joked as I gasped to gain some air. The large brute of an Opsona struck me down when my back was turned using his lance to choke me from behind, as another Opsona landed a kick to my gut. It was an attack I wasn’t prepared for, and I would surely never make that mistake again.
Three others arrived chuckling at my misfortune, they knew what they were doing was wrong. I wasn’t the enemy, hell I led them here. I opened the gateway so they could take out the ghouls of this part of the Underworld. By doing so I now labeled myself an enemy of my demon brothers, a damned sinner who could never come back. There would be no place in the Underworld I could hide from retribution, and no chance to repent.
The reality of what was about to happen hit hard, and I gritted my teeth trying to hold my demon side back. This would be no time to prove them right, to show I was the monster they thought me to be, but I couldn’t show fear either. Showing fear would only urge them on more.
“You want to be one of us?” one of the men asked, stepping forward, a mocking tone to his voice as he asked his question. This asshole was the leader of the small group.
“We can grant you that wish, can’t we, boys?”
I didn’t like where this was going, but I bit back any response. I wouldn’t give them the pleasure of knowing my rage.
It had been a difficult few years training with the Opsona elder, Rhea. While she accepted me, the others still refused to acknowledge my Opsona blood. I was seen as a demon, a creature of sin. No matter my skill or strength I was still an outcast, but this? I never imagined they would take up arms against me. The Elders would not be pleased, but what punishment would they really face? Probably none—in fact they may even be rewarded for killing me, the bastards.
On cue two of the bigger men of the group restrained each of my arms and kicked my legs to bring me to my knees. A third ripped open my shirt and I growled like the beast I was, delighting in the way he jumped back. Aww, fear. I could smell it on him, making my demon purr with a special hunger. Chuckles from the others sounded for their companions’ frightened retreat. If they only knew what I could do to them.
The leader moved closer as I struggled to break free. It wouldn’t do me any good. Fighting one or two of my brethren I could handle, but five? No, I didn’t have the skills to escape without killing them. Here in the cover of twilight I had the advantage, but it would mean unleashing the demon I could not control. My demon, raging beneath the surface, would surely dismember them. I had to hold it back and take what abuse they were going to dish out.
“You want to be one of us?” ~Cret~
About the Author:J.N. Sheats is an artist turned author. Living in Maryland with six wild cats, and her husband, J.N. spends her days designing book covers and teasers for other authors. At night she is at the mercy of her demanding characters, and their wild fantasies.
Dark Paranormal Fantasy is her preferred genre of writing, but anything is game. Maybe even a lovely romance novel or two in the near future.
When not writing, designing, or drawing, J.N. spends her time doing a host of other activities. Including: gardening, jewelry making, cooking, and watching far too much television.
Art Website: www.jnsheatsart.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jnsheats
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jsheatsart
Blog: http://insidetheinsanitycm.blogspot.com/
Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/jnsheats
Etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/JSheatsCreations
Author Website: www.authorjnsheats.wordpress.com
A Bewitching Monday
5 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer with Author MtG #YAFantasy #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/TOvl50Lpprv
Finding Time to Write Guest Blog with Jason Goss #GothicHorror #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/uKoY50LppfG
Book of the Month and Contest: Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards
https://womenconnectonline.com/crazy-...
The Gryphon and His Thief by Karen Michelle Nutt [Tour with Excerpt]
https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
Weep, Woman, Weep
Nothing makes a woman brave except getting on with the business of daily life. #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/s51q50Lpr27
Crazy Witch:The Witch Doctors by C.S. Edwards #Halloween #giveaway #bookseries #witches #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/SRmF50LpqZb
Terra Nova by MtG [Tour with Excerpt]
https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
Release Day Blitz Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards #ReleaseDayBlitz #PNR #ParanormalRomance #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/QoUN50LpqVI
Unusual Light by J. Elizaga [Tour with Excerpt]
https://www.westveilpublishing.com/?p...
