Young's Blog, page 11

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The Protective Plague

Laura Libricz

From the Overlord���s house came a quiet but vicious argument. I walked past the stately, tiered structure, decorated with wooden carvings. The other houses circling the town square stood quietly: the midwife���s red wooden house built up on stilts; the ironworkers��� blue housing complex and their adjoining workshop also built on stilts; the dark-brown community building, windows tightly shuttered.

     I set my basket down in the middle of the square. The fountain marking the village center bubbled behind me as a mouse scurried around its stone base. The door of the Overlord���s house slammed open and he appeared on the top step. A woman's sobs came from inside the house. He raised his nose to the sky and sniffed at the air, his black, wiry hair standing on end. He approached the fountain, his black woolen cape fluttering behind him.

     ���The weather has changed,��� the Overlord said.

     ���You notice such things, Master?��� I asked. ���Today is the Turn of the Season; coupled with the full moon.���

     ���Yes, that is why you tie those wreaths of herbs,��� he said. ���Silly old traditions.���

     ���We will burn them at sunset on the Field of Fruition. These old traditions give the people comfort.���

     ���Your traditions have no power,��� he said. ���This year we initiate my new ritual. The One True Deity is not appeased with burning herbs.���

     ���What will appease your Deity then, Master? Burning flesh?���

     The door of the red house squeaked open. The midwife flurried towards the fountain carrying a spray of reeds. Two red-haired daughters followed behind her. They carried baskets overloaded with sage and wormwood.

     ���Good day, Master,��� she said, dropping her reeds at my feet.

     Her black hair, not colored carefully enough, showed red roots at her scalp. I moved between her and the master, hoping he had not seen her hair, and gathered three reeds in my hands. I braided their stalks. Her daughters set the baskets down on the stone steps of the fountain and the midwife pulled both girls to her side.

     ���The workshop is quiet this morning,��� I mentioned.

     ���The men have crossed the ford to the settlement beyond the Never-Dying Forest. They���ve taken our surplus of food and hope to trade. Years ago, the forest villagers made fabrics.���

     The Overlord chuckled. ���Foolish men. No one lives beyond the water and the forest but barbarians. They don���t trade, they take.���

    I held my braided reeds aloft. ���Our petition tonight at the bonfire is to ask for the safety of all villagers involved, whether they come from Forest Village or Field Village.���

     ���There will be no bonfire tonight,��� he said.

     As if by the Master���s silent command, the double doors on the community building slid open. Five leather-clad men, adorned with weapons of glinting steel, took two steps forward. Five young women draped with dirty white shifts, hands and mouths bound, knelt behind their ranks. I recognized the midwife���s eldest daughter and the barrel maker's granddaughter.

     ���My new Turn of the Season tradition starts today.��� The Overlord nodded to the troop. The men grabbed each of the young women under the arms and dragged them into the square. They were forced to kneel on the stone steps by the fountain. The overlord���s daughter was also among them.

     ���These women will be taken against their will on the Field of Fruition. The One True Deity will come to accept the eggs as soon as they are fertilized. I will summon him. The women and their fruits belong to him. He will exalt them and admit them into his glorious mountain realm.���

     I threw my reeds aside. ���Our traditions and petitions are based on protecting our villagers, not sacrificing them.���

     ���These women are ripe. We have prodded them all. The One True Deity will have this offering.���

     ���Men cannot enter the Field of Fruition at the Turn of the Season. It will bring us harm so close to the coming winter.���

     ���Your foolish traditions cannot keep the furies of winter at bay. Harm will only come if one of these women becomes pregnant. That would prove her self-seeking nature, her desire to retain the fruits for herself. She will be executed.���

     The midwife let out a shriek. The overlord stroked his daughter���s matted hair.

     ���If she becomes pregnant,��� he said, ���we will also know she enjoyed the act. She will have defied The One True Deity. Women cannot become pregnant when taken against their will.���

     He took two steps forward, his face a breath away from mine. ���These women can be saved. Here they are. Save them. Save them now but know this: four others will take their places. You shall be the fifth.���

     He turned with a swish of his cape and, followed by his armed mob, disappeared into the community house.

     The midwife and I unbound the women. Together we gathered the wreaths, all our herbs, and reeds, and walked out of the square towards the Field of Fruition. The sky was overcast. Rains threatened. Two women and their children stood at the edge of the green field, bundling straw. They piled it neatly on a cart. Two other women whacked the lazy ox and the cart jerked into movement.

     In the middle of the Field of Fruition, wooden planks stood in support of one another, forming an inverted cone. Mice scurried under my feet and under the cone. The planks were once an old barn. In its place, we built a new one. Since the great flood, our village had prospered. We had practiced our Traditions of Gratitude ever since. I gave silent thanks for the abundance of grain that allowed even the mice to multiply.

     ���The moon is coming up over the trees,��� I said. ���We will start the fire now.���

     The midwife scraped her knife on her stone and sparks flew into a pile of straw. She convinced the fire to burn and we fed the flames until the dried planks ignited. I raised my wreath of braided reeds over my head as mice scurried out from under the burning planks.

     Our peaceful but preventive petition resonated between our practiced voices. We���d recited the verses many times and shuddered with the energy they held. I threw the wreath on the fire; sparks flew into the low storm clouds. More mice scurried over my feet. I looked down and the Field of Fruition was no longer autumn-green, but mouse-grey. A layer of mice had gathered, completely covering the Field--a protective plague ensuring the fulfillment of our petitions of peace and gratitude. Well, this was not what I had in mind, but it would do. No ill-wisher would enter this field tonight.

***********************

Thank you for supporting this member along the WATCH "RWISA" WRITE Showcase Tour today!  We ask that if you have enjoyed this member's writing, please visit their Author Page on the RWISA site, where you can find more of their writing, along with their contact and social media links, if they've turned you into a fan.

