TEASER: Through My Heart by KateHill #romantichorror

Romantic Moments 3

Romantic Horror, Vampire Romance

Date Published: October 01, 2023

Adrian – I am a vampire whose physical ugliness intensified with my
immortality. For centuries I hunted alone, disguising myself from prey,
preferring illusions to brutal attacks. Others of my kind spurned me. Some
tried to destroy me, and on them I unleashed my wrath. I suffered the agony
of eternal loneliness, and then I met Anna.

Anna – My life was almost unbearable until a tall, black-haired
stranger with fiery eyes and needle sharp teeth drank my blood and swept me
into an unimaginable world. From the night we met, I gave Adrian my heart,
but a lie spun by a jealous enemy drove us apart. I swore I would never give
him the chance to hurt me again, but denying my love for him was harder than
I thought.

Note: Through My Heart is a very short horror romance featuring vampiric
love. It has a spicy heat level, violence, and a HEA. This Romantic Moments
story is the perfect length for a lunch break, before bed, or any time you
want a quick, romantic read.

 

Excerpt

I found her on the streets of Pompeii just days before the fateful eruption
of Vesuvius. Many centuries earlier, I had been thrust into the life of a
blood drinker, changed on the field of battle.

To this day, I don’t know why the blood drinker changed me. Beauty is
prized among our kind, and I was known as the Brutal Beast—a warrior
with the strength of a dragon and the face of one.

I suppose it doesn’t matter why. It might have been a gift, or a curse, or
perhaps it was just her sense of humor. I can still feel her teeth tearing
into my neck. I can taste her blood, as sweet and thick as wine.

I digress. Where was I?

Ah, yes, Pompeii. I had arrived on my merchant ship from Constanta, and
while my servants unloaded cargo, I sought nourishment in the brothels that
were plentiful in the city. Even then, I caught the scent of death emanating
from the distant mountain. I had planned to stay for a while, but just one
night might be too long. Still, I needed to drink before moving on.

A delicious scent teased my nose. It was musky, sweet, and sad. The aroma
of despair. My gaze riveted to a beautiful woman—hair as black as my
own, dark eyes with flecks of gold that my keen vision detected even from
across the street. She was slim and her skin kissed golden by the sun.
Despite the warmth of the air, she shivered and rubbed her bare arms that
were imprinted with bruises from an earlier customer.

I approached, still wearing a hood—blood drinkers are rarely affected
by warmth or cold, unless it’s extreme. The hood, combined with my powers of
the mind, would create the illusion of handsome looks. I didn’t spin the
dream quite yet, though. Sometimes, I indulged in the self-torture of seeing
how they reacted to me.

She glanced at me when I paused beside her, so close that my shadow
darkened her face.

“Welcome. Would you like to come inside?” she asked in a soft
monotone. Her voice, like her scent, emanated despair. She didn’t even look
surprised by my appearance.

“Very much.”

With a sigh, she turned and led me past a tattered curtain, into the small,
candlelit room where she lived and entertained customers.

She gestured toward the stone bed.

I remained standing and said, “We should talk first.”

Now she raised an arched black eyebrow. “About what?”

I pulled down my hood, completely exposing my pale, bony face that was
covered in scars, most from my mortal life, but some sustained after my
change, during fights with other blood drinkers, ones who couldn’t keep
their mouths shut and their weapons to themselves. My eyes, deep-set and
black as midnight pools, intimidated just about everyone who dared lock
gazes with me.

She swallowed visibly and audibly, but didn’t look away.

“Will you still take me to your bed, my lovely?”

 

About the Author

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic
fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working
out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history.
She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists,
antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni
Quinby.

 

Contact Links

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Blog

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NEW RELEASE: Beautiful Twisted Things by Lacee Hightower #Menage #EroticRomance

When you’re playing with fire, run for safety … or get burned.

Wyatt McEvoy finds weed, alcohol, and inappropriate reading material in his teenage daughter’s apartment. Not to mention sex toys. Frustrated by her poor judgment, he gives her two choices. Attend a camp for troubled youths or move home for the summer and take a job.