Vampire Musings
Join 16 vampire fans and writers from around the world for their musings on vampire music, movies, fun facts, and even mesmerizing short stories #bewitchingbooktours #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular http://ow.ly/q7BS50LpqSs
The Last Man? Journey To New Eden by Favian Segovia #SciFi #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/TjF050LpqCe
[Blitz & Giveaway] The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller by Diandra Archer #bewitchingbooktours #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular http://ow.ly/vTjw50LpqhQ
The Last Man? Journey To New Eden by Favian Segovia #SciFi #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/v6VL50Lpquy
Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies Poem & Giveaway #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/hyR650LppGP
Release Day Blitz Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards #ReleaseDayBlitz #PNR #ParanormalRomance #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/VOcY50LppBA
The Bruja's Guide to Everyday Magic #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktorus http://ow.ly/kYmn50LppzT
Bloodlink by Raye T. Watson - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/tQZ250LppwQ
Release Day Blitz Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards #ReleaseDayBlitz #PNR #ParanormalRomance #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/cn8f50Lppvk
Alpha Receptor by Karenna Colcroft - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/EeT950Lpplw
Crazy Witch The Witch Doctors Book Three C.S. Edwards - Paranormal Romance #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/bmay50LppiI
Release Day Blitz Crazy Witch by C.S. Edwards #ReleaseDayBlitz #PNR #ParanormalRomance
Crazy WitchThe Witch Doctors Book ThreeC.S. Edwards
Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: C.S. EdwardsDate of Publication: October 31, 2022ISBN: 9798215161517ASIN: B0BH6JKM82Number of pages: 142Word Count: 36,382Cover Artist: C.S. Edwards
Book Description:
What does Bart Babington’s love life, a legendary key, and the Goddess of Death, have in common? Well, Bart is about to find out.
The not-so-famous witch doctor cosmetic surgeon is sick and tired of his two meddling sisters trying to mate him up at every annual Samhain celebration for the last ten years. So, Bart enlists his two best wingmen to help him find a fake date to take to Rabbit Hash for the party.
In his grand plan to get his sisters off his back, what he didn’t count on is falling for a pigeon raising, southern witch on a moped. Nor did he expect to lose her during the couple’s championships for the Loving Cup. But he’s on a ghostly trip to sort out his past and make room for true love in his life.
Will Bart find his witch, or will he never unlock his heart?
Magic and Mayhem Universe Books2Read Amazon
PrologueOnce upon a time there was a witch and a warlock who fell in love. They lived together in a modest and remote castle, working the land, making essential oils, and giving back to the earth. They were a good witch and warlock who loved their life and wanted nothing more than to share their love and good fortune with others. But most of all, they dreamed of having a tiny magical being of their own. This was not to be. For all their trying, the witch could not become pregnant. They grew herbs to make special teas, mixed up potions for fertility, and even cast spells under the light of the full moon. Nothing worked. The witch’s belly remained empty. The days turned into months, into years, then into decades. A century passed, but no baby came. The witch fell into a deep sadness. She no longer got out of bed and tended to her garden. She no longer sang while strolling through the meadows of wildflowers. She no longer ate until she was full. She cried. She slept. She stared into the nothingness of the night.
Heartbroken to see his love so forlorn, the warlock decided to venture out of the safety of their secluded castle and find a Baba Yaga to heal his wife and give them a child through either light or dark magical means. The day he left, he kissed her and promised to always love her in this world, and the next. He vowed to search eternally for help for his barren wife. He vowed to find a way to give her a child. The witch pleaded with him not to leave. She told him she’d felt something terrible coming his way. He saw it, too, but knew her happiness was more important. She cried and held onto the warlock, but he pushed her away. Before he mounted his stead, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. The warlock embraced the witch’s face in his hands and looked deep into her aqua eyes. He said, “you are my heart. Without you by my side, this muscle in my chest would cease to beat. I will travel to the end of the earth and time to make you happy.” He kissed her again. “If I do not return, always follow your heart.” He removed a long chain that held and small key from his neck and placed it in her hands. “This key opens the lock to the future. It’s been passed down in my family since the beginning of time, bestowed upon those with a purpose to learn. Use it and our love will be for all eternity.”
The witch did not see the warlock alive again.
