Michele E. Gwynn's Blog, page 8

Now on KDP Select!

Hello Berliners and Truth Seekers!

I wanted to drop in and let everyone know that I've placed two of my series into KDP Select on Amazon for the next 3 months. Now, Amazon Prime Members can read The Checkpoint, Berlin Detective Series and the entire Harvest Trilogy FREE. Yes, FREE! 

Go download your copies now, and don't forget to leave a review on Amazon and let me know what you think once you've turned that last page. Happy reading.

The Checkpoint, Berlin Detective Series

The Harvest Trilogy

Check out the Sweet Treats Valentine's Day #99cent #Book Blast & #Kindle + Gift Card #Giveaway!

Welcome to the Sweet Treats Valentine's Day 99cent Romance Book Blast & Kindle + Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!

February 10th through to February 14th, Valentine's Day, we have some awesome love gifts for readers!

 A group of authors decided to get together and put their books on sale for 99 cents for YOU for Valentine's Day! 
And, cause everyone deserves bit o' extra love, one lucky giveaway entrant will win a Kindle Fire + $25 Amazon Gift Card to get them started! 

So, ladies and gents, click the link below to be swept off to the hidden, deliciously sweet destination filled with all the happily-ever-afters your heart desires, and where our giveaway is just waiting for you to grab hold and enter! 
http://www.kikiandgina.com/2017/02/sweet-treats-valentines-day-99cent.html

Special Thanks To All The Contributing Authors
Gina Kincade
Kiki Howell
Angelica Dawson
Laxmi Hariharan
Michelle Fox
Michele E. Gwynn
Lori King
Lisa Smeaton
Demelza Carlton
Tania F Walsh
Author Shelique Lize
Rosalie Redd
Kallysten
Annie Nicholas
Michelle Hercules Soars
Erica Reeder
Cecilia Lane
A K Michaels
Candice Phillips Gilmer
Candace Ayers
C.E. Wilson
Sarah j. Stone
Felisha Antonette 
Erica Ridley
Skye Jones
Emma Calin
Jennifer Reynolds
Leilani Love
Lucy Felthouse
Muffy Wilson
Jessica E. Subject
Erzabet Bishop
Pablo Michaels
Lindy S. Hudis
Jade C. Jamison
Margo Bond Collins
Decadent Kane

Noree Cosper
Jade Kerrion
Abby Hayes
Cara Wylde
Becca Fanning
Carysa Locke
Kris Hack

You can also enter the giveaway below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Valentine's Day Giveaway!

Indulge in steamy romance, fast-paced action, and danger! This Valentine's Day, gift yourself or someone you love with this incredible gift set of a Sterling Silver Heart of the Ocean CZ Pendant set with genuine Swarovski Crystals plus Books I & II in The Checkpoint, Berlin Detective Series signed by the author!

All you have to do to enter is 1. Be a U.S. Resident, and 2. SUBSCRIBE to my monthly Newsletter (where you will not only receive 2 FREE ebooks, but you will also have a new chance every month to win great book prizes! Even Non-U.S. Residents can participate in the monthly Newsletter giveaways. I always try to do something special for my out-of-country fans.)
ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN VIA RAFFLECOPTER ON VALENTINE'S DAY. Winner will be notified by email.

Look gorgeous and travel to Berlin in this thrilling series!
Book III, The Redemption of Joseph Heinz is set to publish on April 3rd, and is available for Pre-Order on Amazon here. Are you ready? Then ENTER Now!



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The Kommissar is Back and Going Rogue!