Aiden DiBiase hasn’t the time nor the desire to babysit. His new summer employee is immature, smart-lipped, and defiant. Problem is, she’s the daughter of a personal friend who also happens to be one of his biggest sources of income.

Sophie McEvoy is appalled when her first task is to clean the bathroom, and things only get worse after that. She can’t stand Aiden and his draconian rules. He’s dictatorial, makes her do deplorable things that no respectable person should ever suggest, and looks at her with ice in his gaze. Exasperated, Sophie handles his neanderthal personality the only way she knows how. She’s flippant, defiant, and refuses to comply without a fight.

Kyle Holt’s whole world is Aiden. Their nine-year relationship is committed and unbreakable, and he’ll do anything to keep his partner happy. So when he brings Sophie into the mix by inviting her to their bed for a night of no-strings consensual fun, things get complicated in more ways than one.

Falling into a passionate liaison they can’t forsake no matter the consequences, when Sophie discovers Aiden’s dark secret, will she turn away for good? Or fall deeper?

Be Warned: menage sex (MMF), anal sex, sex toys

Excerpt

“What would make you happy, Sophia?”

“Same as anybody else. Peace. Acceptance. Love.” My eyes warmed as I fought thinking of everything I didn’t want to think or speak of. “Someone who looks at me the way you and Kyle look at each other. And you, Aiden. You and Kyle. That’s what would make me happy.”

 Running his lips along the curve of my jaw, he said, “Do yourself a favor and walk away from this. Forget the motherfucking invitation. Before I won’t let you.”

The velvet rasp of his voice turned my core to liquid. Maybe he was right in that I should forget this whole invitation, but no. I couldn’t and wouldn’t. I wanted to lose myself in Aiden’s hypnotic gaze and the soul-grabbing hunger behind it. Wanted Kyle’s lips trailing down my back while making the moaning noises I’d heard before. I wanted harsh words, domineering demands, soft and hard kisses, and every sexual scenario imaginable between two men and a woman.

I wanted the three of us.

“What if I don’t want you to let me?”

He cocked a brow, then lowered his forehead against mine, his breath heated and heavy. His voice gentler, he said, “This was inappropriate, and I’m sorry.”

“Inappropriate for who, dammit? Stop pretending you don’t feel th-this thing between us because I know you do.”

His gorgeous face was a map of confusion, his stare so intense it sent ice up my spine. “I’m not some gentle lover who leaves flowers by the bedside and sweet notes at the door. I’m…”

“You’re dominant, Aiden. And Kyle is submissive. It’s hardly a secret.”

“Kyle is submissive with me, Sophia. With you, he’d be a different man. The two of us would tear you apart. Now, be sensible and forget about this.”

“I don’t want to forget.”

Equal parts pissed and turned on, I stared at him while he stared right back with tension returning to his body and hardness in his jaw. With his brows drawing together in an upsetting scowl, he said, “Wear different clothes and shoes to work. I don’t need you breaking a leg on my clock.” He turned his back to me and sauntered toward the front area where Kyle continued what sounded like a personal call.

“Fine! I get it, okay?” Red, fiery anger ignited in my chest while frustration rolled through me and the words on my tongue wouldn’t stop. “Deep down you know you aren’t man enough to please me. So, go ahead and continue doing what you do best. Walking away, barking orders, and looking at me like you’d rather have your dick chewed off by a rabid dog than to touch me. You may be dominant in the bedroom, but you sure as hell aren’t anywhere else. You’re nothing but a scared, candy-assed coward. Besides, I don’t need dick in my life, not yours anyway.”

Like I’d lit a live wire, he stopped, the muscles in his shoulders straining. He turned to face me, his pupils like round black dots, and that vein in his forehead thick and erect. Anger bled in his expression, the intent in his gaze ice cold.

Don’t walk away.

Don’t ignore me.

Don’t abandon me.

