Catch and Release Tracy Solheim (Milwaukee Growlers Football Romance, #3) Publication date: February 26th 2024 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
A second chance, enemies-to-lovers football romance.
He’s the pro athlete everyone wants to be.
Quarterback Trey Van Horn didn’t become the league’s MVP by accident. Years of self-discipline and iron-clad control have made him the envy of everyone in and around the game of football. But when he comes face-to-face with the one who got away, his tightly managed life is turned upside down. Now he’ll do whatever it takes to score the greatest comeback of his life.
She’s tired of being every guy’s doormat.
London Headley is on the verge of having the career she’s always dreamed of. Too bad the path to her promotion runs through the guy who broke her heart a decade earlier. So what if everything about the Milwaukee Growlers QB sets her panties on fire? She’s determined to keep things professional. Life has taught her that men will always choose something—or someone—over her. It’s going to take more than a Hail Mary to get her to buy into the fairy tale.
The only problem? Her lips don’t seem to want to follow the game plan. Not when Trey is executing an all-out blitz to prove he’s worth a second chance.
“I’m all in,” he repeated softly, his breath teasing the skin near her ear. “You can count on me, London.”
Could she?
It wasn’t like she had a choice. Besides, Bennie said Trey’s reputation with advertisers was nothing but professional.
“I’d like it if we could get through this without every moment in each other’s presence being a battle,” he added.
Well damn if he wasn’t being the mature one.
She was the one being ridiculous by reading too much into everything he said and did, that’s all. If he could approach the situation like a grown up, then so could she. After all, she wasn’t that naïve eighteen-year-old any longer. No way was she falling for Trey Van Horn again. If he could keep things light and businesslike, she would put on her big girl panties and do the same.
But not if he kept touching her. It was impossible for her to think with his body so close to hers. She hurriedly untangled her fingers from his and put some distance between them.
“I’d like that as well.” Too bad her voice didn’t sound as steady and committed to the new plan as she’d like. She managed a smile that she hoped looked more assured than she felt. “I’m looking forward to making this campaign a success.”
He returned her smile with one of his own. Only his bordered on sly, as if he knew what the words were costing her.
“Me, too.” He opened her office door and gestured for her to exit first.
Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually best-sellers. The books, not the men. When she’s not writing, she’s practicing her curling. . . bottles of wine, that is. She’s been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she’d rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough. (See the note above about cooking.) Check out her romantic suspense series featuring the Men of the Secret Service–shirtless, of course! See what she’s up to at http://www.tracysolheim.com
Motorcycle Club Romance, Age Gap, Suspense, 2nd Chances
Date Published: February 23, 2024
Publisher: Changeling Press
Cleo — My family put me through hell, and I escaped the only way
possible… by marrying a biker locked up in prison. Joker gave me his
name and a way to hide from my family. Until the day they find me…
Now it’s time I return to the husband who doesn’t want me and
hope he doesn’t find out all my secrets — because if he does, I have
a feeling he’s going to make me leave.
Joker — She seemed sweet and innocent. Marrying her wasn’t a big
deal. Then I managed to obtain my freedom, and with it, I decided to set her
free as well. Only one problem. She doesn’t want a divorce. Now Cleo
is living with me, and my club has accepted her as part of our family. None
of us realized she was hiding something that could destroy us, but at the
end of the day, she’s mine and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep
her safe.
WARNING: Joker is intended for adult readers 18+ due to bad language,
violence, and adult situations. There’s no cliffhanger involving the
main characters. There is a slight cliffhanger involving secondary
characters, which will be resolved in the next book. Guaranteed happily ever
after, and no cheating!
The clanging of metal bars and shouting inmates jolted me awake. Another
day in this hellhole. I blinked against the harsh fluorescent lights as the
guard banged his baton against my cell, barking at me to get up. My joints
creaked in protest as I slid off the thin mattress onto the cold concrete
floor. I’d wasted away in this cage for over a decade, my youth fading
with each endless day.
“Mail,” the guard said, thrusting a letter into my cell.
