Twinkle (Sugandha) Varshney's Blog, page 55
May 29, 2018
Victimly Insane
True Crime InterviewPublished: September 2017Publisher: Freebird Publishing
In this book-length interview, an innocent Frank Atwood reveals from Death Row what the public and jurors have never heard and what the lynch mob media never wanted to print: how this sweet, rosy-cheeked, silver-spooned teen who went by Frankie J. arrived at perversity and at the crossroads of victim and victimizer.
About the Author
George Kayer was first published at age 14; gave up his God-given talent for a life of crime and wound up on Arizona’s Death Row in 1997. The Pen Pal and Author Nancy Miars encouraged George to begin writing again – 20 years later he is America’s most published prisoner and Victimly Insane is his optimum work to date.
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May 28, 2018
Whiskey River Princess By Theresa Oliver
Title: Whiskey River PrincessAuthor: Theresa Oliver
Series: Whiskey River Brides #3Genre: Historical RomanceRelease Date: May 5, 2018Publisher: Hot Tree PublishingCover Designer: RMGraphX
Available now! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2r9MBJfAll other links: books2read.com/whiskey-river3
She’s looking for adventure in the West, but discovers more. He’s sure he’ll never find love, until she lands at his door. Together, Gabriella and Dirk will discover a spark that even a blizzard can’t quench. Gabriella Grimaldi is new to Whiskey River—a quiet frontier town, where those who dream of a different life gather under the big, open sky. Escaping a life of faux friends and duty, Gabriella forsakes her life of fortune and runs away. What she gets instead is an education in the ways of the world. Not far from town, Dirk Price is settling in for another long winter in Whiskey River, when a lost young woman shows up at his door. In the light of the fireside, Gabriella and Dirk find themselves unfreezing their chilly hearts and protecting one another against not only the cold, but from evil forces. Can they let love in, or will they turn away from happiness when danger knocks at the door? In the depths of winter under the weight of a blizzard, return to the sleepy, snowy banks of Whiskey River, Wyoming, in A Whiskey River Princess.
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Gabriella shrugged as she picked up her carpetbag and headed off toward the hotel, hoping they had a vacancy. She never had to arrange for her own place to stay before. In Monaco, everything had just been done for her, arranged for her. It just was and something she didn’t have to think about. She sighed as she looked up at the hotel. It wasn’t what she was used to, but it was as good a place as any to start. Surely, Mr. Carlo wouldn’t find her there.
Suddenly, two men grabbed her arms, one on each side, causing her to drop her bag.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Gabriella gasped. When she looked up, two of the three scruffy men from the train had her. The man with the long beard gave her a toothless smile. “Let go of me!”
She heard a click, and something round and hard was pushed against her back. “If you know what’s good for you, miss, you’ll keep it down. Don’t attract any attention, or I’ll be forced to shoot you right here.”
Gabriella turned to look in his eyes. “Then go ahead and shoot! I’d rather be dead than go with the likes of you!”
He grabbed a handful of her dark brown hair and jerked her head back. “Listen, bitch! I’m warning you!”
“Get off me!” she demanded, but the younger man on her right shoved his dirty hand over her mouth and pulled her quickly down an alley. “Help! Let go of me, you brute!” she mumbled around his hand.
“Shut up!” the man with the gold tooth, who had been standing behind her, growled through gritted teeth. The young man threw her over his shoulder and carried her toward a wagon where another scruffy-looking man with red hair and a beard waited.
“It’s about time you got here.” The man looked at Gabriella, kicking and screaming, and leered. “Hey! What do we have here?”
“Payday,” the younger man replied, trying to keep Gabriella on his shoulder.
“Help, someone!” Gabriella shouted as she beat on the man’s back.
When she looked up, the man with long hair who had been waiting for Kenzie was standing at the end of the alley on the street.
“Help me! Please!”
“Hold it right there,” the man who had come to get Kenzie ordered as he pushed his coat aside, revealing two sidearms, one on each side, tied down to his leg. “Let her go!”
The man with the scruffy beard drew his pistol and fired, but the man with the long hair was quicker, and shot him right between the eyes, which went glassy. He fell against the wagon and then onto the ground.
The younger man threw Gabriella into the back of the covered wagon, drew his gun, and fired at the man. “Go, go!” he shouted at the driver and then climbed in, too.