About the Author:C.S. Edwards is a southern author of small town adventures sprinkled with romance, mystery, and occasionally some paranormal and fantasy. Her newest release, Crazy Witch, The Witch Doctors Book 3, is a saucy, fun, romantic romp. In her catalog, you’ll also find the darker small town mystery Welcome to Lovely, that shows a spicier side of crime and romance.
C.S. Edwards lives with her family on the Kentucky side of Cincinnati, where they are all just doing their part to make the world a little more interesting and entertaining.
“My kids, all five of them, swear I talk to myself way too much. What they don’t know is, I’m not talking to myself, I’m talking to my characters. Sure, that makes me a little crazy, but come on, it also makes me super interesting—right?! Probably not, but a girl can dream.” — C.S. Edwards
Check out all of C.S. Edwards’ books here:https://csedwardsauthor.com/
Sign-up for new releases here:https://csedwardsauthor.com/contact
Join her on social media here:https://www.instagram.com/authorcsedwards/
https://www.facebook.com/authorcsedwards
https://twitter.com/CSEdwardsauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15014243.C_S_Edwards
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-s-edwards-04de2760-d05b-40e5-be98-16be7ffa76eb
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies
Secrets of the Spell
I. Wasted Breath
Spite stirred in guts like poison mixed incake.
Insistent maleness and disparity
Assembled heated breath, enough to hex
A British play. Heed this — or rue the day.
Old Scottish combat zones, intent on war’s
Mythology and trophies, replicate
Themselves wherever men fish for acclaim
To get their stories splashed across the stars—
In letters, law, or laboratories.
When males engage with chemicals, rank brines,
Intent on alchemy, employing fire,
Rapt by discoveries perhaps benign,
They’re being scientific, praised. They’ll bask
Inbacklit glows that manly fame bestows.
The patriarchy does its best to hoard
Awards — like weapons needed for attacks.
When females huddle over cauldron smoke,
Ancestral recipes astir once more,
Rapt by solutions stronger than strychnine,
Which sheriff thought, “Girls having fun outdoors!”?
Suspicious scribes malign spell-casting crones,
Implying they are doing devil’s work.
The patriarchy does its best to warn,
Forbid, discourage daughters, sisters, wives
By commandeering rights to accolades.
Distrust of women’s power led to laws.
In 1542, King Henry VIII
Signed Britain’s first Witchcraft Act. Hundreds died,
Even if those accused denied the charge.
II. Macbeth
Elizabethan dramatists — all men! —
Put witches in the plot for novelty.
Meanwhile, witch hunts harassed the innocent.
Misogyny’s increase deserved byplay.
Real sorceresses jinxed “the Scottish play,”
Their hex comeuppance. Bloodshed was repaid.
Macbeth depicts a pagan coven — though
Their wisdom’s minimized by childish speech
Like “Double, double, toil, and trouble” — rhymes
For children, to infantilize this spell.
With “eye of newt, toe of frog,” thespians
Portraying the Weird Sisters cursed the Thane
Of Cawdor, who rebelled against his king.
Macbeth’s debut was struck— streaked with bad luck.
III. Met Death
Before Scene 5, the Bard went backstage — found
Lady Macbeth mystifyingly dead,
Unnerving King James in his royal box.
Which elements affected Brits the most?
Staged sorcery incited constant fear
His majesty intensified with trials.
Mark my words: women have always fought back,
Preserved infernal mysteries. Bewitched.
Dark invocations learned by stealth live on.
Macbeth’s unholy spell won’t be withdrawn
‘Til every “witch’s” unfair death is mourned.
Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween PoemsLindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies
Genre: PoetryPublisher: Audience Askew, Nat 1 Publishing LLC Date of Publication: 18th October 2022ASIN: B0B3NK7QG6Number of pages: 49Word Count: 6,400 approx.Cover Artist: Benyamin Agum
Tagline: Your portal to the dark side
Book Description:
All Hallows’ Eve, Samhain, Day of the Dead… during this interval, the barriers between the two realms are thinnest. Normal turns paranormal; what's natural becomes the supernatural. That's when the messengers of the macabre are in their rightful element.