We ask that you also check out their books in the RWISA or RRBC catalogs.  Thanks, again for your support and we hope that you will follow each member along this amazing tour of talent!  Don't forget to click the link below to learn more about this author: 

Laura Libricz 

https://ravewriters.wordpress.com/mee...

The Wicked Witch Anthology by Judy and Keith

Launch date:

October 27th, 2018���in both Kindle and Paperback formats

Buy link https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...

Author page amazon.com/author/judyandkeith

Contact:

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/JudyandKeith/

                        Twitter:  @JudyandKeith

Blurb

The Wicked Witch has been spotted flying high above the forest. The animals scamper into hiding.

A cold damp winter is fast approaching, and the Wicked Witch needs a warm cloak. Could squirrels��� tails be the answer?

Not if the Good Fairy has anything to do with it.

The Wicked Witch is up to mischief...again!

This collection of five short stories explores Fairyland. You'll follow the ongoing saga between the Good Fairy and her nemesis, the Wicked Witch, and get introduced to the Treasure Fairy.
They���re perfect for bedtime reading.

Children age range 5-12, short stories #fantasy #contemporary

Excerpt

from The Wicked Witch and the Squirrels

It was November 6th, and Bonfire Night was a thing of the past. Winter was fast approaching, and there were only short, dark, damp, and cold days to anticipate. The Wicked Witch tossed another dingy coat onto the floor. There wasn���t anything else left in the closet.

She turned to her broomstick. ���What shall I wear for the long dark nights of winter?���

The broomstick thought long and hard. The Wicked Witch was not a person to cross. She wasn���t much to look at, facial warts, a humpback and long unwashed black intermingled with gray hair with bits of foliage stuck in it. Finally, it answered, ���Squirrels cope with the winter���s cold. Maybe their tails keep them warm.���

���Yes, that���s it! I���ll steal their tails and make a nice warm cloak. It���ll keep me warm through the long winter nights.��� She jumped onto the broomstick. ���Let���s go! We have tails to steal.���

Authors profile

Judy and Keith have been married for over forty years. They���re semiretired and living in the South Bay, Los Angeles. Both were born and raised in England in the early fifties and relocated to Los Angeles in the late eighties.

A Harem Boy's Saga - V - METANOIA; a memoir by Young

Synopsis

Metanoia is the fifth and final volume to A Harem Boy���s Saga; a memoir by Young (five-book series). This erotically sensual and captivating autobiography is about a young man coming-of-age in a secret society before being spirited away to serve in several Middle Eastern male harems.

Metanoia follows Young and Andy���s (the young man���s lover-cum-chaperone) journey to their fifth Arabian Household at the opulent residences of their patriarch, Tad; an athlete of international fame. Although the couple had to maneuver through a minefield of explosive sentiments, they also acted as their ���Master���s��� confidante as they move through the world of the wealthy and elite.

This book is steeped in preternaturalism and spirituality. It is enlighteningly educational in the Middle Eastern way of life and the different aspects of Arabian culture.

This memoir is also an epic love story between Young and Andy. The joys and pleasures together with the trials and tribulations that come with heroic and unconditional love.

A Harem Boy���s Saga; a memoir by Young (book series) is in Film Option contract.

Purchase Book at:

Ebook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JM3WBCF
 
Print book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1625268513

Excerpt:

I was tossed about in the tiny confines of Murashshahaan (Running Mate), Sheik Fahrib���s eleven meters��� sailboat. A month before the races the doctor had transported this top of the line vessel from its mooring facility in Musandam Dibba Al Hisn, the Sultanate of Oman to Acapulco; in readiness for the 1968 Summer Olympics yachting competition. Tad (his team-mate) and he had been out daily to acclimatize to the sailing conditions in this Mexican playground of the rich and famous. A week preceding the competition, my Valet and I left from Daltonbury Hall to join them. With our Assalamu Alaikum service behind us, Andy and I needed the repose, to revivify our love and friendship. Our summer vacation was spent traveling around the tranquil English countryside, soaking up the beauty of the Lake District and getting reacquainted with one another. We needed to necessitate our physical and mental bond before departing to Aldhdhib Dann ( ������ ���������� Wolf Den) and Manarat Lilddaw��� ( ���������� ���������� Beacon of Light); Tad Abdul Hafiz���s London and Riyadh residences. The both of us had a hunch that our services at our fifth household would not be as smooth sailing as compared to our previous assignments.

Much like Count Mario, Tad was a playboy at heart. His irrational and spur of the moment decisions often send those close to him into dramatic tailspins of immense proportions. It was under this circumstance I now found myself at the mercy of howling winds, roaring waves and pounding rain. Thrown repeatedly from the hull to the rear of this racing vessel. The vicious waves and torrential downpour lapped at my person. Not only did I puke up the gastronomical contents I had consumed not so long ago, but I also had to hold on for dear life in the unfortunate event I would be swept into the ocean. Seasickness had overtaken my person, and no help was available since every strong hand was working furiously to keep Murashshahaan afloat. Hard-pressed at the helm, the sheik steered his vessel away from colliding rocks while Tad and Andy held firm on either side of the riggings to steady the dinghy; in the unfortunate event that the mast should collapse under the onslaught of the ferocious winds. Within this treacherous weather condition, I was left to fend for myself. Not knowing how long this perilous dilemma would last, I rocked, slid and vomited while keeping myself from slipping into the abyss of this bottomless ocean. Suddenly, a hand reached for my collar to pull me away from the slippery taffrail. I was dragged into the boat���s cabin that was now filled with ankle-deep water. As if I had gone bonkers the sportsman glared at me transfixed. 

���What in the world were you doing on deck. You were repeatedly told to stay below. This is not a time to tamper with the forces of nature. You could have been swept into the ocean and drown!��� he chastised sternly.