Hello Berliners! The Pre-Order is LIVE!
Coming April 3rd, the third novel in The Checkpoint, Berlin Detective Series.
The Kommissar is back, and going rogue as a cold case heats up in St. Petersburg.
A new lead on a cold case, one that has haunted Heinz and nearly cost him his career now offers a path to redemption. A ledger containing the names of abducted girls recovered from the Vledelets during the Ivchencko affair offers renewed hope. With the wedding to his partner-turned-love of his life, Birgitta Mahler, drawing near, Detective Heinz must find a way to close the door on his guilt once and for all. But will his decision to investigate the disappearance of Marlessa Schubert lead him to an answer he can live with or an early grave? All roads lead to one destination, Warehouse 214, and one man, Vladimir Breshnev, known to his enemies as ‘the Butcher’, and to Interpol as the leader of the Russian mafia. Unsanctioned, and on his own, Heinz pursues his demons. When he fails to check in, his protégé, Officer Elsa Kreiss, must call in a dangerous favor. If she succeeds, Heinz will make it to the church on time, but if she fails, he’ll arrive in a box.
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MRBCDUV
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MRBCDUV
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B01MRBCDUV
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01MRBCDUV
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B01MRBCDUV
Amazon FR: https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B01MRBCDUV

Get caught up on books one and two!
Find Your Retail Outlet Here

New Release from Bestselling Paranormal Author Jami Brumfield

In the world of Blood Courtesans, vampires are real, blood is a financial asset, and those who control the blood have all the power. Welcome to this dark world created by New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Michelle Fox, and please welcome the newest book in the series, Cursed: Piper from New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author (and my friend), Jami Brumfield.

Grab your copy today, and start reading tonight! Don't forget to leave a review. Let Jami know what you think of her new, dark and deadly romance on Amazon. 

  NEW RELEASECURSED: PIPERBlood Courtesans Series $0.99 for a limited time. (Price returns to $2.99 January 24th)
Piper:

I am lost, broken, desperate. I awakened a centuries-old curse and the hunter has now become the hunted. The monster has chased me across the globe, leaving bodies and devastation in its wake. My only refuge is to become a blood courtesan, and seek sanctuary from the vampires. Still the beast haunts me.

Sebastian becomes my beacon in the darkness. He is my protector and while he can keep me safe, I'll never be free so long as the monster lives. His plan to use me as bait is terrifying. Am I willing to trust him with my life - or should I let another stranger tame the beast that threatens to tear apart my soul?

Will the curse be lifted or am I doomed to remain in the darkness... alone with my demon?

***** This book contains adult content of sexual nature and violence and was written for audiences 18 and older.

SIGN UP FOR JAMI'S NEWSLETTER TO BE THE FIRST IN THE KNOW ABOUT NEW RELEASES, AUTHOR NEWS & GIVEAWAYS! SIGN UP HERE. 
More from Bestselling Author Jami Brumfield on Amazon
Read the ENTIRE Blood Courtesans SeriesFind it HERE.

New Release Hot Erotica; No Reservations from R.E. Hargrave

NO RESERVATIONS by R.E. HargraveGenre: Erotica
Selena and Dakota Derringer have been trying to get pregnant for a year without much luck. When their latest test is once again negative, they accept an invitation from old friends for an adult weekend away instead of letting it get them down.

Selena’s old college roommate Trinity Marshall, and her husband Joey, are both thrill seekers. In and out of the bedroom. When the couple suggest more than just wine and talking, will the Derringers accept their friends’ special proposition? What will come of their actions if they do?

Sometimes in life you just need to throw caution to the wind.

Let go.

Be adventurous.

Have no reservations.


Prologue

My hand shook while holding the little test stick between my legs. We had a good feeling this time considering my period was a week late. This had happened a few times in the past, but there was something about this time which had me crossing my fingers a little tighter. After tracking temperatures and scheduling appointments to have sex with each other, Dakota and I were hoping we would be on the way to parenthood at long last.

This month marked one year since we’d started trying to grow our family. I was beginning to think I shouldn’t have insisted on waiting the two years we’d put this off. Daks had been ready and willing to start the moment we were married, but he’d only been twenty-four at the time—fresh out of college—and I thought I’d known better than him what we needed because I was older.

At thirty-two, my career as a kindergarten teacher at Manteca Elementary was established. The reasoning behind my request to wait? I wanted him to have a couple years of freedom and adulthood before he buckled down to being a dad. Daks had enough on his plate getting his foot in the door as the school’s new music teacher. For over ten years, Mr. Carmichael had been the elementary music teacher, so staff and parents alike weren’t ready to see him retire. Dakota had his job cut out for him. A baby was the last thing he’d needed to worry about it.