Only one person wrote to me. Someone I’d never met in person, though
she’d sent me a picture one time. Out of boredom, I’d signed up
for a pen pal program, not expecting much. To my surprise, I’d
received dozens of letters — all from women. One had stood out. A teen girl
named Cleo.
I’d been hesitant to respond. At forty-eight, I’d felt like it
was wrong to reply to her. My morals might be questionable, but I still had
a line I wouldn’t cross. In the end, I’d answered her, and
we’d been writing to each other ever since. She’d needed a
sympathetic ear, and I’d needed a distraction.
I opened Cleo’s latest letter, her looping cursive filling the page.
My light in this darkness. She saw the man beneath the cut, the heart behind
the grim façade. Her letters were a glimpse of the world outside
these walls. She shared her dreams, her troubles, her very soul. And I
confessed things to her I’d never uttered aloud. The abandoned boy who
turned to the club for family, the gnawing loneliness beneath the swagger.
She understood. We were both fighting our own demons.
The guard slammed the bars again. “Chow time, Joker! Look
alive!”
I tucked Cleo’s letter into my pocket, close to my heart. I’d
survive another day in this concrete tomb just to read her words again
tonight. And someday, somehow, I’d be free. I wasn’t sure what
would happen then. We were worlds apart in a lot of ways. Once I left this
place, Cleo would come to be a part of my past. It would be dangerous for us
to keep in touch.
I shuffled into the cafeteria, the din of inmates engulfing me. I kept my
head down as I grabbed my tray of slop and found an empty table. Solitude
was survival in this jungle. Placing my arm around my tray, I shoveled food
into my mouth. In this place, you had to protect what was yours.
My thoughts drifted to Cleo as I forced down the cold mush. She
hadn’t written in weeks. Her family was poison. From what I’d
gathered they were all rotten to the core. She only hinted at the horrors
she’d seen, but I sensed the fear beneath her brave words. At
seventeen, she shouldn’t be worried about surviving. She should be
having fun with her friends, enjoying her high school years, and figuring
out where she wanted to go in life. I hated not being able to do anything
for her, except listen.
My fists clenched, rage simmering through my veins. If they touched one
hair on her head, I’d kill them. She was too pure for this world, an
angel who deserved so much more. I had to protect her, no matter the cost.
Except… the shackles binding me went deeper than this prison. I owed
my club my life and my loyalty. I couldn’t do anything without talking
to them first, and I hadn’t heard from any of them in a long-ass time.
I’d fucked up, and it had felt like they all turned their backs on
me.
The guards herded us to the yard, the sun blinding after days under
flickering fluorescent lights. I found a shady corner and waited. Breathing
in the fresh air meant nothing without freedom. I’d only traded an
interior cage for an exterior one.
A hush fell over the inmates. The warden stormed across the yard, his face
like thunder. He stopped in front of me, his eyes hard. Well, shit. Had I
done something wrong again? It wasn’t often he came in person. Then
again, I wasn’t always nice to the guards. Maybe he was simply
protecting his men.
“You’ve got a visitor, Joker.”
My pulse quickened. No one had come to see me in years. What the fuck was
going on?
The warden didn’t like me. In fact, we’d frequently butted
heads during my incarceration. It had to piss him off that I had a visitor.
The man would do anything to keep me from even one moment of happiness. I
knew if he could, he’d keep me locked up for the rest of my
life.
I followed the warden through the maze of fences and gates until we reached
the visitation room. My breath caught when I saw her. Even though I’d
only seen one picture of her, I recognized her right away.
Cleo.
She looked small and fragile in the plastic chair, her fingers twisting a
tissue. Bruises shadowed under her eyes, barely hidden by makeup. My heart
clenched.
I sat down, picking up the phone. Her eyes flooded with tears as she did
the same.
“Joker,” she whispered. “I’m so
sorry…”
“What happened?”
She glanced around quickly before answering. “My brother found out
about the letters. He was furious. Said no one in the family should
associate with your kind.”
My jaw tightened, fury rising. My kind, huh? Seemed like her brother
wasn’t any better. “Did he hurt you?”
“It doesn’t matter –”
“The hell it doesn’t!” I snarled. “You listen to
me. I’m getting you out of there, you hear me? We’ll leave town,
start over somewhere new.”
