Kelly Hashway's Blog, page 33

Monday Mishmash 9/4/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing  I'm editing for clients this week.Drafting  In between edits, I'm trying to continue drafting a new adult paranormal I'm really excited about.I Belong With You Cover Reveal  This week is the cover reveal for I Belong With You, book two in the Love Chronicles series. Yay! You'll see the cover popping up starting on Wednesday.Author Giveaway  The authors of the Hot & Sinful Nights boxed set are hosting a huge giveaway for authors. Yes, for authors! Share the 99 cent Hot & Sinful Nights boxed set collection in your newsletter any day during the month of September to be eligible for one of three prizes (value totaled at over $1700). Visit http://hotandsinfulnights.com/author-giveaway/ for complete details.  Happy Labor Day  I hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day!That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Shattered

  The curtains are drawn, and the sheets are rumpled… Prepare to melt for 22 tales of lustful abandon that will fulfill your deepest, darkest, most secret desires on many HOT & SINFUL NIGHTS. Inside, you’ll find over one million words of sexy and steamy romance from today’s NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and International bestselling authors! These wanton and wicked novels promise happily ever afters and enough heat to set more than your heart aflame with bikers, bad boys, fighters, dashing rogues, rock stars, athletes, doctors, billionaires, and more! Don’t worry - there are plenty of book boyfriends to go around! So go on...be a bad girl...and preorder your copy today!
~~~~~~~Two shattered lives. Can they help each other put the pieces back together?~~~~~~~ Shattered by Sexy Contemporary Romance Author, Sylvie Fox will join twenty one other smoking novels in the September release Hot and Sinful Nights . Ex-child star Gemma Hart is sick and tired of hiding—from the paparazzi, from her thieving relatives, and from the ex who made a sex tape public—with her center stage. She wants to move on with her life, on her own terms. And she knows just the man to help her… Adonis Andreis likes his work as contractor to the stars. He gets to work in beautiful surroundings on interesting projects. Of course, he knows he'd better keep his eyes and his desires strictly off of his lovely boss. Gemma Hart is way out of his league. Adonis also has bigger problems, like getting his sister to speak to him again. He killed her best friend driving drunk, and they haven't spoken since. And don't even get him started on his father—who is having all the romantic adventures Adonis isn't. Can two shattered people find their way back to life, together?
~~~~~~~GET SHATTERED AND 21 OTHER TALES OF LUSTFUL ABANDON.

PRE-ORDER HOT & SINFUL NIGHTS TODAY

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~~~~~~~

Learn More About HOT & SINFUL NIGHTS

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PreOrder Now and Get These Bonus Gifts!
Sylvie Fox is the author of smart women’s fiction. Her compelling stories are boldly told, designed to keep readers turning the pages. Whether you’re reading Sylvie’s romantic women’s fiction or legal thrillers, penned as Aime Austin, she wants you to enjoy the heroine’s journey. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Budapest, where she enjoys yoga, knitting, farm-to-table cooking, and life with her husband and son. When she’s not writing, her nose is stuck in a book.Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Instagram | Pinterest | Tumblr   

Monday Mishmash 8/28/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:First Day of School  I'm not crying. :( I miss Ayla already.New Cover for Fading Into the Shadows  In my attempt to rebrand all my covers, I finally finished the last one, Fading Into the Shadows. My wallet is empty, but I love this new cover. Check it out. Cover Design  This week, I'm sending my cover designer info to finish the covers in the Love Chronicles series and the Lies We Tell Trilogy. Did I mention my wallet being empty? Revising  I'm finishing a revision this week so I can get this book to my editor.50% off Sale  Since I'm rebranding covers, I'm selling the original paperbacks for 50% off. That's $5 a book (plus shipping). If you'd like copies of Fading Into the Shadows, Perfect For You, Campus Crush, or After Loving You, please let me know.  Drafting  I'm hoping to squeeze in some drafting time for my new book idea.Editing  September is a busy editing month for me. I have a few days left to prepare before I dig in to client edits.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

No Strings Attached

You'll love Hot and Sinful Nights. 22 full length novels including... No Strings Attached by Marie Long...