���You, Fahrib and Andy are above deck���,��� I muttered meekly.

He scowled at my defiance.

 ���We are experienced seamen and you, boy, is not,��� he admonished. ���The last thing we want on our hands is your dead body floating in the water.���

���Andy isn���t an experienced sailor,��� I negated truculently.  

He raised his hand to land me a slap for being an insolent brat. Before his hand could touch my cheeks, the boat���s violent oscillations hurled us in opposite directions. I crushed against the bulkhead while the athlete pulverized onto a dividing panel. Before he left me to my own expedient, his grimace had sent chills across my trembling body. When we finally came ashore, search teams were already scouring the vicinity for distressed boats adrift at sea.  The Running Mate was indeed one resilient lady whose damage was next to none. Thanks to our two experienced yachtsmen, we were relatively unharmed. Besides some minor bruises and concussions, the four of us were up and running after a good night���s sleep. I did not relate to my Valet what transpired in the cabin. After all, I conceded I was in the wrong and shouldn���t have put myself and crew in harm���s way, causing further perturbation if I should indeed fall into the turbulent waves. That would have been an unforgivable disaster. 

 

Author's Bio

Young alias Bernard Foong is, first and foremost, a sensitivist. He finds nuance in everything. To experience the world, he inhabits is an adventure which is mystical, childlike and refreshing. He has a rare ability to create beauty uniquely. His palettes have been material, paint, words and human experiences.

By Christine Maynard (screenwriter and novelist).  

Bernard Foong (designer) ��� A brief history

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. At the age of 8, he was assisting his aunt and cousin, learning the art of sewing and fabrics/colors matching. He attended an exclusive private boarding school in the United Kingdom before obtaining his Diploma in Fashion Design at the Harrow College of Art & Technology in London, England.  He went on to complete his Master of Design at the Royal College of Art & Design, London, England. During his college years, he won several international fashion awards and was already retailing bridal and evening dresses to several well-known department stores in England. Liberty of London, Selfridges, Harrods, and Harvey Nichols to name a few that carried his designs. His Royal College of Art graduation wedding/evening wear collection was sold to Liberty of London and displayed in their store windows for the entire month of June that year.

For four years, he worked for Liberty���s bridal department as their in-house designer until a trip to Hong Kong, while working on a freelance project for ���Bird���s���(casual wear) company, he was recruited by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as their Fashion professor for the next 6 years. During his stay in Hong Kong, he freelanced for numerous fashion companies. From designing casual wear, swimwear, lingerie, and fur garments, men���s wear, bridal and evening fashions to accessories (bags, shoes, and head-wear). He also participated in and organized numerous fashion shows, events, functions, and presentations in the Asia Pacific region.

Working for Keys Far East Hong Kong as chief lingerie designer - traveling extensively to the United States, he was soon recruited as an Associate Fashion Design/Illustration Professor to the University of Wisconsin, Madison and also lectured at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design for a couple of years.

Foong was then appointed as the Fashion Development Manager by an established department store ��� Parkson Grand (22 stores in Malaysia and one in Shanghai, China). Producing under the label, Natural Life by Bernard Foong, he designed casual-wear collections for the Parkson Grand���s flagship store in Kuala Lumpur. After a couple of years later, he was invited by the Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore to join their design school to establish a Fashion Design department. For two years, he assisted several founding members of the design school - working on the fashion department���s teaching curriculum.

The Fitzgerald Theatre Department, University of Hawaii, Manoa, Oahu, Hawaii awarded a full scholarship for Foong to complete his second Master of Art in Theatre Costuming. Now a resident of the United States, he has assisted many charity organizations in their fundraising events with his extravagant fashion and performance shows/presentations. In 2005, he and his husband, Mr. Walter Jay Bissett opened Fire Dragon Bistro Orient & Design Shop. He also designs costumes/fashions for numerous theatrical productions locally and abroad.

Appointed as the chief lingerie designer for Cerie International Limited ��� Hong Kong, his lingerie designs can be found in major department stores in Canada and the United Kingdom.

He showcased the BERNARD FOONG R-T-W collections and BERNARD FOONG @ Modern Classic Ltd. (an established ��� Hong Kong bridal & evening wear company) collections in Hong Kong. His 2008 & 2009 bridal/evening/bridal lingerie fashion show, ���Grace��� & ���Coming Up Roses��� were premiered at Hong Kong Fashion Week in July 2007 and January 2008 respectively at the Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Center, garnering definite interest in many Asian press reviews, including a China nationwide television broadcast of his latest collection. Aika (International Opera Singer) wore several Bernard Foong special occasion dresses at her Japan & European tour in September & October 2009.

Foong was appointed as the Chief Creative Director for Official (Special Occasion fashion manufacturing company) Guangzhou, China  producing ��� BERNARD FOONG Couture (specialty one-of-a-kind creations), White (RTW - Wedding/Special Occasion wear), Foxy Cute (Smart Casual/Cocktail wear), SexZ Things (decorative bustier) & Diva Bitch (sexy erotic wear) collections.

Foong just completed his autobiographic five-book series of Mr. Foong���s young life:

A Harem Boy���s Saga: A Memoir by Young.

This intriguing story spanning 4 decades and 3 continents is about a boy who was sent to a very exclusive English boarding school in the 1960s where he was initiated into a clandestine sexual society and then spirited away to serve in wealthy and elite Middle Eastern harems.  

Ranked Internationally Best Selling Author on  amazon.com

A Harem Boy's Saga - Book I - Initiation (a memoir by Young)

A Harem Boy's Saga - Book II - Unbridled (sequel)

A Harem Boy's Saga - Book III - Debauchery (3rd volume in the series))

A Harem Boy's Saga - Book IV - Turpitude (4th volume in the series)

A Harem Boy���s Saga ��� Book V ��� Metanoia (5th and final volume in the series)

A Harem Boy���s Saga series is published by Solstice Publishing and is available in print and E-books internationally.