“You know what? You talk too motherfucking much, you couldn’t handle my dick if you tried, and you’re fully aware that I don’t need pussy.” He trudged my direction, scooped me into his arms like I weighed nothing, then said, “But since you’ve been begging me to turn your ass red, guess what, little girl? You win. Goddamnit to hell, you win! I’m going to show you what a candy-assed coward does when he’s reached his limit. And then, Sophia, we’ll see how you feel when you can’t sit for a week.”

He can’t be serious! I pushed at his chest. “You wouldn’t fucking dare!” As much as I’d read and fantasized about spanking and red rooms of pain, a cold dread of fear lifted up my back.

He released a sigh from deep in his chest, warning me that his patience was wearing thin. “I don’t take kindly to dares.” His voice was a low growl and his fingertips dug into the back of my thighs. “Not only do you run your mouth too much, but you’re rude and spoiled, not to mention disrespectful. You deserve every damn thing you’re about to endure. Before the summer ends, I’ll either work the fucking defiance out of you, or spank it out.”

About the Author

Lacee Hightower lives in Texas where everything is bigger! And better! Writer of heat-filled stories, the sex is smokin’ and the men are strong and alpha.

When she’s not stressing over edits, she can usually be found curled up with a steamy book and a good glass of Pinot.

You can reach her here:

laceehightower.com

laceehightower8786 on Instagram

LaceeHightower on Twitter

TEASER: Wild Asses of the Mojave Desert by Lis Anna-Langston #WomensFiction

 

New Adult – Literary – Contemporary fiction –
Women’s fiction

Date Published:10-20-2023

Publisher: Mapleton Press


 

This novel about friendship, nostalgia, and finding oneself is funny and
tender, moving and poetic, while standing firmly in hope and love. The
characters are thinkers, overthinkers really, who are trying to find their
way by asking the deep questions of life with wide-eyed wonder and talking
through life’s uncertainties. They fearlessly confront the choices they’ve
made, examining their desires and their mistakes. The result is a smart,
engaging novel depicting a young woman’s search for the people and place she
will call home.

A RECOMMENDED read by the US Review

 

 

Excerpt

 

The inside of the White Tavern was dark and smelled like stale cigarettes
and grease. A server came over, wearing tight black skinny jeans and an old
Van Halen concert tee.

Dylan turned sideways in the booth to stretch his legs out. “Tell me
about this beer that’s cheaper than gas.”

“Dollar eighty-four,” the server said, which was, in fact,
cheaper than gas.

“Do you have any fries to go with those competitive beer
prices?”

It had been a long time since I’d had my favorite sandwich. Pimiento
cheese. Pickles. Ham. I sunk my teeth into a yummy bite of teenage years and
moaned out loud.

Dylan looked up from his double order of fries and raised an eyebrow.
“Do you and that sandwich need to be alone?”

I ignored his comment. “Was there anything else in that car? Anything
that might indicate a drug deal gone bad?”

“Nope. Just the cooler and the rock.”

“Huh.”

Dylan locked eyes with me. “That rock means something,
Skye.”

The dining area was empty except for us, and one other table near the back
with kitchen staff. Still, Dylan leaned across the table and whispered
urgently, “It’s like that scene in Pulp Fiction with the
briefcase in the diner.”

I furrowed my brow and gagged on a sesame seed. “With Honey
Bunny?”

“And Pumpkin.”

“What?”

Dylan leaned back and shrugged. “The guy’s name was Pumpkin.
Honey Bunny and…”

“I know. I’ve seen it thirteen times. I’m just wondering
why we’re out here in the middle of the desert with you drawing
comparisons of your life to a film that came out when you were seven years
old.”

“You—you, you mock me, Skye, but there’s a
connection.”

“Between a film and that glowing rock?”

“Yes.” He clasped his hands together firmly and laid them on
the table.

“There’s no rock in Pulp Fiction.”

“It’s implied.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yeah, it is. It’s in the briefcase.”

“We never see what’s in the briefcase.”

Dylan squirmed in an exaggerated way and said, “God, use your
imagination, Skye. It’s a glowing rock.”

“Okay. Say it is a glowing rock. What does that have to do with
us?”