 
Desmond Black worked the doors of the New York City clubs for five years as he struggled to escape the haunting nightmares of his younger sister’s death. One night, he takes his anger out on an unruly patron, ultimately costing him his job. While drowning his sorrows in whiskey, Desmond meets the mysterious and talented bass player, Tianna Gadson. He senses there’s more to her than she’s letting on. The closer he gets to her, the more he realizes his feelings for her have become hazardous to them both—attracting the attention of a dangerous underground organization with its sights on Tianna and her family.
Is Desmond willing to risk his life for Tianna? Or will he be forced to keep their relationship strictly business?

Excerpt:
Charlie gives me a small salute and turns to another group of customers. I grab my baseball cap out of the empty chair next to me and hurry outside. Even on an early Friday morning, Midtown Manhattan is still busy. I look around for any signs of Marigold, but she’s nowhere to be found. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I cross the street toward the subway station. A small crowd emerges, and something on the stairs catches my eye. I stop. On the second step is an orange marigold, trampled by many feet. My skin prickles. Is she in trouble? I look down the stairs. A few more people come and go, brushing past me as though I don’t exist. I head underground… Click to get Hot & Sinful Nights at your favorite retailer... Enter to win $100 Gift Card AND 1 Year of PassionFlix here plus pre-order bonuses: About the Author: Marie Long is a novelist who enjoys the snowy weather, the mountains, and a cup of hot white chocolate. She’s an avid supporter of literacy movements like We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) and National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Join Marie’s newsletter and get a FREE story! www.MarieLongAuthor.com/newsletter

Author Links:
Website: http://www.marielongauthor.com
Newsletter: http://www.marielongauthor.com/newsletter 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marielongauthor/
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Google+: plus.google.com/+MarieLongAuthor/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/marie-long
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/marielong

Monday Mishmash 8/21/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:After Loving You is a Kindle Countdown Deal! Today and tomorrow, After Loving You is part of a Kindle Countdown Deal. That means you can grab it for only $.99 today or $1.99 tomorrow. It will return to it's normal price on Wednesday, so don't wait. Grab it here. Last Week of Summer My daughter starts school a week from today. :( I miss her already.Preorder Hot & Sinful Nights and Get FREE Books! Did you know if you preorder Hot & Sinful Nights, you'll get a bunch of books and a coloring book for FREE? Yes, you read that correctly. FREE! That's so many books for only $.99! Get in on this deal here now!  Finishing a Novelette I'm finishing up a novelette that will be a free prequel to a new paranormal series for 2018.Critiquing I have some critiques to do this week as part of my duties as a Rate Your Story judge.That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Damaged

★ Pre-Order for 99c ★Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rXt5hH
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ssZJuP
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2rYevXj
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2sWYS7m
iBooks: http://apple.co/2sWMzb1
Nook: http://bit.ly/2stlGKc
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rFrIoz
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sTv4I0
You'll love Hot and Sinful Nights. 22 full length novels including... Damaged by Jeanne St. James...  
 
Two scarred souls: one physically, one mentally. Both on the mend, hiding from their pasts...

Mace Walker can't wait to get home.

Being buried deep undercover for the past two years, on the most complex case of his career, has torn him down physically and mentally. Now the FBI agent has come home to recover after having his leg badly injured from a gunshot wound. Arriving home late one night, his relief is short-lived as he's faced with a stranger pointing a gun to his head, acting like he is the one who doesn't belong there!

Colby Parks, a biochemist at the local university, had come to town a year earlier to escape an abusive relationship. She vows never to put herself in that situation again.

Then the perfect opportunity comes along: house-sitting for Mace's sister while making the house she purchased habitable. But she couldn't anticipate this big snag: the one wearing the tight Levi's and worn leather jacket, looking like he had just escaped prison.

Being forced to share a house creates sparks between them in more ways than one. However, things take a turn when their pasts catch up to them, threatening to pull them apart forever.

Excerpt:
As Mace Walker slid the key into the lock, an immediate sense of relief washed over him. He hadn’t been home in…Hell, forever. Even though he owned the house and considered it his home, he felt like a stranger when he opened the front door. He chucked his keys on the table by the door with a sigh. He’d been home for a whole thirty seconds and restlessness already ate at him.

The house was quiet, and he wondered where his sister was. Probably sleeping, dummy, since it was—he glanced at his watch—freaking one in the morning. Most normal folk slept at this hour. But then, he wasn’t normal. He couldn’t be to do his job.