“How?” Her voice trembled. “You still have years left of
your sentence.”
I placed my hand against the glass. “Marry me.”
Her eyes widened. “What?”
“Marry me,” I repeated. “You just turned eighteen, right?
So you don’t need your family’s permission. I know the warden
hates me, but… I’ll convince him somehow. He’ll do the
ceremony right here. Then when I get out, we can start over — together, if
that’s what you want.”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. She put her hand against mine, even though
the glass separated us. “Yes. I’ll marry you,
Joker.”
“I’ll find a way to get word to you. If your brother is angry
about us talking, then I can’t send it to your house. Find someone
willing to help you and send me their address. I’ll correspond with
you through them.”
She nodded and wiped away more tears. We talked for another minute, then
our time was up. I watched her walk away and hoped I’d made the right
choice. If this came back to bite me in the ass, it might end up harming her
too.
* * *
It took two weeks to convince the warden. In the end, he only agreed in
order to help Cleo. I stood in a dingy room, still cuffed and wearing my
prison-issued jumpsuit. It wouldn’t be the wedding of her dreams, but
hopefully it kept her safe.
Cleo entered the room in a simple white dress, holding a small bouquet of
daisies. Her smile nearly blinded me. I didn’t know why she looked so
happy. It made me wonder what she thought about this marriage. I had to
admit, she looked beautiful.
We exchanged brief vows. No kiss or embrace could seal our union. It ended
nearly as soon as it had begun. The guards escorted her from the room and
sent me back to my cell. I could only hope changing her name from Cleo
Lathem to Cleo Clemons would help her in some way.
My heart ached, knowing she had to return to that abusive household. I felt
powerless, stuck in this damn cell while she suffered. I slammed my fist
against the concrete in frustration. They couldn’t legally force her
to do anything, but people like that didn’t care about the law.
She’d have to disappear to avoid the danger of living with her family.
At least with her name changed, she’d have a chance to get away.
Hopefully, it would take them a while to figure out she’d gotten
married. I only wished I had some money to give her too.
The next visiting day, her eyes were puffy from crying as she picked up the
phone. “It’s time. I’m leaving this week. Today will be my
last visit with you.”
I hadn’t expected her to ever come here again. Seeing her one last
time was more than enough. I nodded, letting her know I understood.
“Go as far as you can and don’t look back,” I said.
“Will you be okay?” she asked.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve survived this place this
long. I’ll be fine. Protect yourself, Cleo, whatever it
takes.”
I hung up the phone, forcing her to leave. This was for the best. She
needed a clean break. As much as I’d enjoyed her letters, I hoped she
didn’t write anymore. It was time for her to start living. I’d
miss her like hell. She’d been a bright light in this dismal place.
Without her words to carry me through, I wasn’t sure what would happen
to me. Didn’t matter. I’d possibly die in this place. Even if I
got out, my life was probably halfway over. Assuming I didn’t get
shot, stabbed, or die in some other fun way long before I became an old man.
Cleo was just getting started. There was so much of the world for her to
explore, and I hope she got the chance to see it all.
For me, days passed. Then weeks. Months. I didn’t hear from Cleo
again. Time blurred. I lived one monotonous day after another. Wake up, work
out, eat, work, eat again, sleep. Wash, rinse, repeat.
My thoughts constantly drifted to Cleo when I wasn’t occupied. Was
she eating enough? Getting any sleep? Staying safe from her family’s
crooked dealings?
I wondered where she was now. How far had she gone? Was it a big enough
distance her family couldn’t find her? Part of me wondered if
we’d ever bump into each other again in the future, once I put this
place behind me. It ate at me, not knowing if she was safe or not. Had the
plan worked? Or had I married her for no reason?
About the Author
Harley Wylde is an accomplished author known for her captivating MC
Romances. With an unwavering commitment to sensual storytelling, Wylde
immerses her readers in an exciting world of fierce men and irresistible
women. Her works exude passion, danger, and gritty realism, while still
managing to end on a satisfying note each time.
When not crafting her tales, Wylde spends her time brainstorming new
plotlines, indulging in a hot cup of Starbucks, or delving into a good book.