A Harem Boy's Saga (series) - Film Option Agreement signed with a U.K./Hollywood Film Production Company.

A Harem Boy���s Saga - Book I ��� Initiation is currently in film production.

Contact information:

Website: www.BernardFoong.com (fashion) 

     www.AHaremBoySaga.com (books)

Email:  young@aharemboysaga.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aharemboysaga/

Tweeter: https://twitter.com/aharemboysaga 

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/haremboysaga/

        Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+BernardFoong

Amazon Authors Page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00CENKJKM

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2992700.Young

https://www.goodreads.com/author/dashboard

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardfoong/

For further information, please visit or contact:

 

Emerantia Antonia Parnell-Gilbert:

(Gilbert Literary Agency)

hawkspurrproductions@gmail.com

Melissa Miller: Solstice Publishing

solsticepublishing@live.com

 

To Purchase:

A Harem Boy���s Saga; a memoir by Young (book series)

 https://amzn.to/1FMlHVY

 

If She Were Blind by Laney Wylde (The After Twelve, #1)

If She Were Blind 

by Laney Wylde
 
(The After Twelve, #1) 

Published by: Crimson Tree Publishing

Publication date: October 22nd, 2018

Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance, Thriller
 


 

Synopsis:

Not everyone can get justice the traditional way���that���s where Estlyn Collins comes in. A young lawyer in Santa Monica, her ���legal��� service, After Twelve, works outside the courtroom to tip the scales when the justice system has failed.

For a price.

Thanks to her powerful underground network, Estlyn���s success rate is stellar, and her inbox stays filled with inquiries from the desperate and vengeful. But when one of those names is a ghost from her past seeking vengeance against her, she���s shaken to her core. Off balance and scared to be alone, she makes an impulsive move for a guy. He���s a complication she doesn���t have time for, but it turns out he may also be unlikely���if unwitting���asset.

Treading the rapidly thinning line between personal and professional, Estlyn pursues her target while outrunning the one on her own back���only to find she may be running into a lot more than she bargained for.

IF SHE WERE BLIND is the first book in the engaging New Adult series AFTER TWELVE by author Laney Wylde. Perfect for fans of the television shows REVENGE, SCANDAL, and VERONICA MARS, the AFTER TWELVE Series is a gritty social-issue drama that delivers steamy romance, intrigue, and the most bittersweet revenge plots. Estlyn���s determination to right every wrong is sure to quench your thirst for justice, yet leave you wanting more.

Goodreads: 
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40866623-if-she-were-blind
 
Purchase:
 
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Were-Blind-After-Twelve-Book-ebook/dp/B07FY82KDJ/
 
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-she-were-blind-laney-wylde/1129186876?ean=9781634223386
 
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/if-she-were-blind/id1418955414?mt=11&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
 
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/if-she-were-blind
 


 

Excerpts

Girlfriend. That word means I���ll get to go home with Estlyn and sleep beside her every night and keep my toothbrush in her bathroom and leftovers from our dates in her fridge. I���ll get to ask invasive questions about her family and ex-boyfriends and find out her annoying quirks like if she flosses in the living room or bites her nails. I���ll get to fight with her about how she works too hard and needs to take it easy and listen to her doctor. I���ll see how pretty she is without her makeup and how big her hair is when it air dries.
What the hell is wrong with me? Let me try again.
Girlfriend. I���ll have regular access to a pussy. That sounds healthier, right?

���That sounds like bullshit. Let me talk to Dean.���
���Dean���s not here.���
���You���re alone? You can���t be by yourself if--���
���No, no, I���m not alone. I have a friend staying with me this week.���
���What friend?���
���Cal.���
���Cal? I don���t know any Cal.���
���I met him Tuesday.���
���Dillon,��� he scolds and lowers his voice, ���is he an escort?���
���No, Dad!��� He really thinks I have so few friends that I hired an escort to help me as I recover?
���Then what does he do?���
���He���s a writer.���
���What does he write?���
���Television and movies.���
���I almost prefer the escort story.��� See what I meant earlier. Literature snob.
���He���s also a part-time bartender.���
���Is he any good?���
���At bartending or writing?���
���How hard is bartending?���
���Well, he makes a mean old fashioned and has mastered period-specific dialogue. Does that answer your question?���
���Is he straight?���
���Jesus, Dad. That���s neither relevant nor your business.���
���He is, isn���t he?���
���Why does his sexual orientation matter?��� Linus glances at me with a confused smirk. I shake my head and roll my eyes to dismiss him from my conversation.
���He���s not a friend! He���s a straight boy!���
���I can have male friends who aren���t gay.���
���Let me talk to him.���

I glance past Dean���s shoulder as a man close to my dad���s age takes nervous steps closer and closer to Dean. Once he���s in his space, he taps his back. Dean whips around to face him. ���Excuse me, are you Dean Martinez?���
His eyes are full of suspicion as he studies the stranger. ���Um, why?���
���It���s Dwayne. We���ve been chatting on Match.com and are supposed to meet up here at seven.���
Dean���s shoulders slouch and his expression turned sympathetic. ���Sweetie, you���ve been catfished.���
���Been what?���
���I���m Dean, but I���m not on any dating site.���
���Really? Because,��� the older gentleman displays Dean���s dating profile on his phone for him, ���you���re right here.���
Dean grabs the phone and starts scrolling through the profile. ������Male seeking male, any race or religion, age fifty-five and older.��� Seriously? ���I love me a sweaty old gay with that curly salt-and-pepper chest hair. The longer and curlier the better. I want it poking above those top shirt buttons. Oh, yeah, let it blow in the wind while we drive down PCH in your Lincoln sedan with the windows cracked. In search of someone, I can raise a family of hypoallergenic, small breed dogs with, someone who doesn���t have all their original joints. I���m so over all these sexy twinks who just want me for my hot bod. Looking for a real man to settle down with, preferably in a gay-friendly, fifty-five and older community.������
I can���t help but give Dean���s blind date a once over. The poor guy is buttoning the second to top button over his ungroomed, grey chest hair as Dean reads. His upper lip looks like the outside of a cold drink on a summer day. Dean gives him back the phone and drops his forehead into his hand. ���Cal, did you let Estlyn go to the library?���
���Um������
He glares at me then chastises, ���Cal?���
���Yes?��� How was I supposed to know she���d use a computer to catfish unsuspecting old gays?
He turns to the humiliated older gentleman with confident compassion. ���Sorry, hon. My friend set you up. Best of luck to finding a man half your age to raise that family of dogs with.���

Death is emptiness.
It���s an empty apartment with his furniture, with his books and clothes.
It���s an empty kitchen that holds his favorite foods.
It���s an empty shower with soap I���ll never breathe from his skin again.
It���s an empty bed with the covers thrown back the way he left them.
It���s an empty embrace, cold where his arms used to surround me.
It���s an empty scream that cries to walls that echo but can���t hear.
It���s an empty ache in my chest, hollow and raging to be filled.
And I swear to god I will fill it.



Fear. It���s how all of us justify what happened that night. Fear and reason can���t overlap. Fear isn���t higher level thinking. It isn���t logical. It���s primal. It���s a response so basic, every animal has it. And crucially, it���s the fire that tests the deepest beliefs, reveals the truest character of the human species.
Not that fear is wrong. It isn���t something to blame anyone for. Just like anger or jealousy or sadness, it springs forth from a place in the mind no one can control. But anger doesn���t excuse violence. Jealousy doesn���t excuse abuse. Sadness doesn���t excuse self-destruction. And fear will never excuse the four bullets that killed Michael.
So, yes, Mom and Dad, I do understand. I understand more than they do because they won���t stare down their own fear long enough to crush it. Because they���re too ashamed to admit their fear of men like Michael, men like my dad, men whose skin is darker than their daughter���s. They shouldn���t be ashamed that they���re afraid. They should be ashamed for pretending they aren���t.

AUTHOR BIO:
 

Laney Wylde is enamored with all things southern California--the traffic, smog, surprise earthquakes, and nonindigenous palm trees. Consequently, it's the landscape her strong and sometimes lovable female leads paint their stories on. Her New Adult novels Never Touched and the After Twelve series are bright with provocative themes, steamy romance, and inappropriately timed humor.
When Laney isn't writing, she's singing Taylor Swift with her little boy or asking her husband not to tell her about his work as a surgical resident while she's eating. She daydreams about using her math degree to get into law school, then realizes that would be too much work and that she should just play pretend court on paper instead. While she loves a good book, nothing beats 30 Rock with a bag of popcorn and M&Ms.
 


 



Author links: 
 


https://twitter.com/LaneyWylde
 
https://www.facebook.com/laneyawylde/
 
https://laneywylde.com/
 
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17741145.Laney_Wylde
 

Subzero by Cambria Hebert

Subzero 

by Cambria Hebert 
 
Series: BearPaw Resort #4 
Publication date: October 19th, 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense, Thriller
 

**You do not have to read the first three books in this series to read Subzero because this book is about a different character. However, Subzero will give spoilers about the couple from the first three books in the series. 
 


 

Synopsis:

My best friend, Liam Mattison, was born with snow in his veins.

Me? Ice.

Maybe that���s why my eyes are this color. Maybe it���s because I was born in Caribou, where there���s more snow than the sun.

I always knew I had a chill within me, but after my time with the army, that chill froze over. I saw and did things most people couldn���t fathom. I made contacts with people who were more beast than man.

I came home altered, and there was no going back.

Except I did. It had to be done, and I didn���t regret it.

But now I���m thrust back into a world where people had forgotten my name. Back into a past, I walked away from.

Memories of all the things I���ve done, of the people I���ve left behind, are floating to the surface.

The late-night summons wasn���t really unexpected.

The request was.

Saying no is impossible when you���re the only man equipped for the job. Saying no is difficult when what you really want to say is yes.

So here I am, past and present colliding with a woman I intentionally left behind. A woman who needs me to keep her alive.

I made a promise, and I will keep it.

Even if I die doing it. Even if it means the ice inside me goes subzero.

Goodreads: 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41813390-subzero
 
Purchase: 
Will be found here come release day: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=subzero+cambria
 


 
Subzero book excerpt

The gun I held with both hands hit the dirt, and I hit my knees. ���Kitten,��� I rasped out, shoving Liam away and reaching for her. ���Kitten, honey, where are you hit?���

I gripped her shoulders and pulled her into me, scanning her face, her neck, her shoulders, panicking, searching for a bullet wound, looking for blood.

Her eyes popped open. ���Alex,��� she whispered.

My stare sprang to hers. ���Tell me, baby. Tell me where you���re hit.���

She sighed a little and snuggled close, then suddenly stiffened and wrenched away. I went to grab her back, still freaking the fuck out, but she yelled, ���I���m not shot!���

I reached for her anyway. She grasped my hand and glared at me. ���Alex! I���m not shot!���

I fell back onto my haunches, still gripping her hand so she had to move a little with me. ���You aren���t?���

���No.��� She held her arms out. ���See?���

Anger filled my throat. ���Then what the fuck were you groaning on the ground for?���

Good God! She took nearly twenty years off my life!

���Because this creep threw me on the ground and jumped on me!���

Daniel came out of nowhere, grabbing up Liam by the back of his neck and putting him a choke hold.