Step inside this collaborative chapbook and embrace a haunted harvest of verses embracing bewitchment, boneyards, and all things that go... BOO!
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/dQJA4_d_EsU
Amazon Amazon CA AmazonUK
About the Authors:
New York City necromancer LindaAnn LoSchiavo, a wily clairvoyant, honed her psychic abilities during childhood and has the power to haunt any benighted soul who disparages this chapbook.
Some of her Elgin Award-winning poems have been seen here: Bewildering Stories, Blood ‘n Bourbon, Mermaids Monthly, South Broadway Ghost Society, Star*Line.
Formidable dragon slayer David Davies left Wales under baleful circumstances for The Lone Star State. “Have sonnets, will travel,” announces his business card.
His Pushcart- and Bram Stoker-nominated poems and stories have been known to appear in: Granfalloon, Green Lantern Press, MacroMicroCosm, Moon Shadow Sanctuary, Ripples in Space.
https://messengersofthemacabre.com/
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 28, 2022
Free Book Friday October 28 - Sweet Bloody Secret: A Short Vampire Romance by Jessie Winterspring
Free Book Friday October 28
Sweet Bloody Secret: A Short Vampire Romance Jessie Winterspring Genre: Paranormal Romance, Vampire RomanceASIN: B09ST5NMF9Publication Date: March 9, 2022
All she wanted was a peaceful life, but fate loved to play evil games.
Lucira didn’t want to move from Furness, where her mother rested, the town she stayed the longest, and started her business.
She and her mother moved from one place to the next all her childhood until she got a hold of her power, and the last thing she wanted was to get discovered.
On her way home, a vampire attacked her. Michael, a policeman who hunts rogue vampires, was assigned to guard her, and it was only a matter of time before he discovered her secrets.
Get it Free at Amazon https://amzn.to/3rr3EpG
A Bewitching Friday
Guest Blog- The Last Man? Journey To New Eden by Favian Segovia #SciFi #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/CYm750LnRqo
How to have a haunted Halloween Party | Tips from a YA Vampire Author #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/qTya50LnR24
All she wanted was a peaceful life, but fate loved to play evil games.
On Lucira’s way home one night, a vampire attacked her. Michael, a policeman who hunts rogue vampires, was assigned to guard her and it's only a matter of time before he discovers her secrets. https://amzn.to/3rr3EpG #PNR #ParanormalRomance #VampireRomance #vampireshortstory #shortromance #vampires #FreeBookFriday #KindleFreebie
THE COLOR OF BETRAYAL by Hollie Smurthwaite
https://thebookjunkiereadspromos.blog...
Messengers of the Macabre by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies - Book Tour + Giveaway https://www.jazzybookreviews.com/2022...
Terra Nova by MtG
http://roxannerhoads.booklikes.com/po...
The Last Man? Journey To New Eden Favian Segovia #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/3Iln50LnQY7
Terra Nova
Everybody dies but only few of us manage to live #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/ynNu50LnRcn
Giveaway – The Gryphon And His Thief by Karen Michelle Nutt @RoxanneRhoads @KMNbooks #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/FA4050LnRo2
Tome of the Vampire by Jason Goss #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/yh2450LnRuQ
The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller by Diandra Archer - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular http://ow.ly/xsxV50LnRiE
Book Tour + Review: Tome of the Vampire by Jason Goss @JasonMGoss @RoxanneRhoads #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/CYKP50LnRtz
Unusual Light by J. Elizaga - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/wfFK50LnRyG
Vampire Musings Articles and Short Stories Compiled by Bertena Varney #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktorus http://ow.ly/vJcZ50LnRBG
Vampire Musings Articles and Short Stories Compiled by Bertena Varney
Consumed by Carrie Rogers
1909
In late March London, I decided to begin a new life. All of the people who I cared for were gone. Headed off to find something new, I made my way through the busy streets. Beggars lined the route to the Atlantic transport.
Stepping to the ticket window, I asked, "where is the boat headed?"
"America," He answered.
"One, please!" I said, handing the man my money. He gave me a ticket and asked my name.
"Randis Blackburn." He wrote my name along with the other ship passengers.
"Age?"
