R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 216

BOOK BLITZ: Absolution by J.V. Speyer #GIVEAWAY

Absolution
J.V. Speyer
Publication date: April 23rd 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

The would-be highwayman killer’s case is closed, and Luis has been cleared to return to work. He and Donovan are starting their new life together, and while they’re both a little new at this whole “stable relationship” thing they’re determined to make things work. When people start dying at Assonet Ledge, it seems like a typical case for Donovan until one of the victims turns out to be a missing person from out of state, bringing the FBI into one of Donovan’s cases yet again.The park ranger at the site is everything Donovan isn’t, and Donovan finds himself wondering if his partner isn’t falling into old habits. Luis struggles to understand Donovan’s jealousy, which puts a strain on their relationship and the case. To top things off, there may be forces at work here that go back long before humans showed their faces, forces Luis can’t hope to understand. Will those forces propel the case, and Luis and Donovan’s rekindled romance, off a cliff?

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo—EXCERPT:“Well, the alternative was pretty awful, so there’s that.” Luis grimaced. “It’s grim work sometimes, and it’s sure not easy, but it’s worth it. We’re getting our happily ever after, so I’ll do whatever it takes.”He would, too. He’d always been willing to work for his happiness with Donovan as long as there was hope. He had his concerns about working on a case together again, but they’d get through it. Like the alternative to recovery Donovan had mentioned, the other option was too awful to contemplate.“So I’ve got to ask,” Donovan said after a few seconds. “Freetown State Forest has a reputation, right?”“Place is full of ghosts.” Luis chuckled. He didn’t need to ask what Donovan was getting at. “Most of them were kind of static though. I guess the technical term is residual? They weren’t interacting with the modern living world at all. They were just kind of re-creating the past. It was kind of interesting to see that past, but not helpful. Some of them were a little more aware. One chased after the pickup truck the other day, when you first joined in. Or when we first joined in, depending on your point of view. Anyway, he chased after us for a while, yelling at us to ‘Get off his lawn.’ ”
“Wait, what?” Donovan burst out laughing. “You’re joking.”“Nope. Angry old white guy sitting in an old lawn chair, drinking a beer. If it weren’t for the glow, and the fact that none of you could see him, I’d have thought he was alive. He chucked the beer at the truck, and another one appeared in his hand. If I have to be a ghost when I die, I aspire to that level of badassery.”Donovan pulled onto the highway. “Luis, you don’t even drink.”“I’ll throw something else then. Or I’ll start drinking ghost beers just so I can throw them at passersby.” Luis grinned. “I still feel like I’m lost at sea with all this ghost stuff, but I’m getting there.”

Author Bio:
Want to get cocktail recipes, book updates, and craft beer notes from J. V.? Sign up here (http://eepurl.com/dtlwBH)! J. V. Speyer has lived in upstate New York and rural Catalonia before making the greater Boston, Massachusetts area her permanent home. She has worked in archaeology, security, accountancy, finance, and non-profit management. She currently lives just south of Boston in a house old enough to remember when her town was a tavern community with a farming problem. J. V. finds most of her inspiration from music. Her tastes run the gamut from traditional to industrial and back again. When not writing she can usually be found enjoying a baseball game or avoiding direct sunlight. She's learning to crochet so she can make blankets to fortify herself against the cold.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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BOOK REVEAL: Sour by Jennifer Woodhull #GIVEAWAY

Sour
Jennifer Woodhull
Publication date: June 4th 2019
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance

Tall, handsome, and eternally optimistic Noah has dated a string of gorgeous women. His best friend Elle has outlasted them all. Of course, he has no idea she’s been in love with him for years. Why would he? It’s not like she’s going to tell him. After all, she’s short and awkward, and as he’s fond of reminding her, has a sour disposition.When Elle takes off on her annual ten-day vacation with her family, Noah comes to a startling realization. She’s the woman who is by his side day in and day out, whose office is across the hall, and whose house is around the corner. She has called him on his shit when he gets too cocky, and he has held her in her arms when her heart was broken. Absence must make the heart grow fonder because while she’s in Germany with her parents, he realizes that everything he has ever wanted was right there all along. Now he’s on a mission to make her realize that romance won’t ruin their friendship, but platonic friendship is ruining their relationship.