I lurched up and shook my head. ���It���s Liam.���

Daniel dropped him immediately. ���My bad.���

���You���re fucking lucky you didn���t put a bullet in him,��� I swore.

���Sorry,��� Daniel said, sheepish.

Liam straightened his shirt and glanced at me, lifting a brow. ���Kitten? Honey? Baby?���

���Fuck you, Mattison.���

He turned to Sabrina. ���You have a real name?���

She crossed her arms over her chest and sniffed. ���You���re bigger on TV.���

Liam grinned. ���Still took you to the ground.���

���You better watch yourself,��� I warned him.

Liam took my threat mildly, squinting at me. ���I take it you know this little criminal?���

Sabrina gasped.

I laughed.

AUTHOR BIO:
 

Cambria Hebert is an award-winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor���s degree, couldn���t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. 

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she���d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house). 

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are - The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
 


Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: https://www.cambriahebert.com.

Email: cambriahebert@rocketmail.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cambriahebertbooks/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cambriahebert 

Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/cambriahebert/pins/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5298677.Cambria_Hebert
 

Crazy Scottish Love by Jessie Donovan

Crazy Scottish Love by Jessie Donovan

Release Date: October 15, 2018

Contemporary Romantic Comedy (set in Scotland)

INCLUDES A CONTEST. Scroll down for details.

Description

LOVE IN SCOTLAND #1

Tired of the online dating scene and her nagging mother, Donella Spencer braves her eccentric extended family and heads for a month-long visit to Scotland to stay with them. As long as she keeps to herself and avoids her family as much as possible, it should be easy to relax, right?

What she doesn���t count on is running into Robbie Campbell, the guy who tried so hard to ditch her nearly twenty years ago that it took a search and rescue team to save her. Not only that, she doesn���t expect to fall for Robbie���s daughter���s big, brown eyes and agrees to hold a themed costume party for Donella���s 31st birthday. One that involves her relatives dressing in nineteenth-century safari garb and dusty, old animal outfits.

And none of that even begins to address her grandmother���s attempts to matchmake and marry off Donella within the month.

It���s going to be one long, trying summer in Scotland. However, sometimes the strangest situations can show what someone needs in life. Because if Donella falls in love with a man who can put up with her family, she may finally have her happy ending in sight.

Provided her relatives don���t drive her crazy first.

LINKS

Amazon: lovebooks.co/Crazy-A

Amazon UK: lovebooks.co/Crazy-UK

Amazon CA: lovebooks.co/Crazy-CA

Amazon AU: lovebooks.co/Crazy-AU

iBooks: lovebooks.co/Crazy-iB

Nook: lovebooks.co/Crazy-N

Kobo: lovebooks.co/Crazy-K

Google Play: lovebooks.co/Crazy-GP

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive: A $25 Amazon (US) gift card, a tartan scarf, and a mini-swag pack of goodies from Scotland

See Terms & Conditions for details.

Static Rafflecopter Giveaway Page:

https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/dis...?

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EXCERPT ONE:

However, the peaceful sound of the wind and seagulls as Donella enjoyed the enchanting sight didn't last. Something smacked her on the side of the head. She lost her balance and fell on her ass.

After a string of profanities that would no doubt earn her a scolding, later on, Donella slowly sat up and touched the side of her head. Looking at her fingers, there wasn't any blood.

A Scottish male voice she didn't recognize shouted, "Are you all right?"

Donella looked in the direction of the sound. A tall guy with short, reddish-brown hair rushed toward her.

Before she could do more than open her mouth, a large black and white dog dashed past the man and stopped in front of her. He promptly put his nose to her privates.

He bumped and sniffed around, reminding her why she preferred cats. Sure, both sniffed butts, but at least with cats, they sniffed other cats and left her lower body well enough alone.

The dog rose its head, a bright green ball in its mouth. The dog dashed back toward the man and dropped it at his feet.

She'd found her attacker. "Is that how you always welcome tourists to the island? By pelting them with hard balls and knocking them on their butts?"

The corner of the man's ticked up. "Well, to be fair, only a tourist would be dressed like that. So you would be an easy target for anyone who was out to find them."

She wasn't embarrassed about her yoga pants and a T-shirt. A combined thirteen-hour plane ride wasn't meant to be a fashion show. "I'll make sure to mention how the locals hit tourists and insult their attire on my online review."

He shrugged a shoulder. "I doubt you'll do so. After all, it would affect everyone on the island, and I don't think you'd want that."

Before she could ask how he knew she wouldn't, a little girl of about six or seven peeked her brown-haired head out from behind the guy and stepped to the side, holding one of those ball-tossing things dog owners liked to use. She glanced up at the man. "Should I say sorry? I didn't mean to hit her."

Donella suddenly felt like an ass. She wasn't the best person with kids, but from her own childhood, she knew full well how mini-disasters could happen without warning.

The man placed a hand on the little girl's shoulder. "I'd apologize to Donnie now or you'll have to face old Mrs. Spencer later."

The girl's eyes widened, but Donella focused on the man's revelations. "How do you know who I am?"

"Putting aside how your gran's been going on about your visit for weeks, this isn't the first time we've met." He bowed his head. "Robbie Campbell, at your service."

A memory from twenty years ago, of her being stranded on a tiny slip of land with water on one side and a small cliff behind her, came rushing back. She pointed a finger. "You. You're the reason the police and fire brigade had to rig a harness and rescue me."

He put up a hand. "Don't blame me. You were the annoying ten-year-old following me around all summer. Everyone around here with good sense knows not to go out there when the tide's about to come in."

Donella narrowed her eyes. "Local knowledge that relies on 'good sense' only works if you live here. You should've known that and warned me."

