R.E. Hargrave's Blog, page 315

RELEASE BLITZ: Spirit of the King by Bruce Blake

SPIRIT OF THE KINGKhirro's Journey Book 2

 by Bruce BlakeGENRE: Epic Fantasy



A shattered vial. A failed journey. Two spirits joined as one.

An army of dead men led by a sorceress with an unquenchable lust for power occupies the kingdom of Erechania. The kingdom's traitor-king seeks to redeem himself, but the sorceress has stolen his son, his last reminder of the wife he lost. Neither the king nor his enemy can know the importance of the role the child will play.

The Necromancer's last act of magic joined a fallen king's spirit with Khirro's, making him the vessel carrying the kingdom's hope. But the haunted land of Lakesh, the outlaw city of Poltghasa, and the enemy country of Kanos lie between him and his homeland. Dangerous creatures and murderous men seek to end his quest, but he is also stalked by something far deadlier:

An assassin he once loved.


The giant kicked a sheet of sand at his face; Khirro averted his eyes and dove aside, concentration broken by the club thumping the sand where he’d just stood.

“I need help here, Athryn!”

The magician answered, but Khirro didn’t hear his words as the wooden club scraped across his breast piece. He ducked and dodged. Sweat ran down his face as he searched for an opening to get to the beast without forfeiting his life in the process. The Mourning Sword cut the air with no more success than the first time, but the giant hesitated, giving Khirro a second’s respite from attack. He struck a third time, blade glancing ineffectively off the giant’s weapon, but it gave him a moment’s satisfaction for his steel having touched something.

The giant roared its ear-splitting war belch and renewed its attack, spinning Khirro about and forcing him back toward the edge of the forest. Beyond the creature and its swirling club, he glimpsed Athryn stripped to the waist, gesturing and chanting before the giant’s massive body blocked his view.

“Athryn!”

Another barely-avoided blow sent Khirro to the sand. He held the Mourning Sword up knowing he wouldn’t be able to deflect a blow, and that one direct hit would be enough to end the fight, likely his life. The giant was too strong. What a fool he’d been to think he could hold off the beast on his own.Why isn’t Athryn helping?

The giant loomed beyond his sword’s reach, a string of saliva hanging from its lips like a dog left unfed for weeks. Khirro tensed, hoping to somehow survive the attack, but instead of raining another blow down on him, the giant stopped, listened.

Foreign words floated to Khirro on the sea breeze, words he didn’t recognize but he knew meant Athryn was casting a spell. The giant also seemed to realize what the words were for.

Khirro scrambled to stand, feet slipping in the loose sand, but the creature pushed him back with the tip of his club, knocking breath from his lungs in the process and leaving him no choice but to watch the giant set his club aside and pick up a boulder bigger than the first. It hoisted the stone above its head, bending its elbows like a living catapult.

“No,” Khirro wheezed. “Athryn.”

After all that had happened during their journey, and despite being a soldier in the King’s Army, Khirro still didn’t considered himself a warrior or think he possessed a killer’s instinct, but he realized this might be his last chance to prove to himself he could be.

As the giant heaved the boulder, Khirro leaped up, lungs desperate for air. The Mourning Sword glowed red in anticipation of the blood to come, the radiance brightening as Khirro sank the blade’s tip into the beast’s lower back. The giant howled and jerked away, sending Khirro tumbling back, but not before he’d embedded the sword to its hilt, skewering kidney and lung and heart.

Khirro dug his hands into the sand and pulled himself out of the thrashing beast’s path. The giant stumbled, reaching around in an attempt to grasp the sword’s hilt, its fingers brushing it without finding a hold. It spun a circle like a dog chasing its tail, but the damage proved too much, and the beast dropped to his knees. The ground shuddered under its weight when it pitched forward, face first into the sand, a trickle of blood seeping from the wound in its back.


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AMAZONA kingdom torn by war.

A curse whispered by dying lips. A hero born against his will. Khirro never wanted to be anything more than the farmer he was born to be, but a Shaman's curse binds him to the fallen king and his life changes forever. Driven by the Shaman's dying words, Khirro's journey pits him against an army of the dead, sends him through haunted lands, and thrusts him into the jaws of beasts he wouldn't have believed existed. In one hand he carries the Shaman's enchanted sword, a weapon he can barely use; in the other he holds a vial of the king's blood, the hope of the kingdom. His destination: the Necromancer's keep in the cursed land of Lakesh. Only the mysterious outlaw magician can raise the king from the dead to save them all from the undead invasion, but can Khirro live long enough to deliver the vial?

Can a coward save a kingdom?


Bruce Blake lives on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. When pressing issues like shovelling snow and building igloos don't take up his spare time, Bruce can be found taking the dog sled to the nearest coffee shop to work on his short stories and novels.

Actually, Victoria, B.C. is only a couple hours north of Seattle, Wash., where more rain is seen than snow. Since snow isn't really a pressing issue, Bruce spends more time trying to remember to leave the "u" out of words like "colour" and "neighbour" than he does shovelling (and watch out for those pesky double l's). The father of two, Bruce is also the trophy husband of a burlesque diva.

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AUDIO Tour: The Real You by RM Alexander

THE REAL YOUby RM AlexanderGenre: Romantic Suspense
The world has their eye on A-list actor, Grey Richards. But when Paige Reeds goes to a location shoot in Detroit, she finds his brother, Kellen, far more captivating. The chance meeting grows into an unexpected friendship and an even more unpredictable romance. But when she quits her job to join him in LA, the consequences could be deadly.

Kellen Richards is used to the masks people wear and finds the what-you-see-is-what-you-get Paige refreshing. He doesn't know how, Kellen just knows he wants to be with her. But wealth and fame have dark consequences for his family, and keeping Paige safe from the people out to ruin the Richards won't be as easy as he expects.