OTHER BOOKS IN THIS SERIES
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Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | AmazonAn educator, writer, mother, and free spirit, Theresa Oliver’s love affair with the written word has spanned decades. An Indiana native, Theresa began the foundation of her writing career as a child. Her love of reading, writing, and creative expression guided her to seek a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications, News Editorial sequence, from the University of Tennessee at Martin; and then continued on to earn a Master of Arts in Teaching degree, Early Childhood Education sequence, from Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Her foundational experiences in childhood led her to want to create meaningful, positive experiences with reading and writing for future generations, and inspire the same love of creative expression that has been such a rewarding force behind her career and life.
Theresa has dedicated her life to the world of writing and the creation of novels that span all levels and genres. First and foremost a mother, her greatest loves are her three beautiful boys, to whom she dedicates the success and longevity of her prolific career. Theresa currently resides in Kissimmee, Florida with her beloved husband and children.
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Crazy Hot Love by K.L. Grayson
Title: Crazy Hot Love
A Dirty Dicks Standalone NovelAuthor: K.L. GraysonGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 22, 2018
Blurb
Claire Daniels is good at a lot of things, but dating isn't one of them. Although she enjoys men of all different shapes, colors, and sizes, she has one requirement: they must have a job on her approved-occupation list. It has to be safe, so they can come home every night, which means no cops, pilots, doctors, ranchers, and absolutely no firefighters.
She’s kept to her rules thus far—as long as you ignore the tiny crush she has on Trevor Allen, a crush that cannot move toward anything physical because Trevor is a firefighter and a rancher. Not to mention, he’s four years younger than she is and the brother of her two best friends.
Still, it sure would be nice to have him put out her fire.
Trevor Allen also has a few rules when it comes to Claire Daniels: no staring, flirting, smokin’ hot fantasies, or touching of any kind. He's been lusting after Claire his whole life, but with a steady stream of willing women and two demanding jobs to hold his attention, he's somehow managed to keep his hands off her.
Until they end up in a bathroom together—a small bathroom with very little room to move, leaving him pressed against Claire’s lush curves. What's he supposed to do when she looks up at him with those big, green doe eyes and licks her lips? The only thing he can do: kiss the hell out of her, then convince her it can’t happen again.
Too bad he can't convince himself.
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Author Bio
K.L. Grayson resides in a small town outside of St. Louis, MO. She is entertained daily by her extraordinary husband, who will forever inspire every good quality she writes in a man. Her entire life rests in the palms of six dirty little hands, and when the day is over and those pint-sized cherubs have been washed and tucked into bed, you can find her typing away furiously on her computer. She has a love for alpha-males, brownies, reading, tattoos, sunglasses, and happy endings…and not particularly in that order.
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Celebrity by Sienna Snow
Title: CelebritySeries: Politics of Love #1Author: Sienna SnowGenre: Contemporary RomanceRelease Date: May 24, 2018
Blurb
I’m Samina Kumar.
Celebrity attorney, disinherited daughter of a technology billionaire, and the former dirty secret of a federal judge with conservative ties.
I never wanted to be famous. I prefer life out of the spotlight.
Now, thanks to my new client, I am surrounded by the media, and my face is on the cover of every magazine.
To top it off, the man who kept me hidden and shattered my heart is determined to get me back, and nothing will stop him.
What does a girl do when she’s had enough of others dictating her life?
She takes back control.
I have a new plan for the future, one that will use my newfound fame to lead me to Washington D.C. and the halls of Congress.I am Samina Kumar.Candidate for Senate and CELEBRITY.
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Senator
Releasing August 2, 2018
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Author Bio
Author Sienna Snow is a writer, mom, and world traveler, who plans to visit all seven continents within the next ten years.
Her romantic fiction aims to shatter the stereotypes associated with weak female characters pervasive in romantic and erotic fiction today. Inspired by her years working in corporate America as a management consultant, Sienna has created a narrative around strong, successful women who know what they want and exactly how to get it, in and out of the bedroom. In fact, the heroines in her books are billionaires.
From diverse backgrounds, the heroines are smart, well-educated women who choose to find love through atypical circumstances.