Again, he shrugged one shoulder. "I was almost thirteen and assumed I was king of the world at that point. Besides, an American always on my heels was a nuisance. My mates teased nonstop and I wanted it to end. Stranding you during high tide did the trick."

She growled. "I could've drowned."

"But you didn't. Who do you think called the authorities to rescue you?"

Donella searched her mind for a good come back. They never came when she needed one.

Before she could even sputter something halfway witty, the little girl asked, "Why are you angry at my daddy?"

AUTHOR LINKS

Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/JessieDonova...

Facebook Private Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/33594...

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jessie-Donovan...

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jessi...

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

 Website: https://www.jessiedonovan.com

Dusgadh: Essence of Life(Book One of the Awakening Series by bestselling author Margaret A. Daly

The coldness starts in... It's not just any coldness. It's the kind that takes my breath away. It makes my body hairs stand at attention as the goose pimples form on my skin. A prickly sensation, like a million needles made of ice, all plunging into me at once, slowly depressing the frozen liquid they contain under the surface of my translucent membranes. This is the inexplicable feeling of another's presence. You can't see them, but I can.

Ember Malloch has always felt like the odd one in the bunch, but there's a reason for that. She can see the dead.  

After losing everything, Ember learns that her life is not what she thought it was, nor are the people in it. 
An unbridled strength is unleashed upon her as she learns her past, and discovers who she is. She will have to face her demons to survive while she has an awakening like no other.
 
Click to buy this for $0.99 for a very Limited Time on #Kindle and start your new adventure with Ember today! 
 
Buy links:
 
Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GJ26LSP
 
Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07GJ26LSP/
 
Safe Link Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/Dusgadh99
 
Safe Link Paperback Smart URL: https://smarturl.it/DusgadhPBNew
 
#Paranormal #Supernatural #Suspense #Fiction #Fantasy #Action #Adventure #GhostStories #Demons #Angels
 

Stolen Goods by Kay Marie (To Catch a Thief #2)

Stolen Goods 
by Kay Marie 
(To Catch a Thief #2) 
Publication date: January 7th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Catch Me If You Can meet Tangled in this funny and feel-good romantic comedy, new from bestselling author Kaitlyn Davis, writing as Kay Marie.

Addison Abbot is a dreamer���she dreams of owning her own cake shop, of traveling the world, of finding Prince Charming. But when it comes to actually following any of those dreams, she���s a little, well, stuck. So when a devilishly handsome stranger saves her from two robbers with guns and pulls her into the adventure of a lifetime, she���s determined to find her fairytale ending���until she realizes he���s the most wanted criminal in America, that is.

Thaddeus Ryder was just another run-of-the-mill international art thief until his latest heist went south. Now, his face is on every news station, his name is making headlines, and his partner is working for the feds. Talk about a bad week on the job. His only option is to flee the country. But when hitmen for the Russian mafia interrupt his getaway, Thad gains an accidental companion���a baking beauty who might be too tempting to resist.

When a girl good meets a bad boy, sparks are bound to fly. But this conman is about to discover the only thing he can���t steal is her heart��� 

 






Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39338843-stolen-goods?ac=1&from_search=true
 
Pre-order: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5Q19MW
 
Purchase book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DD1M1SN
 


 

AUTHOR BIO:
 



Kaitlyn Davis, a bestselling author with over a quarter of a million books sold, writes young adult fantasy novels under the name Kaitlyn Davis and contemporary romance novels under the name Kay Marie. Publishers Weekly has said, "Davis writes with confidence and poise," while USA Today has recommended her work as "must-read romance."

Always blessed with an overactive imagination, Kaitlyn has been writing ever since she picked up her first crayon and is overjoyed to share her work with the world. When she's not daydreaming, typing stories, or getting lost in fictional worlds, Kaitlyn can be found playing fetch with her puppy, watching a little too much television, or spending time with her family. If you have any questions for her--about her books, about scheduling an event, or just in general--you may contact her at KaitlynDavisBooks@gmail.com
 


 









Sign up for Kaitlyn's newsletter to stay up-to-date with all of her new releases, to receive exclusive subscriber bonus content, and more! bit.ly/KaitlynDavisNewsletter

Author links:
 

https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/about-me.html
https://www.facebook.com/KaitlynDavisBooks
https://twitter.com/DavisKaitlyn
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13614810.Kay_Marie
 

False Series by Meli Raine

THE FALSE SERIES: False Memory (Book 1), False Hope (Book 2) & False Start (Book 3)

Author: Meli Raine

Release date: November 13, 2018

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Series Description:

She's faking her amnesia to fool a very real killer.

FALSE MEMORY (Book 1)

Release Date:  11/13/18

Apple Books Exclusive:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fals...

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/false-m...

It all started with the bereavement flowers with my name on them.

Not the best way to wake up, right? I work in a flower shop. I know a funeral arrangement when I see one.

I know a killer when I see one, too. And one is standing in my hospital room right now, straight behind the man who saved my life.

I can���t tell anyone the truth, because that���s the fastest way to really die. So I do the next best thing. I ���lose��� my memory.

I fake my amnesia.

Pretending not to remember a brutal attempted murder has its perks. The killer is backing down, spending less time around me, loosening the noose.

The less I claim to recall, the more my rescuer, Duff, works to help me ���remember.��� I hate lying to him.

But he doesn���t understand that my memory is dangerous. To me. And to him.

Fooling everyone isn���t easy. It���s the hardest thing I���ve ever done.

Except it���s starting to look like I���ve been fooling myself.

In more ways than one.

FALSE HOPE (Book 2)

Release Date:  12.11.18

Apple Books Exclusive:  https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fals...

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/false-h...

FALSE START (Book 3)

Release Date:  01/15/19

Apple Books Exclusive: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/false-start/id1421999168?mt=11

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42088271-false-start

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/false-start-by-meli-raine

Author Bio:

Meli Raine writes romantic suspense with hot bikers, intense undercover DEA agents, bad boys turned good, and Special Ops heroes ��� and the women who love them. Meli rode her first motorcycle when she was five years old, but she played in the ocean long before that. She lives in New England with her family.

