Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 47
October 6, 2015
Spotlight On: Regretting Redemption by Bonnie R. Paulson
Mary’s never been completely honest with anyone–especially herself.
The man she’s supposed to marry reminds her of her father in ways she’s suppressed for years–controlling, abusive, and manipulative. The sisters she’s finally found don’t understand her shame or confusion.
When Ian enters the picture with his British accent and Montana tan, Mary starts to question the past and her loyalty to a father who took away all her chances at true happiness.
Can Mary help her sisters break free from their father’s diabolical past? Or will his sins corrupt any chance at true happiness with Ian? And herself?
Excerpt
Why couldn’t Ian get his head wrapped around working on the stupid fence post? Some idiot had driven off the road the night before and smashed into a post made of treated wood and then gotten his vehicle towed before Ian could find out who did it.
He growled as he pushed on one side of the post and then the other. His thoughts weren’t focused on removing the damaged fence piece and replacing it. He couldn’t escape tortuous thoughts about Mary getting married the day before. He kicked the post with the sole of his cowboy boot.
By that time, he’d worked himself up so much, he had her married off in his mind and convinced himself she was gone forever.
A car drove up, pulling to the side. If it was the stupid driver who’d wrecked his fence, right then was not the time to show up and apologize.
Ian whirled, fists clenched, ready to take someone on.
But Mary’s Subaru parked just off the shoulder of the road and she opened the door. Her slim cut jeans and t-shirt took the spur right out of his side.
He dropped his hands, turning back to the post before his confusion made him nauseous. Why was she there? To tell him about the wedding? He ground his teeth. Thanks but no thanks. He didn’t need any updates on her happily-ever-after nuptials.
The soft crunch of gravel as she approached made him close his eyes. Slowly he turned, careful to hide his roiling emotions. “Hi, Mary.”
“Hi, Ian.” She smiled at him, like she hadn’t torn up all his hopes and tossed them along the highway like forgotten litter.
“I hear you got married. How’s the honeymoon?” Great. He hadn’t wanted to sound bitter, but there his pain was, in plain view of her and God and anyone driving by. He rolled his hand to stretch his wrist to do something, anything to make himself feel better, feel different.
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Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every 
romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.
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Halloween Party Blog Hop ~ Favorite Halloween Meme and Vampire Movies
Welcome to the Halloween Party Blog Hop, hosted by Kim Kasch! In this hop, authors are gearing up for the paranormal season with pictures, stories, costume ideas, and more.
Today, I’m sharing my favorite Halloween-themed meme, a list of my favorite vampire movies, and a snippet from my novel Sanguinary. So check it all out, then HOP over to Kim’s site for the rest of the Halloween Hop happenings! Before you go, though, leave me comment and share your favorite meme or vampire movie!
Margo’s Favorite Vampire Movies
As a general rule, I like my filmic vampires to be brutal and bloodthirsty—as much as I enjoy the recent trend toward sexy vampires (because YUM), I think there’s a reason that we, as a culture, keep coming back to the kinds of vampires who are absolute monsters. Both kinds of vampires—those we want to devour and those who want to devour us—are the expression of the human id, that part of us that is unsocialized, that wants what it wants without thought of consequence. The hot vampires of paranormal romance allow us to fantasize about one kind of unsocialized behavior. But the murderous vampires allow us to explore even darker fantasies.
The vampires in my own new release, Sanguinary, don’t have a sparkle among them; they are, for the most part, more beast than beauty (with one cowboy-vampire exception)—as are the vampires in almost all of the movies on my “Top Five” list below. So in no particular order, here are my top five favorite vampire films:
30 Days of Night: I love the fact that the vampires in this film are truly monstrous—they look like they’ve been transformed into rat-faced horrors with sharp teeth, and they are utterly vicious. I also like the nice shout-outs to Dracula: the vampires show up on a ship and come slinking into town without warning to take over.