"22." seems like a good number. After all, my age was unbelievable.
I was waiting for my turn to board the ship. Watching the ship's two giant smokestacks as they puffed angrily. Parents said goodbye to their children, knowing they might never see them again. A child smiled, waving frantically. I waved back. Her smile was sweet, intentions pure. The feeling of life surged through me. Would I have the strength to leave if I had a child?
"Excuse me," a quiet voice said, breaking me from my thoughts. I stepped to the side, apologizing for being in her way. “Is that yours?" she asked, looking down at an old worn brown trunk that sat at my feet.
"No," I answered, gazing into her deep green eyes. I was frozen in place by the depth of her stare. There was something familiar about her; I couldn't say what. She bent down, picking up the lock in her hand. She turned the key, opening the lock. She let out a sigh of relief as she pulled open the trunk.
The smell of wild roses filled the air around me. She turned and smiled at me quickly before shutting the lid. The scent of roses hit me once again. Locking the trunk and standing to her feet, she held her lacey gloves that she had taken from the chest in her pale hands. With a smile, she said,
"Good day, sir."
"Please, Call me Randis," I stuttered out.
"You are?" I asked as I took her hand, slowly lifting it to my lips and kissing her warm hand gently. I looked up to see her rosy cheeks. I had made her blush.
"Sarah." She said in a nervous voice.
"Nice to make your acquaintance, Sarah." Holding her hand in mine, I said, "Safe journey."
"Same to you, Randis," she said, pulling her hand from mine.
As she walked away, I felt that a part of me was now missing. I felt so alone, more alone than I ever had, as she disappeared into the crowd.
Vampire MusingsArticles and Short Stories Compiled by Bertena Varney
ASIN : B0B2QJ5FQCPublication Date: May 29, 2022Print Length: 259 pages
Book Description:
Join 16 vampire fans and writers from around the world for their musings on vampire music, movies, fun facts, and even mesmerizing short stories. This book will make you feel like you are in a room with friends discussing the various vampires that each of you love spanning from aristocratic vampires, to primal monsters, to the Twilight vamps. So, sit down in your comfy chair, turn on the vampire music provided in this book, pick up that Bloody Mary, and escape to a world full of vampires.
There is a recount of the life of Anne Rice, reviews of books, movies, and television shows, a look at vampires as religious figures, romantic stories, and traditional stories of the vampire.
Each of these stories holds intrigue for fans of creatures of the night.
Contributors include: Audrey A’Cladh, Azurdee Garland, Bitten Twice, Bertena Varney, Carrie Rogers, Isabella Gibbons, Jacqueline Gibbons, Kathryne LeFevre, Kyle Germann, Mary Jackson, Matthew Banks, Phaedra Walker, Roxanne Rhoads, Selah Janel, Simon Bacon, and Stavros Cockrell.
These contributors range from a 12-year-old actress, to college professors, librarians, paranormal romance authors, and even those that live the life of a vampire.
The cover art was created by Stavros while showcasing the model Xamie wearing fangs from Kaos Kustom Fangs, LLC. The model is both alluring but dangerous. She is a great representation of the book and the various stories that are told within.
Amazon https://amzn.to/3aIUIHh
Amazon https://amzn.to/3meXFC3
Other eBook outlets https://books2read.com/u/4jg5lZ
About Bertena Varney:
Vampire Musings is the 11th vampire book written, compiled, and/or published by Bertena Varney, M.A., M.Ed. This book is an anthology of articles and short stories from academics and fans from around the world. The topics range from Anne Rice’s Life Chronology, vampire detectives, vampire art, vampire films, modern short stories of vampire romance and traditional gothic reads of tortured souls.
Bertena is a former Assistant Professor of Sociology and is still working in higher education.
She has undergraduate and graduate degrees from Morehead State University in sociology, criminology, history, and education. She spent these educational years studying pop culture.