Now that it was clear we were having trouble conceiving, I blamed my somewhat advanced age. After some discussion, we’d agreed to give it one year of trying the old-fashioned way before turning to medical intervention or discussing adoption. Daks and his sister Dylan had been adopted as infants, two years apart, from orphanages on opposite sides of the country. Though you wouldn’t know it seeing the bond they shared. I swear they were always having silent conversations; it was almost creepy. Dakota was a big proponent of adoption, for obvious reasons, and I had no doubts we’d go that route someday regardless, biological baby success or not.

Wistfully, I set the test on top of some folded toilet paper then set the timer. I avoided looking at the stick while washing my hands. To cool down, I splashed some water on my face then reached for the door. Daks was waiting for me on the other side with his arms open. His dark eyes were understanding, and showed as much worry as mine.

I gave him a nervous smile and went to him. His scent, like sunshine and sage, filled my senses while I nuzzled against his chest. Daks rubbed my back then kissed the top of my head.

“Tell me about your day, Selena,” he suggested, distracting me.

We moved to the bed. Daks got on and scooted back to the headboard before patting the spot next to him. He was still dressed for work, the pregnancy test having been our priority the moment we’d walked in the door. I stood there, admiring how good he looked. Dakota cut his brown hair extra short, keeping his curls unnoticeable, and trimmed his facial hair so that it accented his jaw line. His habit of leaving the top couple of buttons to his shirt undone was something I appreciated with regularity. It was fortunate for me that he had a nice chest and liked to show it off.

I climbed up beside him, tucking my feet underneath me, then returned my head to his chest. My hand splayed out over the soft cotton of his dress shirt, and I fingered a loose thread hanging from one of the buttons. “It was a pretty quiet day. I don’t think the kids realize they’re off next week.” I chuckled without much feeling. “Oh, and Trinity called.”

“Yeah? Everything okay? Are she and Joey having a good time in . . . where are they this time?”

“Yep, I guess. She invited us to come up to the Napa property next weekend.”

“But I thought they were on a world tour thing, and weren’t due back for a couple more months?”

Joey Marshall was an extreme bicyclist, and his wife, my best friend, had the fortune of being a freelance photographer for Sports Illustrated. Together they traveled the world looking for remote, and in my opinion insane, locations for Joey to ride while Trin recorded it all for posterity.

I shrugged, pressing the side of my breast into his muscled torso, which felt good. “All she said was that something happened while they were in Ireland and they decided to come home for a couple of weeks before picking the tour back up in Sweden. Anyway, they thought it would do us good to come have some wine, cheese and olives, and adult company. I believe her exact words were, ‘You two are overthinking this whole thing and just need to let go and be impulsive’.”

Trinity’s words had been no surprise to me. She’d always been blunt, loud, and on the lookout for the next adventure. Our sophomore year at UCLA, and second one rooming together, I became her next adventure. We were never serious about it; it was more of a friends with benefits situation. If one of us had an itch, and no current boyfriend, then we took care of each other. I’m not even sure that I could be considered bi-sexual as Trin’s kitty was the only one I’ve ever played with. Same went for her generous boobs—with the exception of my own, of course.

The egg-timer started buzzing in the bathroom, and I felt sick all of a sudden. My fist clenched the fabric of Dakota’s shirt, and I closed my eyes. “I can’t,” I whispered.

“It’s okay, Lena. I’ll go look,” he cooed by my ear.

We shared a quick hug then I leaned back, freeing him to get off the bed. While he crossed the short distance of the room, I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them, holding my breath until he stepped back out.

Dakota couldn’t make eye contact with me when he did.

“A weekend away sounds like a good idea,” he mumbled then staggered out of the room, leaving me to my hopeless tears.


Amazon ✯ Amazon Int'l ✯ Goodreads

Domestic engineer. Author. Burgeoning editor. And quite possibly certifiable. Believing every story can shine bright with a bit of tenacious tough love, R.E. Hargrave is thorough and to the point. An international bestselling author, she takes storytelling and manuscript polishing seriously, working with her authors and on her own creations to ensure they come to life, crawling from the pages and into the reader’s souls.