From Dusk til Dawn: Again, these vampires are brutal. I love the fact that they have a vampire biker bar and that unsuspecting travelers are drawn in. There’s lots of blood and gore, but my favorite part is the implication of the last image of the film as the camera pulls away from the back of the bar and pans down: the vampires inside the bar were only the tip of the iceberg. They’ve been around for a long time, and the coming of dawn implies only a temporary reprieve.
The Lost Boys: Keifer Sutherland as the Peter Pan of vampires. What could be better? I love the setting of this film (sunny California is such a ridiculous place for vampires to live!), I love the odd familial element of the head vampire courting the divorced mother, and I love the Coreys Haim and Feldman as comic-book-trained vampire hunters.
Fright Night: I’m going to break with general critical trends here and say that I love the 2011 remake of Fright Night. I think that Colin Ferrell made a great vampiric neighbor, all creepy and stalkerish. And David Tennant as the freaked-out, washed-up, checked-out vampire hunter who gets back in the game absolutely rocked.
Blade: My favorite movie of the Blade series is the first one (though I also like Blade: Trinity, wherein Jessica Biel kicks much ass). I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a scene any creepier than the opening of Blade, where the sprinklers come on in the back-room nightclub and cover everyone in blood. The vampires dancing in blood while the humans scream is an amazing visual example of the sensuality connected to the horror of the vampire.
What about you? What are some of your favorite vampire movies? I’m always on the lookout for more, so I’d love to hear your suggestions!
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Detective Cami Davis and her sexy, cowboy-turned-vampire informant are all that’s standing between humanity and monsters who would rule the world—and all that’s standing between them having a torrid love affair is the fact that he’s an enemy of humanity.
THROUGH DARKEST TEMPTATION
When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department. She didn’t know then what she knows now: A silent war rages between humans and their supposedly pacified predators, and the vampires are winning. With the clock running out on her kind, Cami will do whatever she must to defeat the “Sanguinary.”
Enter Reese Fulton, a disaffected ex-cop and a vampire. She can’t exactly trust him, but with his cowboy boots and good-ole-boy drawl he’s the perfect beard for Cami’s fledgling undercover operation. Yet playing Reese’s Claimed—a vampire’s personal bloodgiver—isn’t as straightforward as she was led to believe. His bite is as enthralling as his dimpled smile, and soon Cami is wondering which will pose more of a challenge: subduing the enemies of humanity…or her own desire.
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Excerpt
“Are you looking, Garrett?” the small one asked.
“Maybe.” He smiled at her, his voice playful. My stomach curdled at the intimacy I heard there—and at the realization that my partner hadn’t fully briefed me on what to expect tonight.
“Your friend doesn’t like it when you flirt,” the taller one said.
I glared at her. Vampires should not know more about me than I do.
“I’ll have to see that she gets over it,” a voice drawled from behind me. I whipped my head around in time to see a man standing up from a barstool behind me. I hadn’t even noticed he was there.
God knows how I could have missed him.
He wore jeans and a dark blue button-down shirt. He had on dark brown cowboy boots, and as he turned away from the bar, he picked up a black felt cowboy hat from the seat next to him, placing it on his head. On anyone else, I might have assumed that the hats and boots were an affectation. On him, they looked perfect. He was utterly beautiful, with bright green eyes and dark hair that curled down to barely brush the back of his collar.
I am undercover, I reminded myself sternly. Here to do a job.
When Garrett caught my gaze in his, flicking his glance toward the cowboy vamp, it was all I could do to keep from sighing aloud.
Would it have killed my partner to be a little more descriptive when he briefed me?
Of course that was the vampire cowboy I had to get close to tonight.
No making eyes at the informants, Cami.
But damn, he was hot.
“Nice scars.” His gaze skimmed along my bared shoulder.
“Thanks,” I said, almost breathless.
And I am absolutely not attracted to vampires.
I could keep telling myself that.
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
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October 5, 2015
Spotlight On: Never Say Never by Emily Goodwin
Title: Never Say Never
Author: Emily Goodwin
Genre: Full length, stand-alone contemporary romance
Release Date: September 28, 2015
Blurb
My life was full of nevers.