She has a particular affinity for supernatural horror literature and movies.
Visit Wylde’s website to learn more about her works and upcoming events, and
don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter to receive exclusive discounts
and other exciting perks.
Author on Facebook, Instagram, & TikTok: @harleywylde
Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok:
@changelingpress
Seven Perfect Days Francesca Vespa Publication date: February 17th 2024 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Sometimes your friends break your heart the most.
Maggie Lomax dodged the most painful moment of her life, but her eccentric best friend Alexandra isn’t going to let her get away that easy. High School might finally be over, but they still need to clean up the mess left behind.
Things look grim, until Maggie meets Adam Moon, a handsome foreign student and sweet, kind soul who’s just as messed up as her. The only problem is he disappeared, and nobody knows what happened to him.
An unusual offer from an old school acquaintance to travel abroad may be a chance for Maggie to move on. New sights, new sounds and new adventures may be just what she needs, but the past has a way of catching up with her, and so does Alexandra. Maggie may find her guy, but it could be at the worst possible time.
This contemporary romantic black comedy travels the world, hopping islands, traversing continents, sailing oceans. It tells a big tale from small intimate ones. The story is set on the sails of courage, flying a flag to joy and friendship, heartbreak and love.
I mean, he really did it, but he’s not really my cousin. He’s actually my father’s cousin’s daughter’s husband; Zayn. I also have two other cousins called Zain, but they had nothing to do with it. Probably.
I was over at my uncle’s house, and I snuck out for a smoke. Big house, big garden, big dinner party, so nobody noticed. That’s where I saw Zayn in the library with the gun. I only saw it for a moment before he wrapped it up. I thought if a guy like that had a gun, he was definitely going to use it for something later on.
He didn’t see me, thank goodness. I probably should have said something to somebody, but who would listen to me? I am the Devil, after all, and Satan is the father of lies. The only person who talked to me was my brother, and if I said anything to that idiot, he’d probably be dead now. So yeah, I got out of town, and went on vacation.
That’s why it annoys me that I get the blame. If they were planning this whole thing then, how can I be the cause of all the trouble now?
The point is that you may be right when you say life can go real nuts sometimes.
Author Bio:
Francesca Vespa studied linguistics. She is neurodivergent, lives in South Australia with two incredible children, as well as cat named Simon and a dog named Diesel. Seven Perfect Days is her debut novel.
The Secret of Sweet Treats Kingdom Kim Davis (The Board Game Chronicles, #1) Publication date: January 30th 2024 Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Middle-Grade
Book includes a fun recipe for kids!
Amber Addison is fed up with her kindergartener sister. It’s Ava’s fault she’s missing her best friend’s birthday party, the most anticipated event in their sixth-grade class. To make matters worse, Ava has coerced her into playing Sweet Treats board game and she keeps losing to a five-year-old. When Amber’s irritation gets the best of her, she throws the game, destroying it.
As the board disintegrates, the two girls are swept into a swirling vortex and they find themselves in the middle of Sweet Treats kingdom. Ava is kidnapped by an evil queen, and Amber finds herself relying on a mint-green rabbit to help her find her way to Bonbon Castle with the hope of finding her sister. Along the way, she encounters more sweets than she could ever eat along with fantastical beings. Some will become her friend and others create danger that she must survive in order to save her sister and find their way home.
A rumbling sound filled my ears and the ground started tilting and rolling. The light hanging over the dining room table began swaying and the wood mini-blinds rubbing against the windows sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard.
“Amber?” Ava grabbed my hand and held on tight.
“Don’t worry. It’s just an earthquake.” Growing up in Southern California you got used to this kind of thing. “Remember what they taught you at school? Drop, cover, and hold on?”
I pulled her toward the dining room table to hide beneath it, although I was positive by the time we got into position the quake would be over.
We were ten steps away from the table when Ava stopped walking. She yanked my arm and started pulling me backward, toward the family room. I heard the crash of glass breaking on the kitchen tile and was glad I had flip-flops on. Our family portrait fell from the dining room wall, the glass splintering from the black frame sent shards of glass flying across the room. A small piece caught my ankle, sending a sting up my leg.