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Escape With Me by Lisa Eugene
Title: Escape with Me Author: Lisa Eugene Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: June 2, 2018 Cover Designer: Blushing Books Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
Jealousy was her sin Lust was her savior An ordinary woman did an extraordinary thing Stepped out of her box, and tore down the confining walls Guilt gave her purpose, fueled her determination to find her missing sister. A small-town girl must learn to survive in a tough, unforgiving city In a world of dangerous lies, dark secrets and hungry shadows She finds an ally in an NFL superstar A man whose sexy vitality rivals his drive to win He’s a force to be reckoned with, a god on and off the field But his reckless passion and damaged soul may prove to be an even greater danger Her love for him may only destroy her Because in the end, can she save him?
Lisa Eugene began writing as a way to mentally escape from the hectic medical world where she has been a practicing nurse for over twenty years. She loves to incorporate her medical background into her steamy, romantic reads. Her books are fast paced, emotional roller-coasters---and her fans always enjoy the ride. When she's not plotting her next dangerous, fast-paced, sexy adventure, you can find her juggling a full time job, playing soccer mom, or curled up reading a good romance. Lisa loves hearing from fans.
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Still Life By Isobel Hart
Title: Still Life Author: Isobel Hart Genre: Sci-Fi/ Dystopian Release Date: May 28, 2018 Cover Designer: Patrick Knowles Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.
A woman must discover the meaning behind a new virus affecting men before there are too many infected for them to be stopped.When Samantha Davis and her boyfriend are involved in an accident, on the same day a new virus is identified, his recovery appears to be a miracle. Until he turns on her. Determined to understand the changes in him, Sam joins with others to uncover more about the virus. But the knowledge they gather poses a threat. The infected men want to stop them. And soon. Resolving to meet the threat head-on, Sam prepares for the toughest fight of her life but finds herself caught between two worlds; still caring for the man she once loved, as her affections grow for another, while fearing for her life and the lives of all women. As the net closes in on her, she must decide whose life is more important.
For twenty minutes, Brenda and I could do nothing but stare at one another in horror. Then the commotion stopped, its absence even more terrifying: “Time of death, two twenty-seven.” Brenda clasped a hand to her mouth and moaned.I couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. Instead, I pushed myself into the doorway in time to see a nurse reach towards the heart monitor. Renewed sounds of bleeps halted her hand in mid-air. Heads swivelled round. No one moved, as if waiting for the monitor to stop a second time. When it didn’t, pandemonium broke out again. Twenty minutes later, Dr Harvey stumbled into the hallway, his ashen face covered in a sheen of sweat. “He’s stable again . . . for now.”
Born in London, Isobel Hart's childhood was spent in the Middle East before being sent to boarding school. Suffice to say, she read a lot of books. Now based in the UK, she writes about what she knows - real English women, with flaws. A romantic at heart, happily married for twenty years, her novels focus on relationships - good and bad - and the women at the heart of them. She is ever hopeful others will find their happy-ever-afters or Happy-For-Nows too. To date Isobel has published four contemporary romance novels What Goes Around Comes Around - Part 1 of Lily's Story Full Circle - Part 2 of Lily's Story Compromise Agreement Cold Comfort - Part 1 of Cold Comfort Still Life is Isobel's first foray into sci-fi / dystopian - but still with a hefty helping of romance.
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One Last Heist By Dahlia Donovan
Author: Dahlia DonovanTitle: One Last HeistGenre: Gay Romantic SuspenseRelease Date: May 26, 2018Publisher: Hot Tree PublishingCover Designer: Soxsational Cover ArtCover Model: Stuart ReardonPhotographer: FuriousFotog
On sale now for half price! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2IwvZHc All other links: books2read.com/last-heist
One last heist.
It should’ve been easy. Crack a safe, steal from a villain, and go on vacation. The last thing Mack and Toshiro expect is to descend into a nightmare of betrayal.
Mack Ueda-Easton loves three things: his husband, heists, and his odd family of friends. He lives life on the edge. The only cloud on his horizon is the degenerative disease stealing his sight.
Toshiro Ueda-Easton tries to juggle his husband, his autistic sister, his interfering mother, and all of their heists. He knows they’re spiraling out of control and the journey they’re travelling can’t last.
What neither of them expect is to get catapulted straight into a dangerous conspiracy. They’re now in a race to come out on top. If they fail, the consequences are unimaginable.