It was never supposed to go this way. I was never supposed to lose Mom so soon. I was never supposed to worry about making ends meet, to worry about losing the farm. I never thought I’d be working a job I hate, with a boss who was more interested in what was under my shirt than in my head. Saving neglected and abused horses had been my whole life. It was my reprieve, my sanity, my last saving grace in a cruel world. I never thought I’d grow to resent it, but I guess there is a first for everything.
Then I met him.
The Hollywood playboy. The entitled, cocky asshole that I can’t get out of my head. I never thought there could be more to him than sex appeal and an infamous reputation of loving and leaving. I never thought I’d fall for him, put my heart on the line, and risk letting him completely destroy me.
But you know what they tell you…never say never.
Purchase your copy today!
Excerpt
“I dreamed about you,” she whispers. I can hear other people talking around her and remember she’s at work.
“A sex dream, right?” I say with a smirk.
“If it was, I wouldn’t tell you,” she says, and I can tell she’s smiling.
“Then I know it was one. Was I good in this dream? I gotta know so I can live up to your expectations.”
“There you go, being presumptuous again,” she laughs.
“Maybe,” I say. “Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.” She was a fan before we met. Has she thought about fucking me before? Becoming a sex icon is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I love it at times. But it’s fucking weird to know that women all over the world fantasize about me solely based on my looks and the little bit of personality they see during interviews, and it’s all fake anyway.
“I have very high standards,” she jokes. “Dream or no dream.”
“I always please, multiple times. And I have dreamed about it. More than once.”
“You did not just say that!” she exclaims, and I smile as I imagine the look on her face. “You are a little cocky, ya know.”
“There’s nothing little about my cock.”
She just laughs. “We’ll see about that. Oh my God, no, no—I didn’t mean—oh shit,” she stammers, and I laugh even harder. “Friday,” she says. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t care,” I say honestly. “I’m still not sure what to do around here.”
“There’s plenty to do by you, in Billings. Here…we have a movie theatre that closes at nine, two diners, one pizza place, and a couple fast food chains. Oh, and a bar, of course.”
“How do you live?”
She just laughs. “You get used to it, and online shopping is a life saver.”
“How’s Aurelia?” I ask before I have to go.
“She’s doing pretty well, actually. I think she’s lonely, and I feel bad because I’m gone all day and don’t feel comfortable letting her out when I’m not there. Not yet at least.”
“If you could do horse stuff full time, would you?”
“God, yes,” she says right away. “That’s what my mom did. But it’s not that easy. Rescues are expensive, and I have vet bills to pay, so I’m stuck here. I refuse to believe it’s forever though.”
“I don’t believe it either.” I make a mental note to have Claire look into the expenses of horse rescues. Speaking of Claire, she’s motioning to me. “I have to get back to work,” I tell her. “I’ll call you again. You still have to tell me why you’re having a bad day.”
“It’s not so bad anymore,” she says softly. “And I’d like that. Bye, Aiden.”
About the Author
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Emily Goodwin is the author of the twice banned dark romance, STAY, as well as over a dozen other titles. Emily writes all types of romance, from love stories set in the zombie apocalypse to contemporary romances taking place on a western horse ranch. Emily lives in Indiana with her husband, children, and many pets, including a German Shepherd named Vader. When she isn’t writing, Emily can be found riding her horses, designing and making costumes, and sitting outside with a good book.
Spotlight On: The Upstate Boys by Ofer Aronskind
The Upstate Boys
Release Date: 8/31/15
Summary from Goodreads:
John Shepherd (Shep) is a kid of the streets. An orphan bounced around from one foster family to another until he winds up in a juvenile detention center in upstate New York. While incarcerated, Shep and his fellow inmates are subjected to regular beatings and forced hard labor by the corrupt warden who runs the facility along with his squadron of armed guards.