“Knock it off, shrimp. We need to get under the table right now!” While I had been in several earthquakes, this felt different. It wasn’t slowing or stopping, like I thought it would. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was scared. Could this be the “big one” grownups talked about?
Instead of letting me lead her toward the dining table, Ava began pulling me harder toward the family room. With my feet sliding on the slick tile, I couldn’t stop.
“What’s that?” I had never heard my sister screech like that before, so I turned around to see what she was talking about.
The small fragments of the Sweet Treats board game were hovering in midair, swirling in a circle, going faster and faster. The floor tilted us toward the flying pieces, and we were slipping toward the growing whirlwind. The edge of the vortex was expanding outward at a rapid rate, while the center was a dark, black hole. It looked like a giant vacuum hose, and it was sucking us toward it.
My terrified sister started screaming, clinging to my legs. “Do something, Amber!”
I started shrieking as I tripped over Ava, and we were pulled head first into the middle of the vortex.
Author Bio:
Kim Davis lives in Southern California with her husband and mini Goldendoodle puppy, Missy. When she’s not spending time with her granddaughters or chasing the puppy around, she can be found either writing on her next book, or working on her blog, Cinnamon, Sugar, and a Little Bit of Murder, or in the kitchen baking up yummy treats to share.
She also writes the Cupcake Catering cozy mystery series, the Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery series, The Board Game Chronicles middle grade series, and a suspense novel, A Game of Deceit, written under K. A. Davis, along with several children’s nature articles in a variety of magazines.
Kim Davis is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
LUKE: No one seems to comprehend the pressures of playing
for an NCAA college hockey team and being in the pre-med program. With the NHL draft and
graduation looming, I can’t handle any distractions in my life. Discipline and focus are my two best
friends.
The absolute last thing I need my senior year is to be roped into some campus
social media project with a sexy junior who changes majors more times than she does clothes. Yet
here I am, posing for a calendar I had no intention of participating in, attending parties, and making
out, among other things, in public. And yeah, if I’m smiling the whole way, it must be because I’ve
finally cracked. That’s the only explanation why I’ve let Jax sashay her way into my every thought.
Puck me!
My world has been irrevocably turned upside
down once already, and I won’t let it happen again—even if it means becoming the “Ice Man” that
everyone calls me.
JAX: It might have taken me three
years to decide on a major, but I’ve got it all figured out now, and I’m going to win a coveted
communications internship too. I just need the grumpy hockey captain to relax a bit and help me
help his team. So what if I know diddly about the game and that he won’t even let me past the front
door? I’ve got this! And if I’m shivering at his touch, it’s because he’s so cold, not because he
makes me hot.
Nope, despite the rumors circulating on campus, we’re only spending
every waking minute together because of my assignment, that’s all. Although, maybe we’re dating?
I don’t know, but I plan to find out! Because it’s starting to feel real, especially his kisses. Yup, I’m
totally pucked!
Bestselling, multi-award-winning romance author of steamy
& sassy Contemporary and New Adult stories that will leave you “grinning like a Cheshire
Cat.” Residing in NYC and Southwest Florida, Tara holds a master’s degree in journalism from
New York University and is the proud mom to twin boys and four writing distractions, I mean cats.
Marie James is a full-time author, mother of two boys, and wife of 18+ years. Dog Mom to four great danes: Maximus, Sassy, Kiki, and Hargid
She has spent almost my entire lifetime living in central Texas, with only short stays in South Carolina, Alabama, and Florida. She is currently residing in a sleepy little town in East Tennessee.
Writing is her passion, and she absolutely loves being able to sit down and put all of her thoughts and emotions into her stories.
She loves dogs, coffee, making handmade cards, and reading steamy romance novels!
If they want his immortality—they’ll have to take it…
Protecting the Gray Wolf
Lone Wolf Legacy Book 2
by N.J. Walters
Genre: Paranormal Romance
If they want his immortality—they’ll have to take it…in the second deeply sexy and bold Lone Wolf Legacy series from New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters
I’m used to other wolves coming for me. They want their chance to try and take out the infamous Gray Wolf. And every single one of them fails—because lone wolves aren’t like the others…we’re stronger. Harder. Meaner. Immortal.