“It’s our time to finally make sense of our lives.”

“That’s what I’ve been doing.”

“No, you haven’t.”

I grabbed the ketchup bottle and whacked the bottom. “How do you
know?”

“Because you’re here. Right back where you started. Look,
don’t get me wrong, I love sitting out in the desert drinking Miller
High Life, listening to the coyotes howl, playing charades in the firelight
with your sister, but I’m glad you’re home.”

“You played charades with my sister?”

“Sure. Isn’t that what you were doing back east? Playing
charades? Sounds like? Feels like? Rhymes with?

“You saying those six years were nothing more than a
game?”

“We were all playing a game. It’s okay to admit the truth, even
if it’s hard.”

His answer was so simple and earnest, I didn’t know whether to kill
him or cry. I looked down at my plate with a strange mixture of surrender
and hunger. “What do you think I was doing on the East
Coast?”

Dylan inhaled and shrugged, “Trying to escape this place and burn
Trevor out of your mind with hot yoga and gluten-free buns.” He
touched my greasy hand and said, “It’s not a judgment. Look, I
don’t know what you were doing out there. You didn’t exactly
call. But you’re here now, and so am I, and I believe this is some
kind of strange gift.”

“If the rock is so important, why haven’t you moved
it?”

“It’s really heavy. I’m going to have to dig it out.
That’s where you come in.”

Dylan was always a crazy trailblazer adjusting his tinfoil hat, but
he’d leveled up the weird while I was gone.

“I have to go to the bathroom.”

If I stood perfectly still in the stall, I could hear the sound of the end
coming. A sharp chapter break pushing forward. Tracks winding into a new
future. One I couldn’t see, because I was still stuck in the backseat
of my past life. I sat on the toilet and thought about escape. The problem
was I’d been escaping my entire life. Running from everything.
Destiny. Relationships. Myself. I looked down at my jeans bunched up around
my knees. I’d already managed to get stuck in a hole, might as well
grab a shovel and dig.

About the Author

Lis Anna-Langston was raised along the winding current of the Mississippi
River on a steady diet of dog-eared books. She attended a Creative and
Performing Arts School from middle school until graduation and went on to
study Literature at Webster University. Her novels have won the
Parents’ Choice Gold, Moonbeam Book Award, Independent Press Award,
Benjamin Franklin Book Award and NYC Big Book Awards. A three-time Pushcart
award nominee and Finalist in the Brighthorse Book Prize, William Faulkner
Fiction Contest, George Garrett Fiction Prize and Thomas Wolfe Fiction
Award, her work has been published in The Literary Review, Emerson Review,
The Merrimack Review, Emrys Journal, The MacGuffin, Sand Hill Review and
dozens of other literary journals.

Hailed as “an author with a genuine flair for originality” by
Midwest Book Review and “a loveable, engaging, original
voice…” by Publishers Weekly, you can find her in the wilds of
South Carolina plucking stories out of thin air.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter @LisAnnaLangston

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Preorder Links

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BOOK BLITZ: Moonlight Rip Tide by Yurie Kiri #Thriller #Paranormal

Moonlight Rip Tide
Yurie Kiri
(Murder and Magic, #4)
Publication date: September 5th 2023
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Thriller

Want to go for a ride in a classic car? Park by the ocean? Sounds nice huh?

Mona found the man and his car, a beautiful, old Ferrari, very attractive. Sure, she’d go for a ride with him to look at the ocean, the party was boring anyway. Maybe by the time they got back things would liven up a bit…

She felt the bag tighten around her neck, cutting off her air supply. This cannot be happening. She gasped and struggled, but it was no use. He was as strong as he was classically handsome, a real Hollywood leading man type. Everything went dark as she lost consciousness, her last thought was about the mistake she’d made threatening to tell Danny’s wife…

Susan felt that someone was stalking her. She’d gotten several strange calls attempting to make appointments for private exercise and aerobics lessons. Dicky and the cops had wrecked her apartment and she needed to work to get a new place but she was afraid to take on an unknown client. What should she do?