But Shep is no ordinary minor and has no intention of spending the rest of his youth behind bars. Shep and a handful of other inmates hatch a bold plan which culminates in a spectacular turn of events changing the lives of the young prisoners and their captors forever. The Upstate Boys is a tale of adventure, redemption and the unbreakable will of the human spirit. A must read for young and old alike, for anyone who ever dreamed of freedom and especially for those who made it happen.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes and Noble│Book Depository
About the Author
Ofer Aronskind was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and came to the United States at the age of six. He grew up in Little Neck, Queens, on the outskirts of New York City. He attended SUNY Albany then took a year off after college where he spent the year in Los Angeles writing screenplays. The following year he came back to NY to attend St. John’s University School of Law and graduated in 1989. He went to work at the law firm of Weil Gotshal & Manges as a real estate attorney and worked there until 1997. He now lives in Short Hills, New Jersey with his three sons and is a real estate investor.
Ofer, father of 3 boys, has had a lifelong passion for reading and writing. He began writing his first book, Summer Sleep Away the summer he sent his own sons off to camp for their first time. Ofer spent endless nights sitting at the edge of their beds telling his children stories from his own years in camp. As the boys embarked on their journey they encouraged Ofer to turn his stories into a book… so became Mattie Kleinfeld and the beginning of Ofer’s prolific career.
New Jersey resident Ofer Aronskind remembers what it was like to be 12 years old: the challenges of middle school, making new friends, attending summer camp for the first time, having your first crush. By drawing on events from his life, as well as those of his three teenage sons, he has been able to vividly recreate some of life’s most memorable experiences in his young-adult novels.
To find more about Ofer and his books for young adults, please visit www.oferaronskind.com
Author Links:
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The Upstate Boys
by Ofer Aronskind
Release Date: 8/31/15...
The Upstate Boys
Release Date: 8/31/15
Summary from Goodreads:
John Shepherd (Shep) is a kid of the streets. An orphan bounced around from one foster family to another until he winds up in a juvenile detention center in upstate New York. While incarcerated, Shep and his fellow inmates are subjected to regular beatings and forced hard labor by the corrupt warden who runs the facility along with his squadron of armed guards.
But Shep is no ordinary minor and has no intention of spending the rest of his youth behind bars. Shep and a handful of other inmates hatch a bold plan which culminates in a spectacular turn of events changing the lives of the young prisoners and their captors forever. The Upstate Boys is a tale of adventure, redemption and the unbreakable will of the human spirit. A must read for young and old alike, for anyone who ever dreamed of freedom and especially for those who made it happen.
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes and Noble│Book Depository
About the Author
Ofer Aronskind was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and came to the United States at the age of six. He grew up in Little Neck, Queens, on the outskirts of New York City. He attended SUNY Albany then took a year off after college where he spent the year in Los Angeles writing screenplays. The following year he came back to NY to attend St. John’s University School of Law and graduated in 1989. He went to work at the law firm of Weil Gotshal & Manges as a real estate attorney and worked there until 1997. He now lives in Short Hills, New Jersey with his three sons and is a real estate investor.
Ofer, father of 3 boys, has had a lifelong passion for reading and writing. He began writing his first book, Summer Sleep Away the summer he sent his own sons off to camp for their first time. Ofer spent endless nights sitting at the edge of their beds telling his children stories from his own years in camp. As the boys embarked on their journey they encouraged Ofer to turn his stories into a book… so became Mattie Kleinfeld and the beginning of Ofer’s prolific career.
New Jersey resident Ofer Aronskind remembers what it was like to be 12 years old: the challenges of middle school, making new friends, attending summer camp for the first time, having your first crush. By drawing on events from his life, as well as those of his three teenage sons, he has been able to vividly recreate some of life’s most memorable experiences in his young-adult novels.
To find more about Ofer and his books for young adults, please visit www.oferaronskind.com
Author Links:
GIVEAWAY:
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Book Tour Organized by:
Happy Release Day! Ward Against Destruction by Melanie Card
Ward Against Destruction (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer, #4)
by Melanie Card
Release Date: 10/05/15
Entangled Teen
Summary from Goodreads:
Ward de’Ath used to the think that nothing could be more terrible than death. Now he realizes
there are worse things. Like his never-ending hunger for blood. Even if he conquers the
unbearable cravings that drive him headlong toward destruction,he’s a wanted man with a bleak
future.