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Author Bio:
Jennifer Woodhull is based in the Southern United States, spending time in her second home of England, and traveling as often as she can. Her love of travel permeates her work, and her characters often find themselves exploring new and foreign surroundings. A keen observer of human behavior, Jennifer often draws inspiration from something as simple as a fleeting connection, or the glimpse of a unique trait or characteristic. Her favorite place to write is on airplanes. "The drone of the engine, the scores of people, all traveling to something or from something, and being disconnected from digital distractions are a combination that provide the perfect place to write," she says. "If you see a woman in seat 9F who is balancing her Macbook on her lap because it's time to close your tray table, please have patience. I'm just trying to finish one more sentence."Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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BOOK REVEAL: In the Crossfire by L.P. Dover

In the Crossfire
L.P. Dover
(Circle of Justice, #4)
Publication date: May 28th 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Secrets.Lies.Betrayal.Murder.
I’ve gotten away with it all, but that won’t last forever.I’m Bryce Chandler, FBI agent and member of the Circle of Justice, a covert organization that metes out retribution to those who’ve escaped the system without punishment. For the last year I’ve been deep undercover, doing unspeakable things to secure my place in the mafia world. These days I barely recognize the man in the mirror, but Anthony Corsino is finally in my crosshairs.He’s entrusted me with the one thing he loves most—his daughter, Layla. She was just another detail of the mission, until she was suddenly so much more. I never meant to fall for the enemy, but I couldn’t resist. I’m in too deep. My brothers are determined to get me out, but I can’t let them interfere. It’s my job to put down the target. However, when I do, I’ll lose the only woman I’ve ever loved and the only good thing left in my life. If I don’t, I’ll lose myself.

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Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Before she began her literary journey she worked in periodontics, enjoying the wonderment of dental surgeries.She loves to write, but she also loves to play golf, go on mountain hikes and white-water rafting, and has a passion for singing. Her two youngest fans expect a concert each and every night before bedtime, usually Christmas carols.Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, but her favorite to write is romantic suspense. However, she has found a new passion in romantic comedy, especially involving sexy golfers. Who knew the sport could be so dirty and fun to write about. Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

BOOK BLITZ: Axeviaton~Son of Dragons by Tessa Dawn #GIVEAWAY

Axeviathon – Son of Dragons
Tessa Dawn
(A Pantheon of Dragons Novel)
Publication date: April 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

As an immortal mercenary and all-around badass, Axeviathon Saphyrius has spent the last two centuries in service to a fearsome dragon lord, while biding his time awaiting his fated female – the one woman he is destined to claim and love.He never expected to be cast into a nightmare fraught with shadow-walkers, sin-eaters, and lethal pagan enemies – he never expected his chosen mate to be up to her eyeballs in the same malevolent cult or to be used as an unwitting pawn in an epochs-old rivalry. So when his amulet heats up and her eyes turn sapphire blue, he knows he is in for a wild ride. This won’t be an ordinary claiming.Amber Carpenter’s life may as well have been cursed. From her rocky upbringing in the foster-care system to her terrifying abduction at age fifteen by a ruthless pack of thugs, she has learned to play the hand life deals her. And somewhere along the way, she has even made peace with her tragic fate.When a gorgeous, yet savage warrior strolls up to her teller line in King’s Castle Credit Union, Amber knows right away that something is wrong…
The way he looks at her…The way he approaches her…The fact that he already knows her name.And his unnatural, hypnotic eyes—raven-black pupils surrounded by sapphire irises, a hidden fire blazing in their depths.Amber knows he’ll be back.
When the savage demands of a dragyri male collide with the tragic misfortune of a human woman’s life, a race against time begins, and two very different worlds erupt into fire, passion, and devastation.AXEVIATHON – SON OF DRAGONS

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Author Bio:
Tessa Dawn grew up in Colorado, where she developed a deep affinity for the Rocky Mountains. After graduating with a degree in psychology, she worked for several years in criminal justice and mental health before returning to get her master's degree in nonprofit management.Tessa began writing as a child and composed her first full-length novel at the age of eleven. By the time she graduated high-school, she had a banker's box full of short-stories and novels. Since then, she has published works as diverse as poetry, greeting cards, workbooks for kids with autism, and academic curricula. Her Dark Fantasy/Gothic Romance novels represent her long-desired return to her creative-writing roots and her passionate flair for storytelling. Fifteen books later, Tessa now has readers in over 100 countries, and her novels have reached #1 bestselling status, eighteen times. Her personal author-ranking has climbed to #2 in Horror and #11 in both Fantasy and Paranormal, placing her on the Amazon charts next to two of her favorite authors: Stephen King and Sherrilyn Kenyon. Tessa currently splits her time between the Colorado suburbs and mountains, but she hopes to one day move to the country where she can own horses and what she considers "the most beautiful creature ever created" -- a German shepherd.Writing is her bliss.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Mailing List / Instagram