On sale for half price! Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2IwvZHcAmazon UK: https://amzn.to/2IzVYxy
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Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | AmazonDahlia Donovan wrote her first romance series after a crazy dream about shifters and damsels in distress. She prefers irreverent humour and unconventional characters. An autistic and occasional hermit, her life wouldn’t be complete without her husband and her massive collection of books and video games.
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INCLINED TO SCANDAL by Zoë Mullins
INCLINED TO SCANDALby Zoë MullinsGenre: Historical Erotic RomancePublisher: Totally Bound
A misfit in proper society, Lady Georgiana will risk her future for a night of pleasure with Captain Wrath.
Lady Georgiana Knolls is a misfit in proper society, only there because her brother insists she have a Season and learn what it means to be ‘a lady’. The rules and etiquette forced upon unmarried women of her class are stifling and she breaks them more often and more publicly than is wise.
Which is how she meets Captain Wrath. His arrogance and confidence are nearly a match for her own and for a chance of pleasure with him, she will risk the future she’s been waiting for.
After years at sea, Captain Wrath is ready to resume the mantle of the Earl of Rathbridge. His first good deed? To save his best friend’s sister from blackmail by offering her the protection of his name…as her fiancé. The faux betrothal turns real when he realizes she is the same beauty who’s been sharing his bed since his return.
The earl is ready to make things right, but to do that, he will have to unmask a blackmailer, convince his best friend that he is suitable marriage material for his beloved sister and prove to Georgie that becoming his wife won’t stifle the independence she craves.
This had been, Georgiana decided, a no-good, horrible day. She had just lost five hundred pounds. Her stern Methodist uncle was bound to find out and Kit would likely tear a strip off her as well. Not that Kit would care that she’d played, just that she’d lost. He’d taught her better than that.
She looked at her opponent with consternation. She felt as if she should know him, but she couldn’t place him. He wasn’t fashionable, though his clothes were obviously from the best tailor. No one with that much money should look like that, she thought.
From his wide-shouldered, well-sculpted chest, narrow waist and muscled thighs, he was built like a laborer but he dressed better than the prince regent. You’d almost think he was a gentleman, she thought, except for his raven hair, which though gleaming, was too long to be fashionable, as it fell not just past his collar but past his shoulders.
“I was hoping you’d be up for another game.” He leaned forward in his chair and raised an eyebrow arrogantly. She wondered if they taught that look to men in school. Her brother could give her the same look. Usually when he knew she was lying about something.
“As much as I would love not to have to explain to my uncle why I need to withdraw the funds, I really shouldn’t play with you. I have nothing left to offer,” she drawled, then chastised herself. She should not be flirting with this man. She had no excuse. Your aunt and uncle are trying to marry you off to an old goat, a little voice in her head reminded her. That is no excuse, she told it.
“Darling,” he purred, “I think you have a lot to offer.”
Goosebumps rose where his dark eyes roamed over her, caressing her. Her chest flushed when his gaze lingered on her breasts.
“But I am unwilling to wager my body to your pleasure.”
“I promise you, when you give yourself to me it will be for pleasure not because you lost a wager. When I take you to bed, it will be because you want to be there, beneath me. You want to feel me inside of you.”
She was spellbound by his bold words, and the heat uncurling in her belly. She didn’t notice when he reached out and pulled on the ties of her mask. It dropped to her lap.
“No hiding, love.” He grinned at her. “The choice is yours.”
He didn’t have piggy eyes or fetid breath, she’d give him that. He was strong and virile, and she realized she was being offered an unparalleled opportunity. With the safety of anonymity inside this room, she could afford whatever the evening held. She thought of her uncle threatening to marry her off. She was a spinster after all, and had only been kissed three times. How can I afford to say no? she wondered.
“Deal the cards, Captain.”
Totally Bound ✯ Landing Page
A prolific writer, even in elementary school, she was jotting down poems and stories whenever she had the chance - usually during math class. After many years of working in corporate communications, Zoë decided in 2015 it was time to focus her energy on the kind of writing she loved – hot romances with strong, alpha heroes and quirky, independent heroines.
Zoë’s husband of nearly 20 years threw his full support behind that dream and loves to tell people his wife is a romance author. They live in Atlantic Canada with their two crazy collies. When not at her computer, you will find Zoë chasing after her muddy dogs, working in the garden or helping to renovate their money-pit of a house.