She has been a guest speaker for multiple conventions including:- Pop Culture Association National Conference in Washington DC- Pop Culture Association Regional Conference in New Orleans- Conjuration- A Harry Potter Convention in Atlanta, GA
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 27, 2022
Alpha Receptor by Karenna Colcroft - Haunted Halloween Spooktacular
A Werewolf’s Thoughts on Werewolf Costumes
Every year for Halloween, people don costumes to present themselves as various monsters. Because my brain tends to wander to odd places, I’ve sometimes wondered what those “monsters” would think of those costumes. Since I write werewolves, I decided to ask one of my characters what they thought. The following is a take from Kyle Slidell, the world’s only(?) gay vegan werewolf; although Kyle is not a major character in Alpha Receptor, he’s a main character in other books, and his story has a big impact on the main characters and plot of Alpha Receptor.
Hmm. What do I, Kyle Slidell, think about humans dressing up as werewolves for Halloween?
Honestly, I think it’s weird as heck. The costumes don’t even look like us, for crying out loud! They’re the movie-land version of werewolves, not the reality. We look like wolves.
Since I live full-time as a werewolf, I don’t really get why anyone would want to pretend to be one. Shifting is about the least fun I’ve ever had. Not having a choice about shifting at least once every month also really sucks. The reality of being a werewolf isn’t something I would wish on my worst enemy. (Even though my worst enemy is a werewolf.)
On the other hand, I completely get spending a night pretending to be something you aren’t. There have been plenty of times in my life when I’ve either done or wanted to do exactly that.
Of course the costumes aren’t accurate depictions of werewolves, but I suppose for some humans, that’s part of the fun. They aren’t trying to actually be wolves. They’re just playing dress-up for a night, and for a lot of humans, that’s exactly what Halloween is for.
So while I personally think humans dressing up like us—or like the film versions of us—is weird, I also fully support the whole “play pretend for a night” as long as everyone’s having fun with it. Just remember that the way most humans see werewolves isn’t our reality.
Alpha ReceptorReal Werewolves True Mates Book OneKarenna Colcroft
Genre: Paranormal RomancePublisher: Vegan Wolf Productions Date of Publication: July 14, 2022ISBN: 978-1958346006ASIN: B0B4T6FMPRNumber of pages: 263Word Count: 72,300 Cover Artist: Winterheart Design
Tagline: Can a “curmudgeonly” Alpha who has closed his heart to love open up when he finds his true mate?
Book Description:
When Lara Jameson’s employer transferred her from Orlando, Florida, to Boston, Massachusetts, moving wasn’t as simple as just finding an apartment. As a werewolf, Lara also had to transfer to a new pack. And when she met Chal Torres, the Alpha of City Pack in Boston, she knew she had found not only a new pack but her mate.
Chal Torres has resisted love since a dominance fight shortly after he was changed resulted in the death of the woman he believed he loved. Now, as Alpha of the largest pack in the United States, he allows no one close to him out of fear they might be used against him. But when Chal meets Lara and recognizes her as his mate, his resistance is no match for the call of the mate bond and of his heart.
As Chal and Lara begin to build their relationship, Chal lets down his guard. But an attack on Lara during the pack’s hunt night and the reveal of a plot within the pack to take down Chal as Alpha lead Chal to begin putting up those walls again. Will he let Lara in, or will his fear end their relationship before it truly starts?
Amazon
When he was confident none of his pack remained among the trees, he went to the house and found Art already in human form near the back door. Art possessed the distinct ability to shift instantaneously with no pain or effects; for him, it was as fluid as breathing. Meaning Chal needed to shift rapidly and give no sign of the effects.
Once back in human form, he straightened, towering over Art, who flinched. The reaction pleased Chal. The man deserved to be afraid.
“You attacked a pack member,” he said.
“Can…” Sweat beaded Art’s forehead as he frantically searched around for an escape. “Can we discuss this privately, Alpha?”
“We cannot.” He spoke more loudly than he intended, not caring that he’d drawn the attention of the other wolves. “Lara is lower ranked than you. She wasn’t interfering with you. You had neither cause nor right to attack her. Go home, Art. You are confined to your apartment until I speak with you.”
Art bowed his head. “I have no way to get home, Alpha. I rode here with others.”
“Dave.”
A small, wiry man hurried over to him. One of the trackers, second in command to Connor.
“Yes, Alpha?”