“Get in the car or your pregnant friend is dead!” he said hoarsely. Susan must save Anne, but how?

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Prologue

Ben Bowen pulled to a stop, looked at the woman sitting next to him, revved the 4-cam V12 engine once then parked the classic 1967 Ferrari 275 GTS convertible on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. His parking spot was in a deserted, crumbling cliff-side part of Rancho Palos Verdes near the famous Pacific Golf Course, west of the LAX airport. Occasionally a jetliner, either leaving or arriving the area would soar high overhead. In between the faint sounds of passing jets, one could hear the surf crashing loudly on the rocks far below, with large waves filling a cove famous for its vicious, deadly rip tide.

“So, do you bring all of your girls to this spot?” Mona asked with a smile when the car’s noisy, smelly engine shut down. She loved sex and adventure which was why she’d gone to the party at Danny Trapp’s house near the golf course. She’d expected to find even more fun at the huge house belonging to one of the richest men in Los Angeles and so far she hadn’t been disappointed. Danny and his string of car dealerships up and down all of California, Nevada and Arizona were worth billions of dollars and along with all that money were special, very expensive cars like the old Ferrari she had ridden in, out to the cliffs with Danny’s friend Ben, who was a truly beautiful young man.

“Of course!” Ben said, sliding the seat back as far as it would go. He loved Danny’s old Ferrari convertible for the way its engine sounded when he revved it and for the way he could move the seats back far enough to fuck women. “Look at how far back the seat goes…” He looked at Mona and hoped she’d take the hint quickly. He wanted to take care of her then get back to the party before too many people might realize that he had gone off with her. Although he’d taken care to not be seen leaving with Mona, some of the people at the party might be able to put two and two together… and that could be bad.

“Cool,” Mona said with a smile at Ben’s bulging crotch. “Want to fuck me here, now big boy?”

“Certainly!” Ben said smiling back at her. He looked at her as she unbuttoned her blouse. Mona was approaching 40 which made her desperate and a little crazy too, he thought. Crazy enough to threaten Danny Trapp with exposure. She’d fucked just about everyone, including Danny and now she wanted money in exchange for not telling Danny’s fourth or was it his fifth wife about their steamy affair. Anyway, Mona was older but she was still quite attractive with a great body and a beautiful face beneath a head of dark, luxurious curly hair made even more attractive with the oriental vanilla fragrance of Dior’s Hypnotic Poison.

“Aren’t you going to get ready, baby?” Mona asked as she pulled her dress up then removed her brief underwear.

“I am always ready for you, Mona,” Ben said, unzipping his pants and giving Mona a peak of his oversized penis.

“Now that’s what I like in a man!” Mona said with a grin. “A big dick!” She turned around, got on her knees then stepped across and straddled Ben in preparation for fucking him with the old Ferrari’s steering wheel pressing against her butt.

“Want to try a plastic bag?” Ben said with a grin. “You know like we were talking about at the party? If we can deprive your brain of just a little oxygen for only a few seconds, it won’t hurt and your orgasm will be ten times more intense…” He looked directly into her brown eyes and smiled seductively.

“Promise?” Mona said with glistening eyes. “Promise me it will be great?” She loved sex and she loved the size of his dick. Fucking him might be the best sex of the party but she’d had to fuck a few more guys to get a good comparison, something she intended to do that evening.

“Of course!” Ben said, pulling a plastic bag out from where he’d stashed it, beneath the driver’s seat. “I promise you, this trick will blow your fucking mind baby! You’ll never forget it! Just let me slip this bag over your beautiful hair. I won’t even mess up your lipstick…”

“Thanks!” Mona said, feeling the building excitement in her body. She grinned and ducked down to let Ben slip the plastic bag over her head.