But it also means I’m alone. No pack. No alpha. Just the three of us—white, gray, and black. Two too many, if you ask me.
But with power-hungry mages gunning for us, I don’t have the luxury of reflection. They’re in New York City, and I Will. Hunt. Them. Down.
Which is when I see her, and every cell in my body is on alert, filled with the kind of primal longing I never knew I was capable of. Luna West may be human, but there’s some kind of thread connecting us. Call it destiny, fate…or voracious animal hunger.
I know she’s bait. She’s meant to tempt me, to make me weak.
But even if I could resist her, I’m not sure I want to. Because I’ve never denied my wolf anything…especially the chance to raise some serious hell.
And I’m not about to start now.
Each book in the Lone Wolf Legacy series is STANDALONE
N.J. Walters is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has always been a voracious reader, and now she spends her days writing novels of her own. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, assassins, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks—all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
Now a member of Freehaven’s Council, Kari tries to put her past behind her
and settle down in her new home with her ever-present Lord and love,
Ari.
Cracks in her mind, parting gifts from the heart eater, make planning the
upcoming Spring Festival a struggle, but Kari is determined to do her best,
even after Guine departs the town.
When a mysterious child appears at the festival and marks Kari, all
semblance of normalcy is banished.
A triple threat from her past awaits beyond the walls of Freehaven and
options are thin. Not willing to spill any more blood, Kari takes it upon
herself to stop them—with Ari by her side.
About the Author
Valerie Storm was raised in Tucson, Arizona. Growing up, she fell in love
with everything fantasy. When she wasn’t playing video games, she was
writing. By age ten, she began to write her own stories as a way to escape
reality. When these stories became a full-length series, she considered the
path to sharing with other children & children-at/heart looking for a
place to call home.
Preston, son of Hermes, has a secret. He’s been cursed to live as a
satyr — a monster with a dubious job he hates. He knows love is not in his
future. Can’t be.
Then he meets Lulu — the daughter of a witch and Elf. A woman unsure of
her place in the world. Luna has come back to Eerie to hide and heal, but a
chance meeting with sorcerers and being thrown together with Preston changes
everything. Love may be possible if only Luna can open her heart and change
Preston’s mind.
Back to the old homestead. Lulu snorted and pulled onto the dirt road
leading to the witch enclave. She wasn’t a witch herself. Hell, she
wasn’t even sure what she was — the daughter of a witch and an elf.
Did that make her a Wilf? An Elch? She had magic, but she wasn’t good
with spells. She couldn’t bake for shit and refused to live in a
tree.
She drove the mucky path passing for a street to the house she’d
grown up in. When she’d left for college, she’d been so
wide-eyed and excited. So ready to embrace the world.
Then Tom happened. He’d consumed her life. He made her feel things.
Showed her there was more to life, but most of it wasn’t good. He
needed control.
Of course, he did.
Being a sorcerer, he lived for control.
Every time she looked back on her last few years, she winced. She’d
been so naive. She’d let him do all the things he’d done because
she thought she loved him.
He’d never loved her.
But that didn’t matter now. She’d broken free from his control,
and he’d moved on to his next victim.
She stopped in her parents’ driveway, but her thoughts clogged her
mind. She’d considered his next girlfriend a victim. God. What a piece
of work Tom was!
That didn’t matter. She’d come home. She’d gone back to
what she knew so she could heal her heart.
She left the car and strode over to the barn. Poofs of colored smoke shot
from the chimney. Her mother must be creating.
She spied the plants in the field. Her father had finally got the crops out
on time. Good for him. A smile pulled at her lips. At least someone had
their life going in the right direction.
She’d figure hers out soon enough.
She diverted from the barn and made her way over to the field. She breathed
in the clean scent of the crops. Eerie was a hot mess at times, but it was
also the place for paranormals to be themselves. It was a safe place.