“Are you able to leave at this time?” Chal asked, continuing to pin Art beneath his gaze. “Art is going home.”
“Yes, Alpha. I’ll tell Hillary to find another ride.” Dave grasped Art’s elbow. “Let’s go.”
Art followed the other man without protest. But when he peered back over his shoulder at Chal, his eyes were filled with the same darkness weighing on Chal.It would be crucial to resolve the situation more permanently. For the moment, Art was dealt with. It was time for Chal to check on his mate.
He found her a short distance from the house, lying on her side in wolf form, panting heavily.
Tobias, in human form, sat cross-legged beside her. “Follow my voice, Lara,” he said in a low, almost hypnotic cadence. “It’s time to shift back. I’m here. Your Alpha is here. We’re both with you. Come back.”
Painstakingly, so much so Chal trembled with sympathetic agony, Tobias guided Lara back into human form. When she finished the shift, she lay gasping on the ground.
“I can’t do anything more for her,” Tobias said.
“I can. Thank you, old friend.”
Chal crouched and gathered Lara into his arms. She stirred and murmured something unintelligible. Ignoring the others around them, Chal carried her into the house and up to the second floor, to the bedroom where he and Tobias had spoken earlier.
Tenderly, he lay her on the bed. He wished he could kiss her, stay with her, but he still had a duty to his pack. He maneuvered the sheet from under her and covered her.
“Sleep,” he said. “We’ll speak in the morning.” Quickly, he left the room.
About the Author:
Karenna Colcroft lives just north of Boston, Massachusetts, and has been in love with the city since childhood, though she has yet to encounter any werewolves, vampires, or other paranormal beings in her travels. At least none that she knows of. Though since in her non-writing life, under another name, she offers services as a channel and energy healing practitioner, it could be said that she herself is a paranormal being. The jury’s still out on that.
Karenna is a polyamorous, nonbinary human who splits time between the home she shares with her husband and the one she shares with her committed partner. She also has two adult children and a bonus son, three grandchildren, and two and a half cats. (Half in terms of time the cat lives with her, not in terms of the cat itself…)
Website: https://karennacolcroft.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarennaColcroft
a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 26, 2022
A Bewitching Wednesday
Character Confessions: The vampire Alaric + giveaway #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/Eqyp50Ll9fY
Book Spotlight & #Giveaway ~ Terra Nova, Book 1 by MtG ~ #YA #Fantasy
@RoxanneRhoads
#BewitchingBookTours http://ow.ly/8M8k50Ll9ax
Weep, Woman, Weep by Maria DeBlassie - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/987K50Ll9qx
The Last Man? by Favian Segovia - Book Tour + Giveaway
https://www.jazzybookreviews.com/2022...
The Gryphon and His Thief Karen Michelle Nutt - paranormal/ shifter romance - A gryphon shifter cursed for centuries encounters a thief who unearths his secret identity. #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/VWWs50Ll97y
Tome of the Vampire, Volume One by Jason Goss @JasonMGoss Dark Fantasy, Gothic Horror, Post -Apocalyptic
https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/2022/...
#hauntedhalloweenSpooktacular Feature: Vampire Musings by Bertena Varney#bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/iR4P50Ll9o4
TOME OF THE VAMPIRE by Jason Goss #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/y8aw50Ll9gS
Messengers of the Macabre: Halloween Poems LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies - Your portal to the dark side #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/uXem50Ll98C
Vampire Musings Articles and Short Stories Compiled by Bertena Varney #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/aeZf50Ll966
[Blitz & Giveaway] Bloodlink by Raye T. Watson #bewitchingbooktours #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular
http://triquetrareviews.blogspot.com/...
Alpha Receptor by Karenna Colcroft - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/B8Bt50Ll8Yu
The Ghost Circus: An Onyx Webb Supernatural Thriller by Diandra Archer #hauntedhalloweenspooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/75N250Ll94A
[Blitz & Giveaway] Terra Nova by MtG #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/tC7450Ll91k
Unusual Light by J. Elizaga - #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular #bewitchingbooktours http://ow.ly/gVIi50Ll9j6