An excerpt from The Real You by RM Alexander


✯✯✯✯Well done, Ms. Alexander!By J. Rhoadeson Verified PurchaseWhen I started this story, I thought this was going to be a typical 'average looking girl meets handsome superstar, love ensues' type book. Boy, was I wrong. This is romantic suspense and it will take you on a roller coaster of smiles and tears as things come together and fall apart. The characters were engaging, the dialogue smooth, the feelings genuine, and the suspense, well, suspenseful. The romance is sweet, filled with emotion without the sex and a refreshing change from my usual fare. I enjoyed it tremendously, and I'm looking forward to reading the next installment. Well done, Ms Alexander!

✯✯✯✯✯Must Read Clean Romance!!By T. Lykinson Wow!! This story had me glued from the first page. If you like romance with many twist and turns, this book is for you. So many twist and turns that you will never guess what's coming next and you will be on the edge of your seat the whole time. Paige and Kellan have this instant connection that even the reader can feel. Sometimes they mess up but when they get it right, you will be cheering them on. This is a clean romance story that will make you laugh, cry and feel the struggles each person goes through. So happy I got to read this book early. Everyone will love this story.

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RM Alexander is an author of Contemporary Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Thrillers.

With driven characters who suffer the worse kinds of betrayals, her novels promise a good read with unexpected twists and turns.

When she's not writing, RM is spending time with her husband and two small children in Michigan. She loves to travel, especially to Walt Disney World, and can often be found on Twitter or Facebook chatting with other authors and fans.

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LOOK at ME! Cocktails and Lies by Lynette Sofras #GIVEAWAY

COCKTAILS AND LIESby Lynette Sofras Genre: Cozy Mystery



When Hannah’s house is burgled, she gains as much as she loses: she meets Jan, her reserved Dutch neighbour and successful antiques dealer, and Callum, the detective in charge of the case, then finds some hidden letters to her dead grandmother that take her on an emotional journey of discovery.

As Hannah juggles the attentions of the two men now firmly in her life, she works to uncover the secrets of the past, only to find these encroach on the present in unexpected ways.

And then there are the two men in her life, both vying for her attention, both hiding things from her and each other. What does Callum really know about Jan? What is Jan hiding from everyone? And what did her grandmother—whose house it once was—hide from the world?

As if Hannah doesn’t have enough mysteries to solve, her best friend Rachel enlists her help in solving her marital crisis, while her pleasure-seeking mother seems intent on finding her a husband.

With so many skeletons rattling the door of Hannah’s house, can she unravel these mysterious threads and reveal the truth, changing her life forever?


“Have you seen any more of your Good Samaritan neighbour?”

I caught the hint of sarcasm in his tone.

“No, but then, as you no doubt established, he probably has a better view of my house from his balcony than I do of his apartment.”

He raised an eyebrow and I’m sure I detected a fleeting spark of amusement in his light brown eyes. “The reason I ask is that I understand his auction house has a substantial art deco collection catalogued in the next public auction. If I’m right, that’s scheduled for next Wednesday. I thought he might have told you, in case you wanted to replace some of your stolen items.”

The sting hit like a double whammy. In the first place, hearing this from him, rather than Jan hurt, and the second pain—a more prolonged ache—was the guilt at not protecting my grandmother’s treasures better. I felt I’d lost a part of her that I wish I could have preserved. Replacing her material legacy was not high on my agenda, but no one seemed to understand that. The house felt that bit emptier without them, but replacing them with similar items would not make that any better. I needed the original items back, not copies. And that’s when it struck me.

Grandma’s stolen pieces were not the sort of items that were going to be melted down and made into a different form. They weren’t great works of art, but they were genuine collectors’ items that had value to someone in the art world. My grandmother had left them to us, to my mother, my sister and me with love. They belonged here, in Grandma’s house and that’s exactly where they should be returned. Now I had a mission, to hunt down my grandmother’s legacy item by item, and return everything to its rightful place.

………………….

I sat back in my seat, gave my upper lip a surreptitious swipe with my finger to make sure there was no froth on it, and looked into his friendly eyes.

“Perhaps I never really felt a sense of ownership to my grandmother’s belongings. The burglars didn’t take anything of mine—not that I have that much that would interest them anyway, or anything to which I have any great attachment. As you pointed out, they left a fairly valuable ring behind, so all they wanted was Grandma Elouise’s stuff. She had some lovely antiques and art deco pieces. I might never have bought them myself, but she left them in my custody when she left me her house, so it’s like I’ve let her down by allowing them to be stolen. And that’s what makes me angry. Does that make any sense to you at all?”

He sat watching me for quite a while, before picking up his cup and taking another swig of coffee. At last, he nodded. “Yes, I think so. But I also think a burglary invokes a kind of grieving process, and you’re still very much in the early stages of it.”

That made me laugh out loud. “I’m familiar with the stages of grieving. I deal with grief a lot in my line of work, remember. I’m not grieving; I’m just furious that some low-life broke into my house and stole my grandmother’s treasures. And I want to get them back. That’s all there is to it.” I knew anger was the second stage of the grieving process, but so what?

He smiled, not in the least offended by my outburst and asked in what sounded like a teasing voice, “And do you have an M.O.?”

I shrugged again. That’s not a habit I want to develop, since I've always considered it looks uncouth. “Not a definitive one, as yet. But I have a mother with the nose of a bloodhound, a friend who deals in antiques, another friend with contacts in the seedy criminal underbelly and a loss adjuster’s absolute best friend, the Internet.”