“It will be so great!” Ben said as he gently slipped the fresh plastic bag over her head while she grinned at him like a fucking idiot and squirmed around on his lap, pressing herself against his stiffening dick. There was no way he was really going to fuck her too, not without a condom needed to prevent leaving any evidence behind. But he only had two hands, both of which were now in use and therefore he had no chance of putting on some protection. He held her close and then closed off the air in the bag with his big, strong hands… Once she stopped struggling he was going to toss her off the cliff. When her broken body was found on the rocks down below, provided she just didn’t wash out to sea with the heavy surf and its dangerous rip tide, the county coroner would rule it either an accident or a suicide, both of which were good outcomes as far as he and Danny were concerned.

Author Bio:

Yurie Kiri’s novel Moonlight Beach won the 2020 Hollywood Book Festival’s award for Genre Fiction. The second book of the series is called Moonlight Canyon and the third book is called Moonlight Rocks.

Yurie Kiri’s novel Moonlight Beach is packaged in Moonlight Duology with its sequel Moonlight Canyon. “Moonlight Duology” has been selected as the winner in the “Sequels” category for the 2023 Los Angeles Book Festival. These two books have been described as something like Carlos Castaneda’s “The Teachings of Don Juan…” combined with Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” only more intense.

Yurie Kiri is currently working on the next book in the series which may be called “Moonlight Riptide” since nothing is more dangerous than getting caught in a riptide at night. This book, tentatively to be released in the fall of 2023, will pit Susan and her friends against Moonlights Rocks’ Sam and his evil buddies. It will be a classic good versus evil story that will keep you guessing until the last page.

In Yurie Kiri’s Tokyo Games, the game character drags the player into a malevolent web of corrupt politicians, despotic religious orders, and ancient, flesh-eating mythological monsters. Yurie’s novel Osaka Games, the second book in the Games series won the 2022 Beach Book Festival’s award for Genre Fiction. Like in Tokyo Games the game character gets dragged into battles with gangsters, corrupt businessmen and Samurai ghosts while struggling to deal with body swappers.

New York Stories, Yurie’s most recent book was the winner of “Unpublished” fiction category in 2022 New England Book Festival. An Entrada Publishing – Beta Reader said, “I loved the feel of the story and the pacing. It [New York Stories] is unique and a little quirky, while tackling ideas that are very possible in today’s society….

Yurie Kiri is a shy, secretive person who lives on a boat, cruising between various ports in the Pacific Ocean. Sailing, writing, and photography are Yurie’s primary passions. Since Yurie’s beloved cat, Fluffy, knows where all the bodies are buried, she’s not allowed to leave Yurie’s sight.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram


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BOOK BLITZ: Heart of the Storm by Valerie Storm #YAfantasy

 Demon Storm, Book 4

 

YA Fantasy

Date Published: 09-13-2023

Publisher: Shadow Spark Publishing


 

More than night terrors keep Kari awake at night. Ari languishes beside
her, broken by the horrors Raven bestowed upon him.

She hopes he heals, and soon.

When a familiar presence and an unexplainable human with magic happen upon
their doorstep, Kari and Ari make a decision: leave Raziac Village in search
of answers and a new home.

But the heart eater waits for them.

 

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.

 

Contact Links 

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Purchase Link

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BOOK BLITZ: The Soothsayer by Glen Gabel #YoungAdult #Fantasy

The Soothsayer
Glen Gabel
Publication date: July 1st 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

★★Colin Devereaux is a teen in crisis. He’s an outcast at school, a target for bullies, and a helpless bystander as he watches his single mother wither from cancer. But those problems pale to the things he can’t explain – the dark creatures he’s spied lurking over his sleeping mother’s form, the strange old shopkeeper at the marina who seems to know Colin’s mind, and the mysterious puzzle box that the old man trades for Colin’s name. The line of reality blurs as the puzzle box opens, revealing a path to another world and a clue that may save his mother’s life. Stranded in a kingdom devastated by darkness and war, Colin joins a ragtag resistance against evil forces to find salvation for his mother and himself.★★

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

Colin and Balaam burst past the dark creatures, knocking them over, and raced back down the lane. The serpents coiled and chased after them.

“They’re following us!” Colin yelled as Balaam veered down a narrow alley of gravestones. The demons flung themselves around the tombs and closed in to pinch off their escape.