Hargrave lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX and is married to her high school sweetheart; together they are raising three children. A native 'mutt,' she has lived in New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and California. She is fond of setting her stories—which range from the sweet to the paranormal, to the erotic and horrific—on location in South Carolina and Texas.

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The Party's Over

The Party’s OverAn original short essay by Michele E. Gwynn Copyright (C) 2017, All Rights Reserved
Forty two birthdays. I’ve had forty-two birthdays, and not a single one has ever been spent with a special someone. I used to tell myself that it was simply because I hadn’t met Mister Right yet, and then I told myself it was a choice. I mean, I could find someone if I wanted to, right? Isn’t there someone for everyone? I guess it was a rhetorical question because not only have I not received an answer, I’ve also not met anyone along the way. Well, I’ve met a few, but the interest has always been one-sided. So what’s wrong with me? I’m nice, friendly, easy to be around. I love animals, kids, science fiction, action films. I’m basically a cool nerdy chick. I’d say my looks are average, I think. I mean, I’m not butt-ugly, just not perfect. Who is? Okay, there are some pretty perfect looking people out there, but on a scale between a 10 and a face only a mother could love, I definitely fall right in the middle. If I dress up, my odds increase, but here I am, still on my own.I’ve watched all my friends find their someones. Watched them have kids, go through all the ups and downs, but as the years trickled by, I’ve pulled back. Kept away from everyone. It’s not easy. In fact, it just gets harder being around everyone who has someone, and then having them ask that one question that stabs me in the heart…Have you met anyone? Are you dating? Are you still single? It’s always a variation of the same question, and no matter how it’s asked, it feels like what they’re really asking is, “What’s wrong with you?”Holidays are miserable too. For a while, I tried being upbeat, thinking if I just painted on a smile, it would all be okay. Now, I just stop communicating with everyone during the holidays. I bunker down, disappear, stay out of sight until it’s all over. I tell myself it’s just another day, just Christmas – big deal! Just a new year – so what? And screw you, Valentine’s Day! Everyone has gone on with their lives. Mine stalled when I wasn’t looking, and now, I just wonder what the point is anymore. Why am I even here? If I were a good person, a person worthy of love, wouldn’t someone love me? I’m loving. I care. I’ve shown it a thousand ways, but for some reason, no matter how I’ve put it out into the world, it hasn’t come back. All my efforts have earned me are those who use me for whatever they need at the time. I’ve learned to recognize those people. Now, I just avoid them. Others just look through or past me, and I’m smart enough not to make a fool of myself, so I just fade into the background, the outsider looking in. It’s better than setting myself up for the pain of rejection. It’s okay if I hurt all alone. No one knows that way, and I’m not bothering anyone, not being a burden. I can cry myself to sleep, and at least I don’t have to feel the sting of pity from another. I don’t want that. I just want…I don’t know…what everyone else seems to have so easily. But time has run out. The candles on this cake are bleeding wax all over the place, and I’ve run out of wishes. It’s a fool’s errand after yesterday’s news. Another birthday alone. Damn. And it’s my last...Happy freaking birthday to me.

Strong Female Characters

If you've read any of my books, you know that I write strong female characters. They can take on the world, and have suffered great hardships which shape who they are. This is probably because I, myself, am a strong woman who has gone through much in life that many wouldn't be able to handle or possibly even survive. We are all the results of what we've endured, and for my leading ladies, like carbon under crushing pressure, come out diamonds in the end.

I read this and thought of them all....Sarah Brown, Elsa Kreiss, Birgitta Mahler, Hannah Adams, Maggie Harris, Meghan Hartley, Melissa Ryan, and still in the pressure cooker, Sophie Fairchild. Each of my ladies is remarkable, and all have become endearingly real, and undeniably human in my imagination. This is for all the real women out there. Never forget who you are.