When he laughed, I couldn’t help noticing his good teeth. Nice and white and even. “So I’m your friendly neighbourhood copper now, am I?” he asked.

“Hmm… maybe. I’m working on it, anyway.”



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A former teacher, Lynette gave up her career in education a few years ago in order to focus on her writing and thus fulfil her childhood dream. She writes contemporary women's fiction, usually involving romance with suspense or a supernatural twist. Her first novel was an award winning contemporary romance, ‘The Apple Tree’. Amongst her other titles are 'Killing Jenna Crane', a romantic thriller, ‘Shopping for Love’, a contemporary romance, and 'The Nightclub' a romance packed with suspense. ‘Cocktails and Lies’ is her first cozy mystery. You can find more details of her novels on her website.

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COVER REVEAL: The CASTLE WOLVES series by Melissa Kendall

Castle Wolves Seriesby Melissa Kendall Genre: Paranormal Erotic RomanceCover Designer: Tibbs Design NO SUCH THING AS CAN'T

After a string of failed relationships, thirty-five-year-old Madeline Majors worries her life will never be complete. Her obsession with having a child and her inability to conceive even though a multitude of doctors have said there is nothing medically wrong with her drives her to Madame Evangeline as her last resort.

Garth Summers is a shape shifter with a problem. As Alpha of his pack, he must have an heir by the time he is fifty years of age or a new alpha is chosen from the eligible males in the pack. But as a wolf shifter, he can only conceive with his mate who he has yet to find. With only six weeks remaining, he turns to Madame Eve for help.

Can a one-night stand bring two people the one thing they most desperately want, or will the reality of what they are send them both running?


WHAT SHE NEEDS

Elizabeth Summers is sick of being the baby sister of Garth the pack alpha. Her brother, with the help of his best friends, has taken it upon himself to scare off every guy who has ever shown any interest in her. With a little nudge from her sister-in-law, she decides to seek Madame Eve’s help to give her one night of pure pleasure.

Ernest (Brute) Chalmers is Castle Wolves’ pack enforcer and best friend of Garth. Out of respect for his friend, he has kept his feelings for Garth’s sister a secret. But when he over hears Lizzie talking about signing up for a 1Night Stand, he decides if he doesn’t make his move, he might miss out on his chance at love. Can Brute prove he has what it takes to meet Lizzie’s needs? Or will she send him packing for good?


NOT WHAT HE THOUGHT

Mason Taylor is beta of the Castle Wolves pack. Most people would describe him as a skirt chasing manwhore but in reality it had been years since he found any kind of satisfaction with a woman. Like his Alpha was, he is lonely and wants desperately to meet his mate. After seeing his Alpha find love and happiness through Madame Eve he decides to give it a try. He gives Madame Eve just one instruction - find him his soul mate. The moment he walks into the room, he catches his dates scent and knows instantly they are his mate. When he sees the person though he is shocked there has to be some mistake.

Sebastian Cooke has always known he was gay but growing up in the wilds of Alaska, he has always found it hard to truly be himself. After his friend and fellow pilot, Kate, suggests he give 1NS a try he figures he has nothing left to lose. The last person he is expecting to show up in his hotel room is Mason Taylor.

Can two men get over the preconceived notion of who each other is to find the love they have been desperately looking for?



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BOOK 1 - No Such Thing as Can't
She was on her way to the bathroom to pee again for the umpteenth time when a knock sounded on the door. Still a few minutes, but he could be early. She walked to the door and checked the peephole. A broad, muscled torso wearing a light-blue button-down and navy coat was all she could see.

Holy crap! 

She checked her appearance one last time in the mirror on the door then pulled it open. Tall at five foot nine inches, but even she had to tilt her head back to see the face of the man standing in front of her. If someone asked her to describe her dream man, they would have gotten a picture of this guy. His wide brown eyes were so dark they were almost black, and his square jaw bore the perfect light dusting of hair. He stood a good head and shoulders taller than her, so he had to be at least six and a half feet tall. And oh, the muscles. He may still be clothed, but not an ounce of fat marred his trim figure.

“Hi,” she said after ogling her fill.

“Hi,” he replied. Only a single syllable but the deep baritone of his voice was like a caress of her most intimate places. If she’d worn panties, they’d be ruined. “Are you Madeline Majors?”

“Yes. I take it you’re Garth Summers.” He nodded. She held out her hand. “Nice to meet you.” Instead of shaking her hand, he grasped and turned it palm up then brought his lips down in the gentlest of pecks. If she didn’t know any better, she would have thought he’d sucked on her clit the way desire ricocheted from the tips of her fingers all the way down to her toes.

“Very nice to meet you, too.” He straightened. “May I come in?”

Maddy almost slapped herself in the forehead for being such a dunce. “Of course. Please.” She stepped back to make way for him to enter.

Garth walked past her, his arm brushing her chest. Her nipples hardened to tight peaks, eager for him to repeat the touch. Whether the contact had been on purpose or not, she was in for one hell of a night if their interactions so far offered any indication.

Thank you, Madame Eve.

Melissa Kendall is a forty-year-old mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, the second-most isolated capital city in the world. Predominantly a stay-at-home mum, she works a few hours a week as a software support consultant. She has always loved to read and write, and spent most of her teens writing poetry and short stories. Over the years, daily life got in the way and she lost the passion for it, but after the birth of her first child, Melissa discovered e-books and her interest in writing rekindled. She is now the author of four published short stories. Matronly Duties is her first full-length novel.