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BOOK REVEAL: Blood of a Huntsman by May Sage

Blood of a Huntsman
May Sage
(After Darkness Falls, #2)
Publication date: May 23rd 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

The vampires have always feared the first of their kind and his descendants. Now all immortals know there’s a new Eirikrson threatening their way of life.And they don’t intend to let her.
Catherine Stormhale has spent decades trying to crawl out of her family’s shadow. Now they’re calling her back home, to serve their clan against her new friends, and she has a choice to make.
Bash used to know who he was. A protector. A provider. A huntsman.After being bitten by a feral vampire and turned into a blood-craving thing, he’s lost everything. Family, purpose, honor.

When students are attacked outside of the Institute, all warriors are called to help secure their borders.Bash and Cat sign up for the same schedule. He’s a newborn vampire with no control over his thirst and she, a princess born to this life.Neither knows what they’re in for.

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Author Bio:
May is a USA Today Bestselling Author living in Windsor, Berkshire, with a german shepherd, a moggy and two savannahs. She writes every sub genre of romance, from fantasy to contemporary. You're signing up for strong, sassy, kick-ass women and swoon-worthy male protagonists. Enjoy the ride!

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BOOK BLITZ: Sniper by Giulia Lagomarsino #GIVEAWAY #ReedSecurity

Sniper
Giulia Lagomarsino
(Reed Security #13)
Publication date: April 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Chance “Sniper” Hendrix is all about a good time. He was married when he was serving as a Navy SEAL and it didn’t work out so well for him. When his wife left him, he decided that he was going to enjoy life and do what he loved. He knows that marriage can be good, but he just doesn’t want to go there again. He never intended to sleep with a stripper. He never intended to get involved in her life. But now that he has, there’s no turning back. But there’s nothing fun about the situation he just got himself into and there may be no way out.Morgan James is searching for her missing daughter, Payton. After months of a dead end investigation, she takes matters into her own hands. Working as a stripper, she’s looking for a man named ‘The Broker’. He either has the information she needs or he’s the one behind the devious plot. She’ll do anything to get her daughter back, but in this tangled web of lies and manipulations, who can she trust? —Sniper is book 13 in the Reed Security series. It is the first book in a three book arc and must be read in order.

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Author Bio:
I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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BOOK BLITZ: The Blood Covenant by Emily Bex #GIVEAWAY

The Blood Covenant
Emily Bex
(The Medici Warrior Series, #1)
Publication date: April 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

When he met her, he knew how it would end.Shade Medici, a vampire warrior king and sole male heir to the dynasty, is expected to mate and produce an heir to secure the continuation of the Medici coven. He’s waited over 500 years for the right mate, and when he meets Kate Reese, his attraction is more than primal – it’s merciless.She’s also mortal.Kate is fresh off a broken engagement and reluctant to open her heart, but her hesitations are no match for the unrelenting pursuits of the vampire King. Their passion for each other is searing… and not everyone is happy about it. Namely the ruling Council.As they fight against deceit, treachery, and those who aim to see their love fail, Shade also struggles to control his impulses as Kate is immersed into his dark and dangerous world, but it’s imperative he prepare her for the changes that will be demanded of her should she choose to bind herself to him through the blood covenant. All that scorches and glitters isn’t gold, and she quickly learns that falling in love with a vampire King comes at a hefty price.It may just cost her everything.“Riveting”, “electric”, and hailed as “the NEXT BIG THING”, The Medici Warrior Series follows the exploits of a vampire dynasty that spans four generations in a multi-genre novel with elements of paranormal, smoldering romance, and historical fiction. Get your copy today!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play—EXCERPT:He feels her hand jerk slightly under his touch and smiles at her. She is timid and sweet, and he likes the feel of her soft white skin, and the contrast of his dark olive tone to her lily white.“Do you have a wrap, Kate Reese?”“Wrap? Yes, it’s in, uh….” Oh my God, can I at least stop tripping over my own tongue!“I believe your wrap is in the study. Allow me?”He offers her his arm and watches as she hesitantly places her small hand around his elbow. She glides in those stilettos and he slides his eyes behind her and watches that beautiful ass swish and sway on the way to the study. She identifies her green suede coat from the pile and he notices the label inside; Italian…leather from Florence, and he smiles. He holds the coat for her as she slips her arms into the sleeves, then he slides the coat onto her slender shoulders, letting his hands graze her hair and neck. He loves the feel of her, touching her; he loves her petite stature to his height and mass. He watches as she pulls those long crimson locks from the collar of her coat and flings her hair back. He is assailed, once again, by the scent of roses. She turns to him, looking into his eyes again, before quickly looking down.She is unable to maintain eye contact with him for more than a few seconds. “Do I make you nervous, Kate?”“No, no, no… I, really, I just need to go. Thank you.” Nervous? Does he make me nervous? He scares the hell out of me! Who looks like this?