But, he couldn’t do his job right now, anyway. He’d been forced home to heal. Against his wishes.

Fucking bullshit.

The foyer was dark, but he didn’t need to hit the light. He still knew the house well enough. He made his way to the stairs where he dumped his duffle bags on the floor and ran a hand through his too-long hair.

Those two small duffels held little evidence of his life for the past couple years—just some toiletries and a few basic items of clothing.

He turned toward the kitchen, and the foyer lit up, blinding him for a second. He blinked against the harsh light, and a young voice rang out from the top of the steps. “Hold it right there! Put your arms up and back away from the stairs.”

What the fuck?

Mace had expected to see his sister bounding down the stairway of his two-story colonial, excited after not seeing him for the past two years. Actually, more like one year, eleven months, and fifteen days.

Not that he’d counted.

But instead, he stared up into the deadly eye of a Glock. And from his viewpoint, it looked like a model 27, a .40 caliber—a compact, but still a decent sized gun in a very small, very uneasy hand.

Instantly, the hairs on the back of his neck rose.

Damn.

He’d dealt with crime bosses and their flunkies—from drug to porno rings—and had managed to survive.

Now he was going to be killed by some measly punk he surprised while burglarizing his house when he happened to come home? The cruel irony made him want to laugh. Instead, he did as instructed. With caution, he raised his hands above his head before stepping back toward the middle of the foyer. He avoided standing directly under the light, trying to get a better view of the top of the steps. But he didn’t have much success; the upstairs hallway and the upper section of the stairway were hidden in shadows.

If he played his cards right, this little situation would be under his control in no time at all. He just had to keep the kid calm and make the skinny punk believe he was the one in command. The Glock didn’t have a conventional safety. All the kid had to do was pull the trigger and pull it again and again until all the rounds in the clip emptied into Mace’s body. And from what he could see in the limited light, the kid’s fingers twitched from nervousness.

Not a good sign.

Where had a young punk gotten an expensive handgun like that? It certainly hadn’t been in the house. And if it had been, it would have been locked up in the gun safe.

If only he could see the boy’s face. He needed to see the eyes. Without seeing those, Mace couldn’t even begin to predict what the kid would do.

“Don’t you dare move, or I’ll blow your face off!” The kid’s voice raised an octave, making him sound more and more like…a female.

Mace tensed when the person started down the steps. At first, he could see bare toes, a slim calf, then another. His gaze flicked to the gun before returning to the shapely naked thighs which couldn’t belong to a kid. No fucking way. Especially not a boy. Those smooth legs definitely belonged to a woman, and he couldn’t wait to see the rest of her.

So far, the view almost made it worth being held at gunpoint. Almost.
Click to get Hot & Sinful Nights at your favorite retailer... Enter to win $100 Gift Card AND 1 Year of PassionFlix here plus pre-order bonuses:

About the Author: JEANNE ST. JAMES is a best-selling erotic romance author who loves an Alpha male (or two). She was only thirteen when she started writing since it gave her an escape from teenage angst! Her first paid published piece was an erotic story in Playgirl magazine. Her first erotic romance novel, Banged Up, was published in 2009. She is happily owned by farting French bulldogs. She writes M/F, M/M, and M/M/F ménages. Want to read a sample of her work? Download a sampler book here: BookHip.com/MTQQKK To keep up with her busy release schedule check her website at www.jeannestjames.com or sign up for her newsletter: http://www.jeannestjames.com/newslett...

Author Links:
Website: http://www.jeannestjames.com
Blog: http://jeannestjames.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeanneStJamesAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeannestjames/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeanneStJames

A Day in the Life

The lovely Mirka Breen asked me to post about what my typical day looks like, so I'm going to do just that. Let me start by saying I'm a very scheduled person. My husband makes fun of me for this because I literally do things according to what time of day it is—and I mean specific time of day. If it's 7:05 a.m., I'm calling my mother. I'm scheduled to a fault, so proceed with caution. ;)

I have two schedules. One for summer and one for the school year. Let's tackle summer first since that's what it is now.