Assassin Celia Carlyle learns she is the only one who can protect Ward from disaster. She loves him–she wants to help him, but no one can tell her how to save him from himself. And the confusing voices in her head scream to let him go.
But Ward’s dark trials keep mounting. A malevolent evil is rising in the land, threatening to
unleash horror upon the world. The only way Ward can defeat it, and have the chance to marry
Celia, is by accepting his fate and becoming the one thing he swore he would never become..
Buy Links:
Entangled
Publishing: http://www.entangledpublishing.com/ward-against-destruction/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ward-against-destruction-melanie-card/1122566783?cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-je6NUbpObpQ-_-10:1
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Destruction-Entangled-Chronicles-Reluctant-Necromancer-ebook/dp/B014CS5P50
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/ward-against-destruction-entangled-teen
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ward-against-destruction/id1033096910?mt=11
Amazon.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Against-Destruction-Chronicles-Reluctant-Necromancer-ebook/dp/B014CS5P50/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1441776138&sr=1-1&keywords=ward+against+destruction
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***Books in this series***
Ward Against Death (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #1)
by Melanie Card
Release Date: 08/02/11
Entangled Teen
306 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Twenty-year-old Ward de’Ath expected this to be a simple job—bring a nobleman’s daughter back from the dead for fifteen minutes, let her family say good-bye, and launch his fledgling career as a necromancer. Goddess knows he can’t be a surgeon—the Quayestri already branded him a criminal for trying—so bringing people back from the dead it is. But when Ward wakes the beautiful Celia Carlyle, he gets more than he bargained for. Insistent that she’s been murdered, Celia begs Ward to keep her alive and help her find justice. By the time she drags him out her bedroom window and into the sewers, Ward can’t bring himself to break his damned physician’s Oath and desert her.
However, nothing is as it seems—including Celia. One second, she’s treating Ward like sewage, the next she’s kissing him. And for a nobleman’s daughter, she sure has a lot of enemies. If he could just convince his heart to give up on the infuriating beauty, he might get out of this alive…
Ward Against Darkness (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #2)
by Melanie Card
Release Date: 08/27/13
Entangled Teen
352 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
The last thing Ward de’Ath wants is more trouble. On the run from both the law and the criminal underworld, Ward and Celia flee Brawenal City only to stumble into the mansion of a powerful evil necromancer. And when Ward discovers the man possesses a dangerous grimoire, his duty leaves him no choice. He can’t allow the necromancer to keep the grimoire.
But the mansion is filled with monsters–human and undead–and Ward has no way of telling who’s friend or foe. The only person he can trust is Celia who dominates more of his thoughts and feelings everyday. But there are still laws in the way of anything but friendship. She’s still dead and he’s still alive . . . for now.
Ward Against Disaster (Chronicles of a Reluctant Necromancer #3)
by Melanie Card
Release Date: 01/19/14
Entangled Teen
276 pages
Summary from Goodreads:
Ward de’Ath should be dead by now. Instead, he’s chasing after a soul-eating creature—that he unleashed— and is bent on stopping her before she slaughters more innocents. Fortunately, Celia Carlyle remains by his side, a nobleman’s gorgeous and deadly daughter, who is…well, dead.
Celia claims she’ll champion Ward wherever he goes, even when she thinks his quest is hopeless. He can only hope her pledge comes from her heart, and not because she’s bound to him through his magic.
When they enter Dulthyne, they stumble upon a dark power that threatens the entire town. Ward, with his unreliable necromancy, is determined to help but finds himself ensnared in the lure of white-hot magic…blood magic he struggles to resist. But if Celia’s love is a lie, it might just doom his soul to the dark arts forever.