Author Bio:
Emily Bex is an avid life-long reader, and a first time writer of the epic six book Medici Warrior Series. As she says, “Why start small?” She worked for over twenty years in marketing, developing ad campaigns, catalogs, product launches and promotional literature. She figured if she could write creatively about products, then surely she could write something about these characters that were rattling around inside her brain. She currently lives in Virginia, but has used her extensive love of travel, both foreign and domestic, to create the backdrop for her characters to play out their story.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest

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BOOK REVEAL: Sweet Poisons by Natalie Bennett

Sweet Poisons
Natalie Bennett
(Pretty Lies, Ugly Truths Duets, #1)
Publication date: Spring 2019
Genres: New Adult, Romance

A dark and sordid New Adult duet coming spring 2019.
Rhett Sullivan.Mysterious boy painted in shades of red.

Nova MarkovEccentric girl dripping in sunshine.
He was the type mother’s warned their little girls about—a cocky, rich asshole with a pretty smile, unapologetically insane and wild.I was the type guys like him usually ignored—a free spirit who hid my crazy beneath an odd good girl facade, and the art hanging on my studio walls.We were opposites in every way but one, and we collided like two runaway trains that never had a chance of stopping.What blossomed between us, our ‘relationship’, was maniacal.We got stuck in a cycle of madness.Rhett Sullivan became a bittersweet poison I couldn’t get enough of.In the end, that’s what destroyed me.
Because in the end?Our love was nothing but a lie.
I said I was done slapping warning labels on my book babies this year, but since I have never written full on NA yet, I’m going to give a tiny one now. This will be the only label this duet will have. If you are not a fan of twisted stories that deal with dark themes, rich assholes, and lots of filthy sex, this will not appeal to you. This couple is not unicorns and rainbows and neither is their story.

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Author Bio:
Natalie Bennett is your average socially awkward author that turns her spontaneous head ramblings into stories.
She has a penchant for writing about villainous immoral men, crazed anti-heroines, and tends to deviate away from traditional HEA's.
She likes chocolate, Netflix, and Prickly Pear Margaritas.
When she isn't writing she's hanging out with her husband and their three (adorable) spawns.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Newsletter

BOOK BLITZ: The Rookie by Abigail Owen #GIVEAWAY

The Rookie
Abigail Owen
(ire’s Edge #2)
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: April 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Playing with dragons will only get your burned.To escape exile, Aidan Paytah has had to prove himself worthy. Every second of every damn day. He fought with everything he had to earn his precarious place on the Huracán team of dragon shifter enforcers. He can’t fail or afford distractions, no matter how temptingly sweet. Total loyalty to the clans and dedication to his team is the only way.Sera Morrison lost her parents and her husband in short order, leaving her a single mother running her family winery alone. Nothing could ever have prepared her for the discovery that she’s a destined dragon mate. But once she finds out, there’s only one man she wants—the one who walks away.However, the Alliance Council has its own agenda. They want to use her as a political pawn and force a mating that could ultimately kill her to save the High King. Aidan has no choice but to kidnap her, even if it means their close proximity reinforces their own mating bond. And mating with him could end up being a far worse fate for Sera…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo / Google Play—EXCERPT:The familiar sweet ache of fulfillment filled Sera’s body, warmth spreading out from her core. She wanted to revel in it, lie replete in her lover’s arms. Except Aidan had already faded from the unfocused mist of another realm.“No,” she called after him. Don’t go. Don’t leave me.The mist faded more. I’m dreaming.The sting of disappointment wasn’t enough to lance the bubble surrounding her. She didn’t want to leave, or for the dream to end. Even as she tried to draw him back to her, to keep him with her, the dream slowly being replaced by cold, stark reality.“No,” she moaned.Strong hands at her shoulders, even more solid than in her dreams, yanked her the rest of the way into the real world. Her dream world faded, and she opened her eyes to collide with intense sky-blue eyes. Concerned eyes. Searching eyes.His name punched from her lips. “Aidan.”The residual sensations from her dream, still buffeting her body, didn’t fade nearly as fast, leaving her both keyed up and needy. She never woke to the man leaning over her.Just a taste.Not thinking it through, Sera pushed up with one elbow and pressed her lips to his, needing that contact more than she could say. Aidan stiffened, but didn’t pull back. So, she kissed him again, lingering over the touch, savoring the taste of him, the citrus and smoke scent of him all around her. Strangely familiar, but she didn’t linger over that thought, too focused on the man.This Aidan was real.Before he could kiss her back, or she tried to take it further, the rest of her sleep-fog drifted away, and harsh reality intruded. She was in her bedroom, the pale light of early morning filtering in through the white blinds and curtains covering her window.Aidan was here to keep her safe. Only to keep her safe.I shouldn’t be doing this.With a groan, Sera dropped back to the bed, flopping an arm across her eyes so she didn’t have to see his reaction. “Sorry.”