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Promo TOUR: Alone by SM Ford

ALONEby SM Ford Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense Ready for adventure in the snowy Colorado mountains, Cecelia Gage is thrilled to be employed as the live-in housekeeper for her favorite bestselling author. The twenty-five-year old doesn’t count on Mark Andrews being so prickly, nor becoming part of the small town gossip centering on the celebrity. Neither does she expect to become involved in Andrews family drama and a relationship with Simon Lindley, Mark’s oh so good-looking best friend. And certainly, Cecelia has no idea she’ll be mixed up in a murder investigation because of this job.

Will Cecelia’s faith in God get her through all the trouble that lies ahead?

Prologue

I know I should go to bed. But how can I? Instead I want to cry or scream or have some feminine fit to protest the reality of this evening and have someone sympathize with me or hold my hand or hold me in their arms . . . But I’m alone. Alone, as I’m afraid I’ll be the rest of my life. And there is no one to call. Simon is out of town and Mark . . . Mark is in jail.

Remembering the town’s small police station with its two cramped cells, I shudder. Each stark chamber is only six by eight feet. The bed, a concrete shelf covered by a thin plastic mattress. No chairs. In the corner behind a half wall are a lidless toilet and a miniature sink. The cells are only meant to be temporary holding tanks for drunks or lawbreakers of minor crimes. Not for an accused murderer. Not for Mark!

The clock strikes the hour: two in the morning. I’m pacing again. I force myself to stop. With a shaking hand I push an escaped strand of hair out of my eyes. The room is as cold as the snow falling outside. Maybe a cup of hot chocolate would help. I can’t go to sleep the way I am and I don’t know how to pray anymore.

I switch off the living room lamps and make my way to the kitchen. I’d forgotten what a disaster it is. The stove’s center island is littered with dirty coffee cups, a pile of limp tea bags on a saucer, crumpled napkins, spoons resting in untidy brown circles on the shiny surface. Mark had been hospitable to the men who’d taken him away. Fighting tears, I put the lid back on the instant coffee and screw it down tight.

I throw away the garbage, load the dishwasher, and put coffee and tea back in the cupboard. The dishrag is cold and soggy in the bottom of the sink. I rinse it with warm water and go to work on the stains on the cream-colored counter top. Maybe the harder I scrub, the better I’ll be able to block out the images in my mind of the body in its pool of blood in the study . . . and of Mark put in handcuffs and marched out to the waiting police car.

Amazon ✯ B&N ✯ iTunes ✯ Kobo ✯ Smashwords ✯ Goodreads SM Ford writes inspirational fiction for adults, although teens may find the stories of interest, too.

When she was 13 she got hooked on Mary Stewart's romantic suspense books, although she has been a reader as long as she can remember, and is an eclectic reader. Inspirational authors she enjoys include: Francine Rivers, Bodie Thoene, Dee Henderson, Jan Karon, and many more.

SM Ford is a Pacific Northwest gal, but has also lived in the midwest (Colorado and Kansas) and on the east coast (New Jersey). She and her husband have two daughters and two sons-in-law and three grandsons. She can't figure out how she got to be old enough for all that, however.

She loves assisting other writers on their journeys.

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LOOK at ME! The Untold Stories of Neverland by K.R. Thompson

THE UNTOLD STORIES OF NEVERLANDby K.R. Thompson
Content Warning: Suitable for ages 13 and up. This is a darker series, showing how the characters in Neverland came to be. This isn’t your Disney variety of Neverland, it is more like the television series Once Upon a Time.


Neverland has always been their sanctuary—until now.

Magic is dying in Neverland--and so are the pixies. Only one is brave enough to search the human world for someone to believe. Tink finds a desolate boy flying in the night, peering in windows, searching for the life he once knew. But can she convince him to abandon his quest and save Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the boy destined to become Peter Pan.

***This is a short story depicting Pan's arrival in Neverland. As Peter is a main character, his adventures continue on throughout the rest of the series.***


THE TINY PIXIE flew over the dark rooftops to the crumbling tower in the center of the town. Zipping to the top, she chose her usual spot and greeted the gargoyle perched on the edge of the roof. Taking one final look to make sure she had the best view, she plopped down on the tip of the monster’s nose and settled in to watch the boy fly from house to house.

Back and forth, from one window to the next he flew, staying at each only long enough to peer through the panes of glass…searching…

At least he was taking his task seriously, she decided, watching him raise up on his toes in an effort to gain a better look inside one darkened, upstairs room. Some guardians were lazy, but this one was not, which was just as well, she noted, as the small, shadowy figure of a child exited through the window and joined him. A few seconds later, the two flew off into the night sky. The children of humans could be a handful—the ghosts of them even more so, especially when they realized they were no longer among the living. It only made sense to appoint another child to deal with their sorrow and accompany their spirits to the other side.

The source of her attention currently gone, the pixie idly kicked into the open air. Small bits of dust sprinkled each time her feet touched the open mouth of the monster she’d been making a seat of. She glanced down, noticing his bottom teeth now sparkled like gold in the moonlight, giving him an even more ferocious look.

The poor thing looked dreadful, with long curling teeth and bulging eyes—nothing at all like her own pretty, golden self. She gave him a bright smile. Likely, that was the only kindness ever given the monster forever stuck up here on the edge of this roof, so she reached down and gave his hard cheek an affectionate pat before turning her attention back to the sprawling town below. After all, she hadn’t come to save this monster. She’d come for the boy and soon he would need her—but not nearly as much as she needed him.

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Sitting in the dark corners of the print shop, Archie Jameson dreams of adventure, never imagining it will find him.

A twist of fate lands him beneath unfamiliar stars with a small pixie to guide his way. What new adventures lie in Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the man destined to become Captain Hook.