About the Author
I have always been drawn to story telling. In fact, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t telling a story in my head or on paper. In grade school, we had journal writing time which I turned into story telling time, weaving tales of magic and adventure that mimicked the fairy tales and myths that I loved to read. It was there, with the help of two very special teachers, that I nurtured this love and started my journey as a writer.
I write fantasy, paranormal romance, and everything in between, seasoned with a good dash of adventure and mystery. Join me on my tales of magic, adventure, and romance.
Author Links:
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October 4, 2015
Cover Reveal: Must Remember by Colleen S. Myers
Nineteen-year-old Elizabeth ‘Beta’ Camden is a survivor.
When the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroy Earth with a plague of madness and scoop up the remains, Beta is one of the ‘lucky’ ones. For years, she endures their tortures, experiments and games. Then one day, she manages to escape their ship with her life, and no memory of her time with them.
Stranded on their world, Beta wanders the mountains, looking for a way home. She stumbles onto the Fost—the E’mani’s ancient enemy. Their war with the E’mani is old and rooted in magic that the Fost once had and the E’mani crave. Magic Beta soon discovers she’s developing along with strange tattoos and disturbing glimpses of her past. The Fost take her in and train her in their ways. As she spends more time with them, she falls in love with their culture and with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.
But the E’mani took her for a reason and they want her back—dead or alive. If Beta doesn’t remember that reason soon, they’re all going to die.
Excerpt:
Oy. No more weekday frat parties for me, no matter how
noble the cause, especially when I have a test the next day. What was
I thinking? And last minute cramming with a headache was not a
good idea either. Forget it. My eyes drifted to the clock.
And now I was late. Damn it. With a sigh, I threw down my
pencil and scrambled up, my head throbbing. I traded my Eeyore
jammies for skinny jeans and a fitted white t-shirt. Shoes, where
were my shoes? Gah. I ducked and rooted around in the deep, dark
spaces under my bed. Hmm, the green dress I borrowed from Sarah.
Mental note: I need to return that. English book, various dust
bunnies of uncertain lineage…there.
Sketchers on, I grabbed my backpack, turned up my iPod,
and ran out the door. No time to primp.
Good thing the campus I lived on was small. There was a big
central courtyard—the quad—filled with towering oak trees and
wide-open spaces surrounded by squat school buildings and
classrooms. If I hurried, I’d make it…
I raced into the quad out of breath and slowed, turning in a
complete circle.
Huh.
No one around. Unease skittered through me on soft paws.
The courtyard was always busy. I pulled my headphones out of my
ears. Was there some sort of event I didn’t know about going on?
The unnatural silence pressed in on me for a second as the
echoes of my steps faded.
Then screams—men’s and women’s—poured from Main
Street. I broke into a run and shot between the buildings toward the
sound.
Cars littered the intersection. Some guy rear-ended someone
else, causing a chain reaction down the road. A horn blared nearby
and a faint breeze blew the smell of gasoline, smoke, and copper my
way. Clusters of people stood among the wreckage.
About the Author
Colleen plays many roles. Not only is she a veteran, a mother, and a practicing physician, but she is a writer of science fiction and contemporary romances. Colleen’s dreams include surviving her son’s teenage years, exploring every continent on this planet, except Antartica, cause that’s way too cold, and winning the Nobel peace prize. Dream BIG! Currently she is getting ready to publish her first novel, MUST REMEMBER in November of this year (cover reveal soon.) Until then look for her at Three Rivers Romance Writers, at Facebook Colleen Myers, and at @ColleenSMyers.
Spotlight On: Witch Wood by Melanie Karsak (The Witching Hour Collection)
Harm none, and be ready for zombies.
In the little town of Brighton, Amelia’s practice of Wicca marks her as a curiosity both at home and at school. But Amelia can’t change what she is. Knowing how to see auras, heal, and cast spells comes naturally to her. Only Madame Knightly, the ancient matriarch and owner of Witch Wood Estate, to whom Amelia plays caretaker, doesn’t seem to mind. In fact, the crumbling old mansion is full of oddities.