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May 26, 2018
New Dawn Series By Rachel M. Raithby
Titles: Winter Wolf (New Dawn #1) Wolf Dancer (New Dawn #2) Wolf Sight (New Dawn #3)Author: Rachel M. RaithbyGenre: NA Shifter RomanceCover Designer: Winter Wolf by Regina Wamba Wolf Dancer and Wolf Sight by Rob Smith
Amazon US: Series https://amzn.to/2Gg3hsQAmazon UK: series link https://amzn.to/2ur28cKAmazon AU: series link https://amzn.to/2x3bRalCan love bring an end to the brutal war that has raged for so long, or will it spark the fighting around them into an all-consuming fire? BOOK ONE
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Katalina Winter was prepared for life to change when she turned eighteen—but she never expected to actually change.Learning that her birth parents were purebred wolf shifters is shocking enough. Now she’s expected to take her place in their unfamiliar world. Caught between two warring packs, Katalina must learn fast. One pack, led by the father she has only just met, wants to control her—and the other one wants her dead.
However, there is one bright spot to shifting, and his name is Bass Evernight. Tall, dark, and oh-so-handsome, Bass is the wolf that Katalina craves. He’s also strictly forbidden: a member of Dark Shadow, Bass is the son of her father’s mortal enemy. Yet deep down inside, Katalina’s new primal instincts howl that Bass is her mate. Can their love bring an end to the brutal war that has raged for so long, or will it spark the fighting around them into an all-consuming fire?Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2DZn4XTAmazon UK: https://amzn.to/2pKAh2t Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2s63dC5 BOOK TWO$1.99 SALE [image error]
The war's over but danger still lurks. As the packs align, hidden currents are about to cast a shadow over the peace.Charming, handsome, and with a smile on the edge of sin, Nico has loved Olivia from afar for what seems like forever. When Olivia is kidnapped, he not only finds himself alone with her, but standing between her and an angry wolf out for revenge. Olivia learns how Nico feels that day, he just hopes he's not left it too late.
Olivia planned for her life to change when she left school—but she never bargained on Nico. He is the wolf who could so easily shatter her carefully constructed plans, ones she set in place to escape her father. It’s time she stepped out from the shadows. It’s time she became brave.
Secrets are revealed, fates are changed, and Nico and Olivia learn sometimes, love requires sacrificeAmazon US: https://amzn.to/2IZS3qb Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2ussXwY Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2s04dso BOOK THREE $1.99 SALE [image error]
The packs have aligned. Peace is here. But it came at a price.Cage’s world shifted when Katalina arrived but not in the way he’d expected. The pain is tearing him apart, and with each day, he loses a piece of himself. Unable to watch Katalina love someone else, Cage sees no other option but to leave the pack.Will he find the answers he seeks? Or has he taken the wrong path, altering the fate of not just himself but the pack he’d once called home?
Anna's world is one of confusion and dreams. When a vision of a boy’s death begins to haunt her, she leaves everything behind in hopes of finding him. But Anna finds far more than she expected. She’ll be pushed to the limits, and her faith will waver.Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2pOlyT0 Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/2pMaA1l Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2kgEF63
Winter Wolf Excerpt Kat meets human Bass
“Shit!” Her leg gave way under her. Katalina sprawled face-first into the snow, the cold shocking the breath from her. She lay in the piercing cold, feeling the snow bite into her fingers, the chill frigid against her skin. “What was I thinking, boy?” she asked her dog as she sat up with a grunt. “I’m never going to make it to the bus stop, and even if I did, they’d never let you on anyway.”
It was tempting to lie back down and not move, to allow the snow to numb her body to the point beyond pain. A trickle of wetness rolled down her face. Katalina so desperately wanted to be home, in her family’s front room, watching TV. The fire roaring, its crackle and hiss the homiest of sounds. Only Katalina could never have that again. She’d never have the chance to enjoy another Sunday family dinner, or listen to her parents’ playful banter. She buried her head in her hands, tears dripping through her fingers and freezing on the snow. Arne whined, trying to comfort her with a lick and nudge.
“I know, boy,” she mumbled through her broken sobs, “I know.”
There was a rustle up ahead, further into the woods. Katalina lifted her head, squinting into the gloom of the trees. She scanned the area for movement. Arne growled low, the slightest of rumbles vibrating up his chest. Slowly, she climbed to her feet, her eyes never leaving the woods.
Arne barked.