She’d thought she needed a place to run away to, but not when home
called. It wasn’t like she had a lost love back home. She’d
never had a boyfriend when she’d been in Eerie. She hadn’t been
enough of a paranormal — not looking like an elf or witch. She’d been
too normal and teased for her appearance. Being different hadn’t
bothered her, though. She shook her head. She’d pulled herself up and
grown. She wasn’t the same girl who’d left town.
“You made it.” Daff, her father, bounded up to her. “Got
a lot to move in?”
“I’m not moving in, Daddy.” She’d found an
apartment on March Avenue, above a bakery. Sue her for liking the
smells.
“I didn’t think you would be, but I cleaned up the second floor
just in case.” He wiped his hands on a towel hanging from his pocket.
“What are you planning to do?”
“I’m living in the Towers. Fourth floor. I’ll get the
keys this evening. It’s furnished so I don’t have to move
anything but my clothes.” She’d worked out a deal with Marina,
her second cousin, to get the last furnished unit.
“Good. I’m glad.” Her father hesitated. “Are you
having a roommate?”
“No.”
“Are you sure? A witch alone?” Her father shook his head.
“We have room.”
“You do, but I need to do this on my own.” She hugged him.
“But I appreciate the concern. I’m only a call
away.”
“I know,” her father said. “Got a job yet?”
“At Linc’s.” She wasn’t sure working at a bar was
smart, but it was a job.
“The bar?”
“In the restaurant. I head there next.” She stepped back.
“Just wanted to see you and Mom. I can use all the anchors I can
get.” She needed them.
“You’re always welcome here.”
“I know. Is Mom around?” She hadn’t seen her and her
mother tended to be the center of attention.
“She’s mixing spells with Grinella.”
She should’ve guessed. “She spends a lot of time there with
her.”
“She does.”
Sadness tinged his voice and she hesitated. “To the exclusion of
you?”
“A bit.”
“Daddy.” She wasn’t sure what to do to help him.
“She needs to find herself, so I’m letting her.”
“But you’re unhappy.” She would be, too.
“I am, but I’ll be here for her.”
“What do you want? For you? Not for Mom?”
He stared at her. “I never thought about it.”
“I know.” She sat beside him on the fence. “What do you
want?”
“To farm. To have my animals and work the land. To feel the earth in
my hands. To be loved,” he said. “All those things.”
“Then that’s what you should do. All of those things. Have you
told Mom you don’t feel loved?”
“She’s never home and when she is, she’s drifting.
It’s like I can’t reach her.”
“You need to try and tell her.” She hugged him. “I
didn’t tell Reuben how I felt and it made life miserable. It
would’ve changed so much and might have kept me from dating
Tom.” Might have made her life better.
“I will.”
“You need to.” She sighed. “I’ll check on you, but
I need to get to work.”
“Go ahead. I’ll be okay.” He nodded. “It’ll
always be okay.”
“You’re sure?”
“I am.” He offered a sad smile. “Go. Get your life
going.”
“I will.” She hesitated before heading to her car. She wanted
to be there for her dad. To help him have the best. For both him and her
mother. She loved them and they did love each other, but they weren’t
good at communicating. Right now, they seemed pulled apart. Sort of like her
situation with Reuben. He’d felt abandoned and used that feeling to
walk away. He claimed he had to find his happiness. He hadn’t cared
that she was confused by her own feelings and overwhelmed. He didn’t
care that she wasn’t sure how to deal with stress, but he wanted what
he wanted when he wanted it, and if someone argued, they were wrong. Not
him.
She’d been wrong often. But she hadn’t told him how she’d
felt.
She slid behind the wheel, then left the farm. Dust swirled in her wake.
Gravel crunched under her tires. A sense of freedom washed over her. She was
her own woman. No Tom or Reuben to stand in her way. A single lady. And it
was time she found her own happy.
Not at a bar, but that was a job. She drove across Eerie, passing the
woods, the lake with light sparkling on the water and so peaceful.
She’d never been much of a nature lover, but she appreciated the
solitude and ability to get lost in the woods to center herself.
She continued to the east end of town. Most residents hated the east end
because of the rough crowd that tended to frequent the area. The bars and
dance halls were there. So was the bail bondsman’s office.