However, when modern treatments fail to make a dent in the flu outbreak sweeping the globe, those who once ridiculed her white witchcraft turn to Amelia for help. While her eucalyptus tinctures prove no more effective than western medicine, her spell-casting is another matter. The residents of Brighton soon depend on the very magic they once ridiculed to save their lives.
**Witch Wood is a tie-in novella that complements The Harvesting Series. It can be read alone or as part of the Harvesting series**
About the Author
Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles, the award-winning horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series, and The Saga of Lady Macbeth. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master’s degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, Shakespeare nerd, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Connect with Melanie online:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/OSPDH
Blog: http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
Keep an eye out for the rest of The Witching Hour collection and sign up for the newsletter!
October 3, 2015
Spotlight On: More Than One Night by Nicole Leiren
More Than One Night
Heroes of the Night book #1
Nicole Leiren
The Few. The Strong. The Brave.
Melodie Alexander, a children’s librarian, prefers to live life between the pages of a book. But when the death of her best friend prompts her to step out of her comfort zone, she finds herself directly in the path of self-proclaimed bad boy, Daniel Bresland.
Daniel knew how to be a solider. Life after war? Not as easy. He served his country in Afghanistan, both in the military and as a private contractor, but fighting the war came at high personal cost. Now he’s determined to keep his relationships “casual” in order to protect his heart and prevent anyone from getting too close.
A chance encounter between Melodie and Daniel on a flight to Dallas proves that opposites really do attract. But when scars from the past threaten their new relationship almost before it starts, Daniel must decide if he can risk opening his heart again to convince Melodie he wants more than one night.
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If you love men in uniform and believe the night belongs to lovers, then The Heroes of the Night series is perfect for you! Stories of military heroes, sexy and flawed, and the women they love.
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Excerpt – Screaming Eagles
Impressive. Not only had Daniel been a perfect gentleman thus far, but the restaurant he selected for their dinner was nothing short of amazing. Besides the stunning yet simple beauty of the exterior, the cool, dark interior of the restaurant boasted bright colorful blankets, pictures, pottery and other authentic Hispanic decorations. The food was also a little slice of Spanish heaven. “I love when they serve the chips warm.”
“The only way. Don’t be a wuss. Try some of the salsa verde. I bet you like it hot.”
He was flirting—flirting with danger even, but Melodie couldn’t resist. “I don’t mind a little heat on my lips.”
Daniel’s eyes rolled back into his head as he groaned. “Damn it, woman, who’s being bad now?”
She lowered her lashes and smiled. “Sorry. You’re right. You’ve been on your best behavior. I should do the same.”
Despite his arrogance and views toward women, his sincere compliments and effort to spend time with her had unlocked something deep within her heart. She’d been cautious for so long—fear of history repeating itself. Tonight was about the new beginning she’d promised herself. She only hoped she’d be able to see this through and not run, either physically or metaphorically, from the challenge and opportunity this man presented.
“Shall we try the getting to know more about you conversation again?”
His eyes flashed. This was one of those times the ability to read people better would help her understand what the look in his eyes meant. Making a mental note, she assigned herself the task of finding books on nonverbal communication and reading up on the subject when she got home. If the goal was to start living her life outside the pages of books, knowing how to read people would serve her well in the venture.
“What do you want to know?” She looked into his eyes, searching for some clue. Was he making an effort for her? From the little she did understand about people, it appeared that way. At least she hoped so. The gesture warmed her more than the salsa verde.
She waited while the food was placed in front of them and sampled her first taste of the enchilada. The combination of flavors, savory tinged with heat, tantalized her taste buds. “Oh, this is amazing. Another point scored for Dr. Jekyll.”
He gave a slight smile. “I also get a point for not kissing you senseless in the parking lot earlier.”
A quick sip of the strawberry margarita in the large glass proved a useless attempt to hide the heat spreading across her cheeks. “Maybe two.” Subtract two, that is. The man could kiss. Dear God, could he kiss. Time to get the conversation back on track. “You said you were former military. What branch?”