AN ETERNITY PASSED before Big Ben tolled five bells. They were heavenly peals to Archibald Jameson, who began to wonder if time had somehow gotten stuck or if the gigantic clock across the square was broken. Stretching out his long legs, he stood up from the desk and scooted around the corner, taking care not to bump the towering mountain of paper at the edge. Naturally, it was the largest stack in the entire room—the work that he had yet to finish. If he was even a fraction as meticulous a man as his father—the very man who left him the shop—he would have stayed, locked the front door, and remained into the wee hours to finish the work, however long it should take.

But he was not his father, and he had no intention of pretending to be so. While he was very good at running the print shop, it wasn’t something he enjoyed. It was only what he must do to ensure his survival. Remaining any longer than necessary just wasn’t going to happen as far as Archie was concerned. His inheritance should have been a blessing since he was the youngest of four sons. Without the steady work the shop provided, he might as well have lived out on the street, begging for what scraps could be found. To him, the feel of the paper and smell of ink felt like a prison where he was trapped day in and out. His only release came in daydreams. As he pondered another life or another world, the work piled up before him. He spent hours upon hours each day, dreaming of adventure, of places and people that always made those in his life seem dull in comparison. Those daydreams made his life bearable.

But even the daydreams wouldn’t hold him there once Big Ben chimed its fifth peal. He never stayed a second longer than required.

He blew out lamps and turned over the sign in the window, then pulled on his frayed, black frock. He took one last glance around, then slapped on his hat and stepped outside. Chilly air greeted him as he pulled the door shut, listening to the muted sounds of the doorbell. He turned the key in the lock and jiggled the knob.

Odd, he thought. The tinkling sounds he heard earlier sounded nothing at all like the brass bell on the frame of that door. Odd, indeed. Perhaps it was the remnants of his latest daydream, for the door had never sounded that way before. Still pondering the bell, he turned and rammed directly into a young boy, who let out an audible oof, as he landed on the side of the street.

“I do beg your pardon,” Archie said, offering both his apologies and his hand to help the boy up. The lad flashed a smile, showing a unique set of small, pearly white teeth, before he took Archie’s proffered hand and replied, “Quite alright.” Without waiting for Archie to say anything more, the boy took off, disappearing around the bend.

Hunching over against the cold wind that sent leaves dancing about his legs, Archie shoved his hands deep into his pockets, and made his way down the bricked street, no longer in the rush he was in moments before.

“Mary, I don’t see how we can afford to keep her.” The booming voice was startling. Archie glanced up at a window, which was open in spite of the chill. “Let’s see, two pounds nineteen…”

“George, dear…”

“Now, Mary, hold on a moment. I have the tally right here. Do you think we might try it for half a year on say, five five three? Only half the year, mind you. Oh, drat, I forgot to figure in colic.”

The voice of the man and his wife argued back and forth as Archibald stood, rooted in place, wondering at their strange conversation. As this was his normal route home, he walked by No. 27 every evening. He half-hoped this financial dispute might possibly involve their dog. If it did, he would be more than willing to step up and offer to solve their financial dilemma. He lived alone and the thought of the trim Newfoundland he had seen carrying in bottles of milk from the front steps bolstered his spirits.

The talk of colic, however, kept him from knocking on the front door.

“Shall we say one pound? Yes, that is what I’ll put down. But what of mumps? I’ve heard that can be quite taxing. I daresay that should be twenty shillings there. Don’t give me that look, Mary.”

It was at this point a sharp cry of an infant pierced their conversation and Archibald was quite certain that Nana the Newfoundland was most assuredly not the topic of money, colic, mumps, and their current distraught state. He shook his head, wondering about the sanity of the Darlings in No. 27 as the silhouette of a woman he presumed to be Mary shut the window and the voices muted.

Poor Nana, Archibald thought, to be stuck with people such as that.

He didn’t even want to think about the child whose fate rested on the odds of her contracting whooping-cough and so he openly wished the inhabitants of No. 27 would not be so lucky as to have any additional offspring. He voiced exactly that, and in that same instant, heard that funny peal of bells again. This time it sounded suspiciously like laughter.

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Thespa, queen of the water sprites, has brought her own Lost Ones to Neverland. As the mermaids and mermen arrive, the magic returns once more to the Never Sea.

But with these newest inhabitants, something darker and more dangerous than the crocodile lies beneath the surface.

Discover the untold story of the one destined to become the sea witch of Neverland.


THESPA, QUEEN OF the water sprites, and ruler of all the Never Sea, returned to the human world with a profound sense of dread. As the leader of the watery half of Neverland, not much worried her.

At least, it hadn’t until the humans began forgetting about magic and the sprites began dying.

This trip back to the human world wasn’t one she had made out of choice—necessity brought her here. She’d come to find someone to believe in her, possibly several someones, depending upon how successful her quest proved to be. Then, she’d bring them back with her as a sort of insurance so she’d never have to come to this wretched place again.

Fish won’t do, she decided, staring at the wide-set eyes of one particularly ugly pufferfish. She stood on a wide piece of coral, deep beneath the waves of this warm human ocean, and looked around. More unintelligent fish, crabs, and other sea creatures milled about, none looking particularly pleased or excited to see her. The only ones who showed any interest in her at all were the ones who stopped just long enough to see if she was a small, sparkly bit of food.

This could take forever. Her wings dipped down in dejection. I wonder how long it took the pixie to find that flying Peter-boy?

One of the golden pixies, Tink, had been the first to bring someone to Neverland. When that proved successful, she’d brought a handful more. Her Lost Ones, the pixie had named them. They were, Tink explained, the ones the human world wouldn’t miss.

Thespa crinkled her nose in disgust. As a creature of the sea, she didn’t care for humans. Though they resembled water sprites and had legs to walk about on, they lacked a graceful set of wings that could take them through both water and air. And they most certainly didn’t have any magic. Humans were meant to be above the sea, not below it. Still, the idea of taking someone or something to Neverland that wouldn’t be missed did appeal to Thespa. She sighed, wondering again how long it took Tink to find her Lost Ones.