~  Michele E. Gwynn

Credit: Facebook page of Samy Irssak

New Cover Reveal to Ring in the New Year

AND.....A NEW COVER REVEAL FOR THE RUNAWAY HIT, HIRING JOHN by my alter ego, Xaviera Snow! So excited to share this with you as it goes LIVE right before the end of this year. What a great way to kick off 2017!
If you haven't already read this erotic comedy, grab your copy!
FREE to Amazon Prime Members #KindleUnlimited

Section 5 New Series Sneak Peek Coming in 2017

Teaser Credit: M.E. Gwynn, Images licensed through 123rf.com, Image numbers , 10979153, 35141603, 13952509."It's her."

Roger Otis stared into the coffin. Inside, a young female lay in state. Despite the age of the grave, which by its markings indicated the occupant should be the rotting remains of Harold P. Tillington, age at death, eighty-nine, the current occupant appeared to be no more than fifteen.

Otis looked at his partner, Nial Allchurch. "It can't be."

Nial scratched his head, mussing the graying hair around his temple. "And yet it is." He pulled out his cell phone, sliding the screen up revealing a photo that was undeniably the same woman. "It's her." He turned the phone out showing the image to Roger.

Roger Otis looked from the picture to the young woman inside the coffin, and back to the picture again. He blinked. "But Nial, that Missing Persons report is eighteen years old. That girl went missing when she was only fifteen." He pointed down at the open grave beneath him. "This is a girl, not a woman in her thirties. And look at her?" Both men looked down. "She should be no more than dust and bones. How the hell is she not decomposed? She looks like she's sleeping."

"Like Sleeping Beauty," Nial mused. "I hear what you're saying, and yet, this is undeniably Louisa Jane Alcott." Allchurch returned his attention to the cell phone. "I suppose we need to call it in," he said, his British accent making the words clipped. "The Section chief will want his report."

Otis climbed up and out of the open grave. "And the CIA and MI6 too, damn them." He dusted off his hands on his pant legs. "I wonder what happened to Harold Tillington's body, though?"

Nial lifted the phone to his ear. "Who knows? Might even still be there, underneath her body. After all, he'd be just a pile of dust by now anyhow." Allchurch shifted his attention as his call was answered. "Agent Allchurch here. I.D. 10, Code 5." He paused. "Reporting in. We've recovered one. Yes sir. In the Glaston Cemetery. Just like the intel stated. No, not alive. This one is from a much older missings list." Nial glanced down. The sun had set almost two hours prior, and the wind was whipping up, blowing the freshly shoveled earth around, some of it landing on the young woman's body.

Otis stood with hands on hips, eyes casting around the old cemetery. It was damned creepy in his view. He really wasn't comfortable being there, but he went where the intelligence sent him, and the recent information received sent them to this particular longitude and latitude. Where they gained these logistics was another strange story altogether, but after his experience in Marion, Texas with his former army buddy, Jack Callaghan, he was no longer shocked or surprised by anything. Instead, he was more frequently deeply disturbed by what he and his partner learned, suspicious, and even terrified. And the number of people in which they could share their discoveries was dwindling rapidly. The circle of trusted confidants was shrinking.

Now, here they stood, in the middle of an old graveyard, at the foot of an open grave lit only by the dim light of a quarter moon. The rising wind rustled the dying leaves on the trees, and the air held a bite promising rain later. It was quiet. Too quiet.

A sound startled them both. Otis jumped, and Nial stopped speaking. Both looked down. The body in the coffin shook, spasming in a coughing fit.

"Jesus Christ!" Otis's eyes widened. His heart lurched in his chest, pounding hard.

"Dear God, she's alive?" Allchurch stuttered. His hand dropped to his side, his call forgotten.

The young woman's eyes slowly opened. She looked skyward, focusing. Finally, she began to sit up. She gazed up at the two men standing at the foot of the hole in which she sat. "Who are you?" Her hoarse voice croaked out. "Where am I? Am I home? Am I finally home?"

COMING IN 2017: A new short story, science fiction series from Michele E. Gwynn, Section 5. Copyright (C) 2016, All Rights Reserved. This new series is a spin off from the Harvest Trilogy.


Read the Harvest Trilogy or experience it on audio at the following outlets.
HARVEST: https://www.books2read.com/u/3LjWN4
HYBRIDS: https://www.books2read.com/u/mVlepb
CENSUS: https://www.books2read.com/u/47oa74
AUDIBLE   ITUNES