Social Media Links:

Website:  http://meliraine.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/meliraine

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/meliraineauthor

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/meli-...

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Newsletter:  http://eepurl.com/beV0gf

RAVE REVIEWS BOOK CLUB���S "SPOTLIGHT" Author Blog Tour: Author, Marcha Fox

Literacy in this Age of Electronics

As a serious writer and author, it concerns me that written expression is not being encouraged as it was for my "Baby Boomer" generation. Sure, we passed notes to each other in class while today kids text, but what else has changed since then? What about the mixed (and often humorous) blessings of Autocorrect and text to speech? Is there any incentive to learn how to spell? Are dictionaries now pass��? And what about emoji's? And memes? How handy is it to find one that expresses what you're feeling versus using actual words?

Related to this is the fact various studies have shown correlations between intelligence and vocabulary. It follows that the more expansive a person's vocabulary, the more "literate" they will be. While some statistics claim the US has a literacy rate of 99%, others state that 50% of adults cannot read a book written at the 8th-grade level. Technically, being able to read at the 8th-grade level may be literate, but what does that say about intelligence? The illiteracy rate of the prison population is such that 70% of inmates can only read at the 4th-grade level. Clearly, literacy is a game-changer. As an author and word aficionado, I find this rather alarming. Here are a few more statistics courtesy of the nonprofit organization Literacy Inc.'s website:

Literacy is learned. Illiteracy is passed along by parents who cannot read or write.
One child in four grows up not knowing how to read.
43% of adults at level I literacy skills live in poverty compared to only 4% of those at level V.
Three out of four food stamp recipients perform in the lowest two literacy levels.
90% of welfare recipients are high school dropouts.
16 to 19-year-old girls at the poverty level and below, with below-average reading skills, are 6 times more likely to have out ��� of ��� wedlock children, who in turn will have below average reading skills or none at all.

There are no simple answers to why or what to do about it. However, since literacy remains a huge problem, it further implicates the failure of the current education system, much of which is aimed at getting pupils to pass standardized tests. Many kids are bored out of their minds in school. Why? Because they're not taught to think, reason, or discover the joy of learning, which has traditionally been done through reading.

Yet, some kids today are smarter than ever. What makes the difference? Is electronic media helping or hindering learning? My opinion is that it relates to content, whether a child spends mindless hours playing video games or watching TV versus using electronic media to expand their knowledge. Parents, are you listening?

When I was growing up as an only child, books were my greatest joy. Most of my grown children still love to read, something they brought with them from their respective childhoods. The majority of my young grandchildren have Kindles, so I gift them books on a regular basis. One of my granddaughters had a full-length novel she wrote on her phone and published on Wattpad when she was in middle school. Is that cool or what? Proud grandma? You betcha!

That begs the question, is a love of reading and its side effect, literacy, genetic? Much has been speculated about genetic memory and what is passed on to our progeny. It's easy to see both a nature and nurture side to this, since children of readers are more likely to have been read to as a child and encouraged to read.

As authors trying to sell books, the more readers we have out there, the better. But the bottom line is what can authors do to help this situation? How can you encourage reading and literacy? Think about it. There are literally millions of books on Amazon. The impact if every author did something, no matter how small, to encourage literacy the effects would be awesome.

What can YOU do? Literacy Inc's website has numerous ideas. Find something you can do to help. Then, to quote Yoda, "Try not--do. Or do not. There is not try."

AUTHOR BIO:

Marcha Fox is an avid science fiction fan and author with over 20 years��� experience in positions ranging from technical writer to engineer to manager at NASA���s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. She earned a Bachelor���s Degree in physics, which was but a prelude to her interest in the unexplained mysteries of the cosmos. Inspired by science fiction to pursue a career in a technical field, she hopes to instill the same fascination in young readers, while providing older ones with classic hard science fiction.

Born in Peekskill, New York she has lived in California, Utah, and Texas in the course of raising her family, which included fifteen years as a stay-at-home mom before returning to college in her 30s to obtain her degree, a feat accomplished while she still had six children at home. All are now grown with children of their own providing her with 17 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren so far. Never at a loss for something to do, besides writing she��� a professional astrologer who enjoys gardening, her two Bengal cats and a sassy tuxedo, and keeping up with family.

THE TERRA DEBACLE: PRISONERS AT AREA 51

https://books2read.com/u/b6QelW

Blurb: Thyron is a flora peda telepathis (telepathic walking plant) from the planet Sapphira on an adventure gone terribly wrong. The bad decision of a human girl and her maniacal robot companion has stranded them on Earth, where his botanical cousins face horrible fates such as consumption by herbivores, incineration, and brutal annihilation for use as building material.

Following capture, Thyron is transported to Area 51, where NASA exobiologist, Gabe Greenley, studies his every move, ecstatic with the opportunity to examine an entirely new lifeform. In due course, the scientist makes a ground-breaking discovery, distressed by the fact he can never share it due to his security oaths and research agreement. Eventually, he���s confronted by an even worse ethical dilemma that forces him to make a treasonous and potentially deadly decision.

Will Thyron���s psychic powers be enough to save him? Is Greenley friend or foe? Or does the exobiologist have a few secrets of his own?

Find out in this unique combination of hard science fiction, suspense, and a touch of humor populated with memorable characters in a setting loaded with intrigue. Unexpected plot twists coupled with a unique ending make this an unforgettable tale whether you���re a science fiction fan, botanist, UFO aficionado, or simply enjoy a good story.

Twitter: @startrailsiv
Facebook: @marchafoxauthor
Website: https://www.startrailssaga.com