She started to fly from her perch and try a new place when something stopped her. Literally.

Thespa looked down and scowled, kicking the errant strand of seaweed that had twisted itself around her foot. The bit of green plant gave way at her vicious kick, but left a long green streak of slime down the length of her leg as a parting gift. This, of course, did absolutely nothing to improve her mood.

She was so aggravated that something extremely important had escaped her notice—the gaping jaws of an eel headed directly at her. Her anger disappeared in a fleeting second, but it was too late to move.

Then, a hand wrapped around her an instant before the monster’s teeth snapped.

Nonplussed at missing its small, sparkly appetizer, the eel swam off in search of another easy, unsuspecting meal.

Once the hand opened, Thespa let out an uneasy breath and looked up into a pair of wide, silver eyes, framed by long locks of blond hair.

At first, she thought she’d been saved by a human, but then she spotted his long tail and realized he was as much a creature of the sea as she—and he was exactly who she’d been searching for.

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Memories are fading as the pirates forget the life they once knew. Only one has managed to remember his life before Pan whisked him away to Neverland--and he's determined to find a way to escape in spite of Hook's need for revenge.

Seeking a way to restore the memories of the Jolig Roger's crew, Jack crosses paths with a mermaid searching for her own answers to Neverland's secrets.

Discover the untold story of the Lost Boy who was destined to grow up and the mermaid who will steal his heart.


It was doubtful the mermaid who had saved him the day before was going to be there to guide him again today, but the unexpected thought of her made him want to peer into the water in hopes of seeing her beautiful face.

He shook his head. It wouldn’t do to get preoccupied with her now. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted a crooked wooden sign hung precariously on one jutting rock at his left. Shallows. Ye be warned, it told him. Each time the pirates had a mishap, they’d gone to making some sort of sign to warn others in the crew. Being as the pirates were a suspicious sort, there were such signs scattered across the island. Jack had seen many of them. Some of them were legitimate, while others were a matter of opinion. Once he’d seen a sign at the bottom of a tree, an arrow pointed up at the branches where a honeybee’s nest sat.

No worth it. Ye be warned. The maker of that particular sign had been Bob Murphy, who had fallen out of said tree and suffered a broken finger.

The thought of Murphy made Jack turn his attention back to Patch and Beetles. In a few more strokes, they would be at the shore, and were clear of all signs of the rocks. The taller boy seemed lost in thought, oblivious to everything around him. Beetles, on the other hand, was staring directly at Jack. “The one Pan brought isn’t right,” he said finally.

The boy startled Jack so badly he nearly dropped an oar. “Beg your pardon?”

“The mother Pan brought today. She isn’t right,” the boy said again. He crossed his arms and hugged his middle, as if he had suddenly gotten cold. “I remember my mother…” He stopped and glanced over at Patch. “…and he does too. Our mothers didn’t look like her.” His gaze locked onto Jack’s. Knowledge and understanding gleamed in his eyes. “We remember who we were when he found us. We know why Neverlings don’t grow up.”

Patch’s voice cut in, quiet yet accusing. “And we know why you did.”

Amazon-kindle ✯ Amazon-paperback ✯ Goodreads K.R. Thompson writes paranormal stories with a bite and fairytales with a twist. An avid reader and firm believer in the magic of books, she spends her nights either reading an adventure or writing one.

She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.​​ Be the first to know about new releases! Join my VIP mailing list for the latest in my stories, exclusive excerpts, giveaways, contests, and more!

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PROMO TOUR: Friendly Fire by Claudia Hall Christian #GIVEAWAY

FRIENDLY FIREa Seth and Ava Mystery (Book 3) byClaudia Hall Christian
Friendly Fire begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. Seth’s father figure and personal Lucifer is acting crazy. A day later, Seth learns that his mother wants him to find something that his biological father left at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital.

Standing in the lobby of the place that had restored him after two tours through the blood and muck of tunnels of Vietnam, Seth is drawn into a mystery that will take him through the meltdown of Reactor Four at Chernobyl to meet Russian Olympic marksmen and discover that a familiar demon is covering its tracks.

In the end, Seth learns the most important kind of friendly fire from a man who had suffered horrific trauma and a woman who’d lived through the worst life can dish out.

If you like Seth O’Malley, Friendly Fire is the book for you.

Friendly Fire is filled with memorable characters, romance, and intrigue readers have come to expect from Claudia Hall Christian. Friendly Fire is the third in the Seth and Ava Mystery series.

“Dad?”

Seth felt a small hand touch his shoulder. Curled up on his right side, Seth opened his eyes and saw no one. Sleep tugged at him, and he closed his eyes again.

“Dad? It’s Lizzie.”

Seth sat up in bed. Lizzie was his eldest daughter, from his crazy first marriage. She reentered Seth’s life when she was six months pregnant with her stepfather’s child. Seth blinked. Even in the dim light, he could tell that she was well. He smiled at her.

“What?” Lizzie asked.

“In this light . . .,” Seth said. “You look like my mother.”

“Is that a good thing?” Lizzie asked. Self-conscious, she tucked a piece of perfectly coifed blond hair behind her ear.

“A very good thing,” Seth said. He realized he was naked. “I’m sorry, Lizzie. Would you mind . . .”

Lizzie nodded and turned around. Seth went to the closet and pulled on jeans.

“Okay,” Seth said.

He pulled a white undershirt over his head. She helped him get the shirt over his bandaged arm.

“What’s going on?” Seth asked.