She parked in the lot behind the bar in the staff area. The hotel stood
behind the bar and seemed to groan in the late afternoon sun. She
didn’t know many of the vehicles, but she hadn’t worked there
yet. She hadn’t met the gang. Being hired the day before made knowing
people difficult. She left her car and locked it, then ventured into the
building.
“Hi.” A blond man with a dirty T-shirt stood by the kitchen
sink. “First day?”
“It is.” She recognized the man. The satyr. She thought his
name was Stav. Or something like that. “You’re here
today?” She’d been warned against him.
“Always.” He grinned and dried his hands. “My brother
owns the bar. I’m sure Lance hired you.”
“He did.” The easy conversation reassured her. “He
mentioned his baby brother.”
“Good or bad?” A wicked glimmer filled his eyes.
“A little bit of both.”
About the Author
Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author
of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing
since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary
and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her
works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her
characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s
been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best
Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the
bestseller lists on various e-tailer sites.
When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as
well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but
football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends
of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.
False Haven Rebecca Rook Publication date: February 13th 2024 Genres: Horror, Young Adult
False Haven is a young adult horror novel for fans of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, Asylum by Madeleine Roux, and Fiendish by Brenna Yovanoff.
Seventeen-year-old Vivienne Barston’s life has fallen apart.
With her mother recently dead, her father disappears into his grief – leaving Viv to deal with her sadness and anger alone. Viv turns to destructive behaviors like petty vandalism, but after a disturbing stint in a juvenile detention center frightens her, Viv agrees to a court mandated service opportunity designed to expunge her record. The deal: work for six weeks with a trail conservation crew in the rural woods of southern Oregon, and she’ll be free with a clean slate.
She knows it’s her last chance to fix her life.
When Viv arrives at the small town of Hard Luck, Oregon, she meets her motley crewmates, all with troubles of their own. The unusual group travels to Grafton Stake, a remote and derelict former asylum with a haunted history–and now Viv must face the ghosts of the past while fighting for her future.
Don’t miss this inventive horror novel where Holes meets The Haunting of Hill House!
They were all large, dressed in furs, leathers, and thick boots. The men had thick beards and braids; the women either wore braids or had shorn hair. All of them wore armor of some kind, with runic designs upon their crests. Ghost green flames danced and kissed across their skin. As Valentine watched, she saw that their skin flickered and faded in the moonlight, alternately translucent and opaque. During the translucent phases, she saw their skeletons underneath.
She shivered.
Then, beyond the Huntsmen, she saw the mounts.
They were stunning.
Each horse shimmered, dressed in golds and silvers, blues and violets, coppers and moonlight. They were enormous, with hooves the size of dinner plates and lush manes that draped across the starlit skin. Valentine watched as they huffed, stamped their feet, and half-reared. They were ready, she could tell. They wanted to hunt, to chase.
She heard Malcolm’s prosaic voice in her head. Choose the smallest mount.
Valentine scanned the herd. There.
The smallest mount glowed like a golden fire in the moonlight, with a silver mane. Compared to the others, this one was dainty, almost delicate. Valentine cast a quick glance at the Huntsmen, then started forward, crouching low to avoid notice. As she moved forward, she draped the bridle over her shoulder, then pulled out the packet of frankincense and myrrh. She poured it into her hands, then crept forward. She stopped before the golden creature, a good six feet away. Though this mount was smaller than the others, it was by no means tiny.
When Valentine stilled, the horse raised her head.
What do you want, mortal? The voice sounded like a crack of lightning in her head. The eyes glowed with violet flame.
Author Bio:
Rebecca Rook designs tabletop games, manages a little free library dedicated to sequential art and comics, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with two wonderful dogs. She writes young adult fiction in the fantasy, thriller, and horror genres.
A 2021-2022 Hugo House Fellow in
Seattle, WA, she also attended the 2021 Tin House YA Fiction Workshop in
Portland, OR. Rebecca was selected as one of the 100 invited writers to participate in the Write Team Mentorship Program’s curated Pitch-a-Thon event before being chosen as a Mentee for the 2021 Program. Prior to this, she completed the wonderful Yearlong Workshop for Young Adult and Middle Grade Fiction at Hugo House.