“What is it, boy?” He positioned himself in front of her. “Show yourself!” she called, taking a few steps into the trees.
The wolf stalked from its hiding spot, eyes wary, hackles raised, its dark fur startling against the white snow.
“You,” she whispered, recognizing it as the dark wolf she’d felt drawn to in the shed.
Arne barked louder, jumping forward.
“No boy, come here!” she commanded, stopping Arne in his tracks.
The wolf studied her for what seemed like forever. Katalina couldn’t stand the silence anymore. “Are you a shifter, too?” she asked.
He didn’t answer.
“You’ve lost it, Kat, talking to a wolf,” she muttered to herself.
Before her eyes, the wolf morphed into a naked boy. “Yes, I’m a shifter, but not from your pack.” His voice vibrated through the air, low and brassy, pleasing to her senses.
“So you’re here to kill me then?” she asked, surprised at her calmness.
“I should be, but for some reason, I seem unable,” he answered, his voice void of emotion.
“That’s comforting,” she sneered.
“I imagine it is,” he stated. His face remained stoic.
Katalina burst out laughing. Is this guy serious?
“What’s so funny?” he asked, genuinely curious.
“You! Are you always so . . . literal?”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
Katalina shook her head. “Never mind. So if you’re not here to kill me, then why are you here?”
“You intrigue me, Katalina Winter.”
“You know my name,” she said, shocked. Everyone knows my name.
“Most know your name but not your face.”
“Well, that’s something I suppose.”
Silence fell between them. He stared at her as intently as he had when he was in wolf form. She found herself taking an unsteady step, an invisible force drawing her to him.
He frowned, looking down at her leg. “You are still injured?”
“I’m f—” Her leg crumpled. She braced for the cold snow, but he’d crossed the space between them in a blur of movement, catching her inches before impact.
Stunned, she stared openmouthed as he set her on her feet. This close she noted every detail. His hair was just long enough to tangle her fingers into, and the urge to do so was a potent thing. His bare chest was a solid muscled wall, and her fingers flexed where they rested, trailing through a smattering of dark hairs.
“Why haven’t you healed yet?” he asked, oblivious to her wandering thoughts.
“What? Oh, I…”
He leaned forward, breathing deeply at the curve of her neck.
“Did you seriously just sniff me?” she asked, shocked at the strangeness of the past twenty-four hours.
“Yes, I was just getting your scent.”
“Scent?” she asked, bewildered.
“Yes.”
“Shifters are strange,” she muttered to herself.
“You’re a shifter, too.”
“So I’ve been told,” she grumbled, still hardly believing it herself.
“Though you’ve never changed, have you?” He continued, not giving her a chance to answer. “Your father left you vulnerable. He has been foolish keeping you away so long. He’s left you weak. You’ll need your wolf to protect yourself.”
“Mmm.”
“Why are you out here alone? Unprotected? You should rest. You will need to have healed enough before the next full moon, for the change to go smoothly.”
His reference to change had her refocusing on his words, and not on the expanse of his chest. Tired of the wolf talk, she snapped, “I’m going home.”
He frowned. “Is that not home?” He gestured in the direction of the old farmhouse from which she’d escaped.
“No, those people are strangers to me. I don’t trust them. They took me away from my home.”
“You are the alpha’s daughter. No one will hurt you there.”
“That man is not my father. My father is”—she swallowed the lump in her throat—“is dead.”
Wiping the tears from her eyes, he murmured, “Don’t cry.”
Don’t cry? Don’t cry? “Why not?” Katalina stepped back from his hold, not caring about her wobbling feet. “I watched my parents die last night.” She stared at the ground, not seeing the snow-covered earth, but the crash. “Wolves attacked, almost killing me, and then I woke up in a strange bed, with strange people telling me I’m a shifter, and that I need to come back because my blood is pure and they want me to keep the line going. I turned eighteen yesterday. The last thing on my mind is children, and I most certainly will not be told whom I’m supposed to marry. And that man who claims to be my father… Where’s the proof? He doesn’t even look like me. For all I know, he’s just some nut job.”
Katalina sucked in a deep breath, lifting her eyes from the ground to meet his. “What better reason is there to cry?” Her cheeks heated as she realized she’d ranted to a complete stranger and told him things she maybe shouldn’t have.
He studied her. “Very well. If you’d like to go home, I’ll take you, but first you need to go back and heal.”