His shoulders moved back as his chin thrust out. “Army, one hundred and first airborne division.”
She sat up straighter and smiled. “That was the same division my dad served with in Vietnam. Screaming Eagles.”
“Hooah.”
Laughter bubbled to the surface as she remembered all the reminders her father had given her growing up about not confusing the different branches of the military. “Yes, not to be mistaken for hoorah.”
He widened his eyes before giving her a big smile. “Hell no. We don’t allow marine talk around here. Do we soldier?”
The laughter escaped, and she shook her head. “Sir, no, sir.”
About the Author:
Nicole is a debut author with her contemporary romance series, Heroes of the Night. She has been an avid reader and lover of books from a very young age. Starting with Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, and The V.I. Warshawski novels, her love for mysteries grew and expanded to include romance and suspense. A Midwest girl, born and raised, her stories capture the love and laughter in her real world heroes and heroines.
Email: nicoleleiren@yahoo.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NicoleLeirenAuthorPage
Twitter: @NicoleLeiren
Website: www.nicoleleiren.com
Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Leirens.Lovelies/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LeirensLovelies/
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Nicole-Leiren/e/B011MKQRMQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card
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October 2, 2015
Spotlight On: The Murderess and Betrayed by Blood, by Allison West
The Murderess
Courtesan Slave Trade Book One
by Allison West
publisher: Blushing Books
genre: dystopian, erotica
Women that leave the royal harem, cast out by a Prince of Brayleigh, are sent into the Courtesan Slave Trade. Prince Aaron wants nothing to do with his father’s dark dealings and sinister ways. Sneaking his beloved women away each month is a tedious task and poses great risk.
With no choice but to choose a woman to leave the royal harem, Aaron needs time to think. He evades the guards and his father’s clutches on an adventure outside of the palace.
Love blossoms and danger lurks as Prince Aaron is forced to return home. Can he disrupt the Courtesan Slave Trade, or will the courtesans find themselves in a fate worse than hell?
A dystopian erotic adventure featuring a kick-ass heroine and a virtuous prince. Courtesan Slave Trade is a spin-off series featuring Prince Aaron of Gem Apocalypse. This book begins two days before The Emerald Virgin. It can be read as a stand-alone but will be enjoyed even more by those that have read The Gem Apocalypse saga.
Read it for Free with Kindle Unlimited
Betrayed By Blood
Courtesan Slave Trade Book Two
by Allison West
publisher: Blushing Books
genre: dystopian, erotica
When Aaron discovers his father, King Gideon, and brother, Prince August, are still alive and a verdict for treason to come within a few days, Aaron has no choice but to infiltrate the palace, no matter the cost. Forced to align himself with the rebel leader Rhys, Aaron and Lorelei must return to the palace to seek justice and protect the crumbling nation of Brayleigh. Will she be loved by all who know of her as the murderess or feared for her deadly sins?
Unwilling to let Rhys take command of the country, Aaron will have to become the prince he was destined to be and rise in power to overthrow the new regime. Will Aaron be able to stop Rhys from his rise of power and end the slave trade once and for all? Will Lorelei find herself assimilated as part of the rebel movement or an enemy of the people?
Betrayed by Blood is the riveting conclusion to the Courtesan Slave Trade series and a spin-off of the Gem Apocalypse series.
Read it for Free with Kindle Unlimited
About the Author
Allison is a sassy, fun-loving, and adventure-seeking young woman. She loves to travel and can’t wait for her next vacation, wherever it might be.
Allison writes romantic erotica. She began writing romance novels in college, spending her down time either reading a book or writing fiction. Please don’t make her choose between the two, she loves them equally.
Currently working on a stand-alone Victorian Age-Play Erotica, her debut series Courtesan Slave Trade is a spin-off from The Gem Apocalypse series by Ravyn Rayne.
Allison also writes romance under Ravyn Rayne and young adult novels under Ruth Silver.
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