“It’s Julie Ann,” Lizzie said. Tears appeared in her eyes.

“What’s Julie Ann?” Seth asked about his second daughter from his crazy first marriage.

Julie Ann was on active duty with the US Marine Corps. Seth grabbed a collared shirt. With Lizzie’s help, he put it on over the T-shirt.

“Her team was overcome by the Taliban,” Lizzie said. “They’ve taken heavy casualties. She’s been injured. According to the phone call, she’s expected to reach Kabul by nightfall. She’ll be evacuated to Germany.”

“Did they say how bad it was?” Seth asked as he threaded a belt through the loops in his jeans.

“They don’t know,” Lizzie said. “Bad, I guess. I tried to look it up online but . . .”

“Who called you?” Seth asked.

“Oh, Dad, I don’t know,” Lizzie said. “I can never keep track of that stuff — some military something or another — and when he told me about Jules, I . . . He said that he couldn’t find you, so he called me. Schmidty and I took the first plane to Denver to be here to tell you in person. The man said it would be a miracle if Julie Ann survived. I thought you’d want to go there.”

Lizzie came to him, and he put his arms around her. Over her shoulder, he tried to work it out. He felt moisture from her tears through his shirt.

“Where’s your husband?” Seth asked. “Where’s Schmidty?”

“He had some business with that R and B guy,” Lizzie said. “He dropped me off here so we could have some time alone.”

Lizzie looked at him with hurt eyes.

“Don’t you want to share this with me?” Lizzie asked. “Julie Ann . . .”

Lizzie’s eyes traveled over Seth’s face.

“What is it?” Lizzie asked. Her soft, sad voice shifted to steel. “What did I do?”

“Nothing,” Seth said, with a shake of his head.

“Dad?” Lizzie asked.

“Julie Ann isn’t in Afghanistan,” Seth said. “I talked to her last weekend. She’s learning to fly UAVs at a base in North Dakota. Grand Rapids, I think, but she wasn’t able to tell me.”

“Why didn’t she tell me?” Lizzie asked.

“It’s classified,” Seth said.

“What the fuck is going on?” Lizzie asked, and then she gasped. “They wanted to know where you were!”


✯✯✯✯✯Love! Love! Love!By angelhwk68 Verified PurchaseOnce again Claudia Hall Christian has kept me enthralled from page one. Family, love, mystery and a great ride! Seth has some surprises and revelations. Wow! As always I will wait patiently for the next one!

✯✯✯✯✯Heartwarming story weaved into a fast paced suspenseBy Anna Denton Verified PurchaseThis story is a mystery interwoven around a heartfelt family saga. Beautifully crafted with fast paced drama, keeps you turning the pages. The only negative was that I ran out of book to read.

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The Tax Assassin ✯ The Carving Knife
Claudia Hall Christian is a consummate storyteller. Whether she’s writing the long running Denver Cereal or a short blurb for her neighborhood newsletter, she tells heartwarming stories that leaves people longing for more. These skills make writing traditional serial fiction — long-form stories that are published as they are written — a natural for Claudia. Her lifelong writing goal is to write a serial fiction set in every state in the United States. So far, she’s brought her brand of addictive, heartwarming fiction to Fort Worth, Texas, in the Queen of Cool, to Denver for the Denver Cereal, and now to Boston for Suffer a Witch. Last year, Claudia released the first of the Jornada del Muerto novellas set in Santa Fe.

A prolific author, Claudia also writes the Amazon bestselling the Alex the Fey thrillers, as well as the Seth and Ava Mysteries. She currently has 22 published works. In order to keep up with her storytelling capacity, she co-founded a publishing house, Cook Street Publishing, with a group of friends.

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LOOK at ME! Feather Light by Lorenz Font

FEATHER LIGHT
by

Lorenz FontOfficial genre of book: Erotic Contemporary Romance



Parker Davis has conquered three major American cities and is the new ‘it’ man in massage. He earned the nickname ‘Feather Light’ for his sensual touches, tender caresses, and soft voice eliciting an almost orgasmic release. Clients from all over clamor for his services, and his clientele are growing by the minute. Business is at its peak, which makes Parker a busy man who has no time to deal with problems, let alone dwell on his blindness. With his declining vision, Parker has to accept his limitations and the changes brought forth by this disease, but he is not ready to relinquish the last control he has left. He is still the master in his bedroom. Kelly Storm, a Hollywood actress, will do whatever it takes to get some much-deserved peace. Being famous has its perks, except the little privacy her popularity afforded her is slowly eating at her. With the paparazzi hounding her every minute of the day and her personal life under constant scrutiny, Kelly wants a semblance of normalcy wherever she can get it. Under the urging of a close friend, she agrees give Parker a try.

Their first meeting is nothing she expects. Kelly finds comfort in his gentle probing and the spellbinding experience guaranteed to keep her coming back for more. Parker knows the woman on his table is special. He feels her vulnerability with his fingertips, and her smooth curves leave a burning ache inside him.

One night of steamy passion is all it takes to know that they wanted each other in more ways than one. Kelly hides in heavy disguises, making it impossible for Parker to know her true identity. What secret is Kelly keeping, and will she trust Parker enough to tell him the truth? Will Parker see beyond Kelly’s lies to show her what a future with him holds?



He settled next to her, touching the contour of her body before he straddled her. “I don’t hesitate. Believe me, I want to take you, but there are few rules I want you to know first.”

“Rules?” There was a slight tremor in her voice.

He nodded and focused on the round shape he believed was her face. He lowered himself close enough to get the feel of her body underneath him. “You don’t ask what I’m doing. If you don’t like it, you will give me a word you don’t say very often.”

“A word? What for?”