Author Bio:
Award-winning paranormal romance author, Abigail Owen, grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. She attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.No matter the genre, she loves to write witty, feisty heroines, sexy heroes who deserve them, and a cast of lovable characters to surround them (and maybe get their own stories). She currently resides in Austin, Texas, with her own personal hero, her husband, and their two children, who are growing up way too fast.Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Pinterest

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BOOK BLITZ: The Starfarer by Petra Landon #GIVEAWAY

The Starfarer
Petra Landon
(The Araloka Chronicles #2)
Publication date: November 16th 2018
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

A feisty farmer with a dangerous heritage and a mysterious starfarer from a mighty race engage in a delicate dance of love, faith, longing and survival, while the sector burns around them!A powerful entity readies to join the brutal war in Sector Araloka. The Ur’quay’s return to their old stomping grounds will have repercussions for the sector — affecting the present, changing the future and shining more light on the past.
SilaSila Gatherer hides a deadly secret on a rural planet. Until an accidental encounter with an alien starship changes her life. Threatened, exiled and adrift, Sila must learn to survive far from home and everything familiar.

Zh’hirStar Captain Zh’hir Mu’raat is Ur’quay – legendary starfarers renowned as warriors and explorers. On a desperate mission to a distant corner of the galaxy, his world collides with Sila’s. Thrown together, the starfarer and his accidental captive forge an extraordinary bond.
The farmer & the starfarerDrawn to each other despite the odds, Sila and the Star Captain must fight for a future together as the war, her ability, Ur’quay tradition and a complicated legacy test their faith. When a powerful foe threatens their new coalition, they race against time to unravel a centuries-old secret. With the fate of Sector Araloka and the Ur’quay at stake, can the starfarer follow his heart or will history repeat itself again …
Author’s Note : This is the second book in The Araloka Chronicles, a collection of SciFi Romance & Space Opera with swashbuckling adventure. The story is standalone, though the reader’s experience will be enhanced if the books are read in order.