“What? Really?” She hadn’t expected that answer. She’d expected him to run for the hills after all she’d said.
“Yes, that’s what I said, isn’t it?”
“But why?”
“You intrigue me.”
“That’s not a reason.”
“Yes, it is.”
“You are very frustrating,” she laughed, surprised she still had it in her to. Around him, things seemed a little better. Her reaction to him was confusing, and Katalina added it to her mental list of things that didn’t make sense.
“Am I?”
Shaking her head, Katalina wrapped her arms around herself, trying to get warm.
“You are cold,” he stated.
“A little.”
“Right, time for you to go back.” He scooped her into his arms.
“Put me down!”
Arne barked.
“Shush!” he growled at Arne. To her he said, “You’ll only do yourself more damage. I’ll carry you back.”
“You can’t just go around picking people up without permission!”
“Do you have a problem with me carrying you?”
“Well, yes,” she muttered.
“Why?” he asked.
“You have no clothes on!”
He laughed at her. It rumbled in his chest and did funny things to her heart.
“You’ll have to get used to that. Being naked is just part of life when you’re a shifter.”
“Aren’t you cold?”
“A little, when I’m like this, but as a wolf, no. You’ll see how strong and resilient we are, after you’ve changed.”
“I’m not sure I want to be a wolf,” Katalina whispered, looking away from his face.
“Now that, Katalina, you have no choice in. Even if you lived away from the pack again, you’d still change. It’s a part of you, your blood. You’ll feel different after.”
“If you say so.”
“I’ll leave you here. The young boy is coming.”
“Oh, okay,” she hesitated, not wanting him to leave.
He put her down and ran off.
“Wait!” she called to his distant figure.
He paused, his voice whispering through the trees. “Yes?”
Shit, what do I say? “What’s your name?”
“Bass. Bass Evernight.”
“Bass Evernight,” she whispered, liking the sound of his name.
“See you soon, Katalina Winter.” His promise wrapped around her, like silk against skin. She held it close to her heart, wondering when they’d next meet.
© Rachel M Raithby
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Rachel M. Raithby started her writing career in 2013 and hasn’t looked back. She draws her inspiration from the many places she has lived and travelled, as well as from her love of the paranormal and thriller movies. She can often be found hiding out with a good book or writing more fast-paced and thrilling stories where love always conquers all. She now lives in rural England with her young family.Follow Rachel:
Website: www.rachelmraithby.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rachelm.raithbyauthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/Rach1986UKGoodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/7123176.Rachel_M_RaithbyAmazon: www.amazon.com/Rachel-M-Raithby/e/B00E4KQ3CGNewsletter sign up: http://bit.ly/2LpmKGGInstagram: https://instagram.com/RachelMRaithbyYouTube: https://youtu.be/Iac3r7QjPE0
Sleep State Interrupt
Science Fiction (Cyberpunk) / ThrillerDate Published: September 1, 2016Publisher: See Sharp Press
Awards: 2017 Compton Crook Finalist for best first science fiction novel!
In Sleep State Interrupt, a giant media corporation has taken over the Internet, created an addictive virtual reality called BetterWorld, and controls nearly all information. Politicians do their bidding and a brainwashed humanity serves a privileged few.
Waylee Freid, an unemployed Baltimore journalist with ever-worsening bipolar disorder, is the only hope for a brighter future. She and her countercultural friends bust a notorious teenage hacker out of jail and sneak into a closed presidential fundraiser at the Smithsonian castle, where they hope to record incriminating admissions that will wake up the world. Hunted by Homeland Security, Waylee and her friends must reach a sufficient audience by broadcasting their video during the Super Bowl. But to do so, they'll have to break into one of the most secure facilities ever built.
Read the First Four chapters of Sleep State Interrupt, plus a lot more extras, free at http://savethereefs.wixsite.com/sleepstateinterrupt
About the Author
Ted Weber has pursued writing and music since childhood, and learned filmmaking and screenwriting in college, along with a little bit of physics. Trapped at home during the "Snowmageddon" of 2010, he transformed those interests into novel writing, and has completed four novels and a number of short stories since then. By day, Mr. Weber works as an ecologist for a non-profit organization and has had over twenty scientific papers and book chapters published. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland with his wife Karen. He enjoys traveling and has visited all seven continents.
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