“Because I will make love to you the way I know how.”

Another round of erratic breathing followed. “Um . . . what kind of word do you want me to use?”

“It’s called a safeword. Anything out of the ordinary—something you don’t normally use. It can even be a name.” He let his lips graze along her cheek, getting familiar with her scent. He felt her shudder, and she clasped her arms around his neck.


✯✯✯✯✯Excellent DramaBy Dee ArcherWow! A beautiful story of facing fears, overcoming rejection & loss and finding sweet love. I found it so interesting to be inside the head of one physically blind and to experience his fears, frustrations, anger and despair.Parker & Kelly were a good fit, two halves making a whole. Parker's eyes were blind but his touches could reach deeply into the inner beauty of the soul. Kelly's experience, on the other hand, had only been to be desired by men for her physical beauty but blinded to her inner true self.However, her deception to preserve her emotional survival only magnified Parker's inner fear of his blindness and the rejection by a past lover. It all comes to a head with a bomb blast...kaboom!...with shards and splinters everywhere. When the smoke clears and the dust settles, lying amid the debris, something sparkles like a diamond. A shiny cd that turns out to be the key to forgiving the unforgivable.Whenever emotions are expressed by the reader while immersed in a story, it is a sign the writing is excellent. It was all there. It is worth the time and effort to read this story; I guarantee you won't be sorry. Five Stars.

✯✯✯✯✯Perfect balance of sex and heart.By Mcj Somera CampbellI truly enjoyed reading this book simply because it is very well written and that the author did not sacrifice the story line for the infusion of erotic scenes. It is a perfect balance of sex & heart. It depicts the characters in a realistic fashion where man is flawed and make mistakes. Plus the "feel good" that there is always hope and forgiveness. You cannot help but relate to the characters and understand their pain. How can you not forgive Parker? And how can you not empathize with Kelly? And not to mention the sex/lovemaking....steamy. Is is just an awesome read!


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A professional daydreamer, Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. Since being published in 2013, she has been conspiring, butting heads, and enjoying her spare time with vampires, angels, samurais, and other creatures she has created in her head.

Her perfect day consists of writing and lounging on her garage couch (a.k.a. the office) with a glass of her favorite cabernet while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She finds writing urban fantasy exhilarating and places an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories.

Lorenz lives in Southern California with her supportive family and three demanding dogs.

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NEW RELEASE! Boomerang by E.M. Denning

BOOMERANGbyE.M. Denning
Eli Cooper and Violet Holt haven’t gotten along well in the year their parents have been married, so it’s better that they don’t see each other often. After an averted disaster, sparks fly and now Violet can’t get Eli off her mind. Violet only has to avoid him for thirty more days, then she’ll be safely back at college and can focus her energy on her studies, but Eli isn’t so easily ignored.

Eventually, passion flares and they both give into temptation. Only one question remains when it’s over– What do you do when the one person you can’t get over is the one person you’re not supposed to be with?

Three hours until I was on a plane, and my heart was a rock in my chest. Eli and I had avoided each other since the other day after the country club, but not because we suddenly regretted what we’d done. I sighed and shoved another armload of clothes into my suitcase. It would be easier if I regretted it. The problem was I didn’t. I should have, probably, at least a little, but I couldn’t. And I didn’t think he regretted it either. Every time we were alone we stole glances at one another, and when our gazes met, I always felt a shockwave in the deepest parts of myself.

I turned as someone softly knocked on my door.

“Come in.”

My breath caught in my throat when Eli walked into my room. He softly shut the door behind him.

“I wanted to say goodbye.” His voice sounded strained, as if he held back a mountain of emotion.

I tried to force a smile, but it fell flat. “You’ll see me at Thanksgiving.” I tore my gaze away. “I have a lot of packing to do.”

Eli nodded. “I should let you get to it.”

He headed for the door, and I suddenly couldn’t stand the thought of him leaving this room. A stilted goodbye wasn’t how I wanted to leave things between us.

“Eli, wait.” I reached for my sketchbook and flipped to a recent sketch I’d done of him and Boomer. I carefully tore it out. “I want you to have this.” My fingers trembled as I held it out to him.

He took the paper, held it carefully in his fingers. After a long moment, he slowly raised his gaze. “Violet.”

Our resolve collectively crumbled and we took a step toward each other at the same time. Our mouths crashed together, and for thirty or forty of the most delicious seconds I’d ever experienced, we kissed. Nothing else existed. Just his breath, my breath. His lips, his tongue, the way his hand felt as he tenderly cupped the side of my face. I was the first to pull away, though, because this couldn’t go on. This had to stop now, with the end of summer. I’d go to college and get over this, whatever it was. Everything would go back to normal. It had to.

“Goodbye, Eli.” Two words. Four syllables. That was all it took to break my heart.

Eli took a step back and cocked a smile. “See you later, Vi.”

The words came out in his usual careless way, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes, and I saw the sadness in them. He slipped out of the room, and I spent the next few minutes staring at the door. I was completely hollow, numb inside and out. I told myself it would pass. The emptiness would fade and life would go back to normal once I was back on campus.
Amazon ✯ Paperback ✯ B&N ✯ Kobo ✯ Goodreads ✯ Scribd ✯ iTunes E. M. Denning is a writer from British Columbia. She loves her family and her animals and anything cute and fuzzy. She was born a hopeless romantic and when she’s not writing romance, she’s probably reading it. She loves love.

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Scandalous Spirited Reads $200 GIFTCARD Giveaway!

Scandalous Spirited Reads
are going to help you  STUFF YOUR eREADER ! 

That's right, we're hosting a bumper FREE books and $0.99 BARGAIN
STUFF YOUR eREADER campaign on the 5th October!

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