Goodreads / Amazon—EXCERPT:After what seemed an agonizingly long wait, Sila sat up cautiously, her wary eyes on the prone male lying a few feet away on the ground. She watched him silently, only moving when his breaths appeared unchanged to her untrained eyes. Clasping the blanket more securely around her, she turned towards the shower enclosure. In the end, she could manage only a few steps from the bed before a calloused palm encircled her ankle. Sila glanced back with a frightened gasp. The male lay in the same posture as before but now his strange gold eyes were open and staring up at her, their glitter pronounced despite the diffused light. The hand she had noted relaxing by his side now held her by the ankle in an implacable, but not ungentle, grip. She tugged her captured foot experimentally; his response was to squeeze it gently without letting go. He said something undecipherable to her in his deep, growly voice with the guttural notes. But with her translation device pinned to her drying work-suit, Sila could not comprehend him. Ensnared by the strange unblinking eyes, she shook her head frantically to convey that she did not understand him. Letting go off her ankle, he propelled himself fluidly off the floor in a move that had Sila taking a wary step away from him. He made no move to come closer, staring down at her from his greater height. “Sit” he growled in Alliance Standard, pointing at the bed and Sila found herself perching nervously on it.He shot her a last look before striding away to the enclosure. Before Sila could contemplate making a move, he strode back to hold his hand out to her. The open palm with the web-like spikes between the fingers held the translation device. He had retrieved it from her work-suit, Sila surmised. This time, she knew why he offered her the device. Retrieving it gingerly off his palm to hold it loosely in her fist, she pondered where to pin it on the blanket she wore in lieu of clothes.“Going somewhere?” the Ur’quay male inquired.At his words, she turned her attention back to him. The device, Sila realized, seemed to work just fine in her fist.He stepped back from her to meet her eyes. “Before, when I stopped you” he clarified patiently. “Where were you going?”“Umm … just to the”, she gestured towards the shower enclosure, “to get my clothes.”He cocked his head, the mysterious unblinking eyes studying her. “It is not dry yet. Use the blanket for now.”Sila hitched the blanket about her shoulders nervously, wishing she could read his expression more clearly. It was too dark to discern much except the glint in his eyes when he occasionally came into the path of the light seeping through the open archway.“Would you like more illumination?” he offered.Sila hesitated, conscious that all she had on was a blanket. She’d much prefer to be properly clothed before facing him in brighter light.“I can see as well if not better in the dark” he said, the guttural tones even.Sila flushed, perfectly comprehending what he meant to convey to her. Strange as it was, the Ur’quay seemed to share her ability, except it was clear that this male possessed formidable control over his mind. Much more than her, who he seemed to read like a book. Sila, never having met anyone with this advantage over her, didn’t know what to make of it — whether to be excited by the prospect, particularly when she had thought herself to be different from everyone, or afraid of his ability to read her mind. “You’re reading my thoughts again” she stammered out, a tad accusingly. “Did I not ask you to protect them, Terran?” he growled back in response.Unlike everyone else she had met in her life, Sila did not have to work to block him from her mind. He was an absolutely blank slate — she could hear nothing and sense nothing from him. Since stepping foot on this starship, her mind had been uncluttered, with only her thoughts for company. As far as Sila was concerned, it was the only saving grace of her entire ordeal.She glanced away, to pluck at her blanket again. “I don’t know how to.” Sila sighed, unutterably candid. On this topic, evasiveness would serve no purpose. “Not with you. You seem to hear my thoughts no matter what I do.”“I will teach you” he declared.Sila stared up at him, rendered speechless by his offer.“Do not worry. The blanket covers you well.”Before Sila could respond, he said something inaudible and the lights in the room brightened. Though not as harsh as the previous cell, it did allow her to clearly note his expression. She stood up to face him, blanket clutched tight. For the first in their acquaintance, she allowed her eyes to wander over him without fear. The large expanse of muscled bronze skin seemed flushed, a stark contrast to the scales on his lower body. His eyes studied her damp hair unblinkingly with an expression Sila found hard to decipher.“When will you send me back to the other cell?” she inquired diffidently.He cocked his head, clearly puzzled. “The other cell?”“The one where I was before. This one is much nicer.”“This is not a holding cell” he growled in outrage, the glitter in his eyes pronounced. “This is my rest-chamber” he informed her through gritted teeth.Despite the growls and palpable ire, he was careful to keep his distance. It reassured Sila immeasurably. Some of her natural effervescence reasserted itself.“Rest-chamber? Oh, you mean this is your room. It is very nice — much warmer than the cell, with a really nice shower. Thank you for letting me use it.” For the first time since she’d met him, he looked uncomfortable.“I apologize, Terran. We are not used to prisoners on this starship and did not anticipate that your species needs warmer temperatures and more frequent sustenance than us.”“Oh, I thought perhaps you did not feed your prisoners” she remarked guilelessly. The unblinking eyes zeroed in on her. “Ur’quay are signatories to a charter on the treatment of prisoners of war. We do not believe in starving them” he informed her regally.Sila stared at him, slack-jawed in shock. “Am I … are you saying that I’m a prisoner of war?”

Author Bio:
An avid reader all her life, only recently has Petra allowed her own imagination to run riot. She loves to travel and reads everything she can get her hands on. Her idea of a good read is one where the story and characters linger, long after the book has been set aside. She strives to write fantasy with vivid characters and elements of adventure, mystery and romance juxtaposed together, since those are the tales she has enjoyed the most over the years. To share the stories swirling in her imagination is a labor of love and a lifelong dream come true for Petra.Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Amazon / Mailing List / Bookbub / Pinterest

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