Summer Schedule:
6:00 a.m. Wake up and get ready for the day.
6:30 a.m. Make breakfast and drink two and a half mugs of coffee.
7:05 a.m. Call my mom.
7:30 a.m. Sit down at my laptop and tackle whatever edit, revision, or draft is currently on my plate.
10:00 a.m. Get dirty looks from my daughter until I save my document and stop working.
*My structured work day ends here during the summer, but... I sneak on my phone once every hour to check emails I might need to get to. If I have a formatting job, I'll also sneak time when my daughter has a friend over or if my daughter and husband decide to play basketball or go for a third swim for the day. (Two swims is usually my limit.)
10:00 p.m. Go to sleep. My phone is actually set to tell me to go to bed, not that I need the encouragement, but I do need a solid eight hours of sleep.

School Year Schedule:
6:00 a.m. Wake up and get ready for the day.
6:30 a.m. Make breakfast and drink two and a half mugs of coffee.
7:05 a.m. Call my mom.
7:30 a.m. Help my daughter study for any tests she has.
8:25 a.m. Take my daughter to school.
8:45 a.m. Sit down at my laptop and tackle whatever edit, revision, or draft is currently on my plate. (From 8:45-9:45, I'm working while walking on my treadmill. I've gotten used to the bouncing words.)
12:00 p.m. (I haven't stopped working yet!) Grab something to eat for lunch that won't inhibit my ability to type. Yes, I eat at my laptop so I can continue to work.
2:45 p.m. Save my work for the day and get ready to pick my daughter up from school.
*My structured work day ends here, but there are some nights where I do more work after my daughter goes to bed. 
10:00 p.m. Go to sleep.

Really I think the reason why I get so much done is because I don't take breaks.  I'm the type of person who can focus so hard on something that I tune out the rest of the world. Some days, the hours fly by and I jump when I realize I need to go pick up my daughter from school. I really don't think this is a good thing. People should take breaks, so don't be like me, please. I'm a crazy workaholic. 

So, there it is. Nothing overly exciting, but that's my work day. When I'm not working, I'm spending time with my family because they keep me sane.

Best. Night. Ever.

Best. Night. Ever By Rachele Alpine, Ronni Arno, Alison Cherry, Stephanie Faris, Jen Malone, Gail Nall, and Dee Romito



Blurb:
Love Actually meets Adventures in Babysitting in this hilarious novel written by seven authors about seven classmates who are preparing for a crazy night at their middle school dance.

Lynnfield Middle School is prepped and ready for a dance to remember, including an awesome performance from Heart Grenade, the all-girl band who recently won a Battle of the Bands contest. Seven classmates—Carmen, Genevieve, Tess, Ryan, Ellie, Ashlyn, and Jade—intend to make the most of the night…or at least the five of them who are able to attend do. The other two would sacrifice almost anything to be there.

One thing’s for sure—this entire crew is in for one epic night! Gail Nall, Dee Romito, Rachele Alpine, Ronni Arno, Alison Cherry, Stephanie Faris, and Jen Malone have created a charming, hilarious, and relatable novel that’s perfect for anyone who can’t wait to dance the night away.
Buy Links:
AmazonBarnes & NobleBooks-A-MillionIndiebound
Author bios:
One of Rachele Alpine’s first jobs was at a library, but it didn’t last long, because all she did was hide in the third-floor stacks and read. Now she’s a little more careful about when and where she indulges her reading habit. Rachele is a high school English teacher by day, a wife and mother by night, and a writer during any time she can find in between.  She lives in Cleveland, Ohio where she writes middle grade and young adult novels. Visit her at RacheleAlpine.com.

Ronni Arno Blaisdell is the author of Ruby Reinvented. She has written for several magazines, blogs, and websites. In a previous life she worked as a publicist in Hollywood, and eventually built a home in Maine. She is a keen SCBWI member and contributor to the KidLiterati.com blog. Visit her online at ronniarno.com.

Alison Cherry is the author of the YA novels Red, For Real and Look Both Ways, and the middle grade novels Willows vs. Wolverines and The Classy Crooks Club. She is a professional photographer and spent many years working as a lighting designer for theater, dance, and opera productions. This whole “writing books” thing is just a cover for the international crime ring she runs out of her Brooklyn apartment. (Shhh, don’t tell.) Visit her online at AlisonCherryBooks.com.

Stephanie Faris knew she wanted to be an author from a very young age. In fact, her mother often told her to stop reading so much and go outside and play with the other kids. After graduating from Middle Tennessee State University she somehow found herself working in information technology. But she never stopped writing. When she isn’t crafting fiction, Stephanie is indulging her gadget geek side by writing for online technology sites. Her work is regularly featured on the small business blogs for Intuit and Go Payment and she is a featured columnist for SmallBizTechnology.com. She lives in Nashville with her husband. Visit her online at StephanieFaris.com.

Jen Malone is a former Hollywood publicist who once spent a year traveling the world solo, met her husband on the highway (literally), and went into labor with her identical twins while on a rock star’s tour bus. These days she saves the drama for her books. Jen is also the author of the middle grade novels At Your Service and The Art of the Swap, coauthor of the You’re Invited series, and wrote the YA novels Map to the Stars and Wanderlost. You can visit her online at JenMaloneWrites.com.

Gail Nall lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her family and more cats than necessary. She once drove a Zamboni, has camped in the snow in June, and almost got trampled in Paris. Gail is the author of the middle grade novel Breaking the Ice, the coauthor of You’re Invited and You’re Invited Too, and the author of the young adult novel Exit Stage Left. You can find her online at GailNall.com and on Twitter as @GaileCN. Visit her online at GailNall.com.

Dee Romito lives in her hometown of Buffalo, New York, where she and her family are steadily checking items off their own bucket list of adventures. You’re likely to find her at the local ice cream shop, writing at a café, or curled up on the couch with her cats. And while she does her best to be a grown-up most of the time, giggling with her BFFs is still one of her all-time favorite things. To join the fun and create your own bucket list, visit TheBFFBucketList.com.
And there's a Rafflecopter giveaway for a free hardback copy of Best. Night. Ever. signed by Stephanie Faris! Enter below!
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Monday Mishmash 8/14/17

Happy Monday! Monday Mishmash is a weekly meme dedicated to sharing what's on your mind. Feel free to grab the button and post your own Mishmash.
Here's what's on my mind today:Editing  I somehow ended up ahead of schedule for client edits, but my clients are awesome and send me their books early so I'm continuing to move through them.Did You Grab Your FREE copy of Lies We Tell?  Lies We Tell will only be free for a few more days. Grab your copy here before the deal expires.  Want to Win a $100 Gift Card?  I'm part of the Hot & Sinful Nights boxed set, and we are giving away a $100 gift card. Interested? Click here. 2017 Schedule  Tell me why I planned 9 releases this year. Please! Wow, the amount of money that goes into publishing—covers, editing, marketing, etc. Yikes! This year might kill me.Secrets We Keep eARC Anyone?  So you saw you can get Lies We Tell for FREE right now. You can also get an eARC of the next book in the series Secrets We Keep. Yup! Two books for zero dollars! Want one? Sign up here. That's it for me. What's on your mind today?

Breath of Life

★ Pre-Order for 99c ★Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2rXt5hH
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2ssZJuP
Amazon CA: http://amzn.to/2rYevXj
Amazon AU: http://amzn.to/2sWYS7m
iBooks: http://apple.co/2sWMzb1
Nook: http://bit.ly/2stlGKc
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2rFrIoz
Google Play: http://bit.ly/2sTv4I0
Breath of Life by Shyla Colt, one of 22 HOT Romances in Hot & Sinful Nights. Preorder yours for 99¢.

We round the corner, and I spot my black SUV. “That’s me up ahead.” I parked beneath a street light.
The rectangle sputters and dies, plunging the street into shadows as the sun gives up its control and night emerges. I’m suddenly glad he insisted on walking me back to my car. The scuff off shoes on concrete make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

“Did you hear that?” I whisper. I glance at Ollie who steps in front of me.

“Yeah, I did.” He turns to face the alley a few feet away from where we stand.

Three men emerge from the alleyway dressed from head-to-toe in all black with hoods that partially obscure their faces. With my height, I’m peering up and have a ringside view. I pray to God they don’t realize that. I grip the handle of my case. The street is deserted, and my car offers no shelter, despite its proximity. They’d catch us before we could clamber inside and drive off.

I grip the pepper spray on my keychain. Doesn’t fucking help when there’s a group.

“Hey, man. We don’t want any trouble,” Ollie says.

“Give us your wallets, and we won’t have any,” the large, bulky figure in the middle growls.

“All right, man, just take it easy,” Ollie says, holding up his hands. He reaches into his back pocket and slowly pulls out a wallet.

“And hers, too.”

I fumble with the messenger bag looped across my body and dig out my black wallet. Ollie takes it from me and hands it to the thief with his fingertips.

“Keep your asses here until we’re gone, and no one will be hurt. Try to play hero, and we’ll take ourselves a prize.” His lecherous gaze turns my stomach.
Over my dead body. I’ll take a bullet to the head before I go anywhere with them.

“You won’t have any problems for us.” Ollie steps back until my front brushes his back. He reaches his hand around and grabs my hip.

Leaning into him, I clutch his plaid shirt like a lifeline as I rub the tip of my nose over the soft material, filling my nostrils with his crisp, clean scent. Right now this cologne is my favorite smell in the world.

The thugs begin to blend back into the blackness one by one. The ring leader keeps the barrel of the gun aimed at Ollie as he retreats into the alley. He stops. My knees shake and nearly give as I suck air into my desperate lungs. When did I hold my breath?

“I changed my mind. I think we’ll take a little something for the road.”

My blood pressure sky rockets as my vision blackens around the edges and my heart tries to burst from my chest. Adrenaline begins pumping through my veins. My muscles tense. Fight or flight slams into me like a two-ton wild beast.

“We don’t have anything else to give,” Ollie says coolly.

“But you do,” he replies, fixing me with a lewd gaze as he licks his chapped lips.

I scan the area, seeking out a place to run. I’d never make it into my car and get inside before they caught up to me. I clutch my pepper spray and lift it, ready to fight.

“Like I said, we have nothing else.” Ollie stands to his full height, and I brace myself.

“Take her,” the man sneers.

Ollie surges forward, wrestling for the gun, and I let the pepper spray fly. Time blurs as my brain is overloaded with fear, cries of pain, and movement. I fight against the hands grabbing at me, keeping my eyes sealed shut as I spray blindly and pray I don’t hit Ollie who I try to keep in front of me. My throat is on fire. I cough as the spray penetrates my nostrils by force. A loud pop stills all movement as if someone screamed, “Red,” in a game of red light, yellow light. The meaty sound of a bullet ripping through flesh that follows pries my eyelids open. Water obscures my vision, and it’s like looking through frosted glass.

Feet pound over the pavement. They’re leaving. I swipe at my eyes, desperate to restore more of my vision. My stomach roils as I recognize Ollie’s prone figure. A dark stain blossoms on his plaid shirt. I kneel beside him.

“O-Ollie?” My voice and my hands shake as I reach for my cell phone. His skin is pale, and an ominous hiss like a slow leaking bike tire hits my ear.

He grimaces. “I’m here. It’s hard to breathe.”

Red flags wave as I punch in 911 and place a hand on his shoulder.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes, I-I need help. W-we were just robbed, and my friend was sh-shot in the chest.”

“Where are you?”

“I-I’m here on King street.”

“Are the people still around?”

“No.”

“Do you know what they looked like?”

The question threw me. “I … Tall, unkempt, dark hair. Late twenties to mid-thirties. I don’t know. It was dark, and they were all in black. Please send someone. I hear an odd sound like a deflating balloon or a tire. He’s pale.”

“Help is on their way. What’s your name?”

“Me? I-I’m Quinn Fleming.”

“And the gentleman’s?”

“Ollie … what’s your real name.”

He gives a bark of laughter that ends with a wet cough. “Finally got your name. Oliver Hemingway.”

I repeat his name to the operator. Her steady voice is a lifeline keeping me from panicking.

 Shyla Colt is the sassy international bestseller of the popular series Kings of Chaos and Dueling Devils M.C. This genre-hoppers stories feature three of her favorite things: strong females, pop culture, and alternate routes to happy ever after. Listening to her Romani soul, she pens from the heart, allowing the dynamic characters, eccentric interests, and travels as a former flight attendant to take her down untraveled roads. Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, this mid-west girl is proud of her roots. She used her hometown and the surrounding areas as a backdrop for a number of books. So, if you’re a Buckeye, keep an eye out for familiar places. As a full-time writer, stay at home mother, and wife, there's never a dull moment in her household. She weaves her tales in spare moments and the evenings with a cup of coffee or tea at her side and the characters in her head for company. You can interact with Shyla Colt online via her website www.shylacolt.netFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorshyla.colt and Twitter: @shylacolt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shylacolt/