“They’re cutting us off! We’re dead!” Colin shrieked as he kicked at Balaam’s sides frantically.

“Yes, wonderful! Keep saying such helpful things!” Balaam yelled back and veered again, running up the sagging side of a crumbling tomb to its roof and hopping to the next one and the next like they were stones on the water. The serpents hissed and raced forward at the bases of the tombs, slithering parallel to the donkey’s course.

Colin clutched Balaam’s mane as he stared, wide-eyed, ahead. They were charging towards the cemetery’s wall, several inches higher than the tombs themselves.

“Wall! Wall! Wall!” Colin screamed and pulled back on Balaam’s mane.

“Let’s see them try this!” Balaam yelled back as he ran across the last roof and, with a mighty jump, hurled them into the air, barely missing the wall’s ledge and crashing into a thatch cart on the other side. Colin held tight as they smashed through the cart and onto the street. Guards nearby ran forward, brandishing spears. “Halt!”

“New problem!” Colin yelled as he clung to Balaam, who darted past the guards, knocking them over in his wake.

“Always!” Balaam snorted as he careened down an alley and onto another street, then veered again onto the King’s Way leading to the royal courtyard.

“Okay, slow down!” Colin called. “We lost them.”

Balaam slowed his pace as they entered the great market. Stands, overhangs, and shops were littered with random goods. Crowds of people moved about, and merchants carried baskets of wares. “Let me have control here. Subtlety is key,” Colin whispered to the donkey.

A group of guards on horseback turned onto the street before them. The captain’s face went sour. “You! Boy! Halt!”

“Oh shit,” Colin moaned.

“Wonderful leadership, very subtle,” Balaam said and rushed to the right, knocking over a cart and sending pottery flying.

“After him!” yelled the captain, and his men gave chase.

Colin spun his head around as Balaam charged down another street. The guards rushed closer and closer. One soldier grimly eyed Colin, pushing his mount ahead to match Balaam’s speed. He thrust his spear at Colin, and Colin grabbed it. The two struggled with it as they hurtled down the lane, their mounts neck and neck. The onlookers screamed and ran as the two riders knocked over merchant carts and crates between them.

Without warning, a merchant pushed a cart out from a side alley in front of Colin’s opponent. Both man and horse collided with it and fell away. Two other guards replaced him within seconds.

“Go faster!” Colin yelled as he kicked Balaam’s side.

“I’m a donkey! Not a race horse!” Balaam called back.

The lane split to the left and the right ahead. “Pick one, great leader!” Balaam demanded.

“Uh, right! No, left!” Colin screamed.

Balaam dashed ahead, down the left lane, and into a caravan of garments.

Reams of fabric went flying, covering both Colin and the donkey.

“I can’t see!” Balaam screamed.

An unending ream of silk covered Colin’s face. He could hear the guards’ horses behind as he fumbled with it. “Just keep going!”

Balaam flew past scattering crowds, past screaming merchants, and right through a thatched wall.


Author Bio:

Glen Gabel learned to love storytelling at an early age, enlisting his friends in short films, plays, and anything he could jot down on paper. Later his passion turned to screenwriting and eventually into novels and short stories.

After graduating from The University of Southern California with a B.A. in Creative Writing and Film, Glen worked under Joss Whedon at Mutant Enemy/Fox as a production assistant before transitioning to education and earning an M.ed at Portland State University. He later accepted a lead instructor position in Pasadena, California, before moving on to professional copywriting.

Glen’s work includes selling his supernatural thriller screenplay, “The Harrow,” script doctoring on several independent films, and his latest YA fantasy novel, The Soothsayer. Glen’s most recent short story, “Where Light Has No Purchase” was shortlisted as a finalist in Reedsy’s Writing Contest in April 2022 and published in the 2022 Bardsy Character Anthology. He lives in Idaho with his wife and wonder-pup, Duke.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Newsletter


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TEASER: This is How He Collects Them by Eric Woods #horror

 

Horror

Date Published:10-13-2023

 

A series of haunting nightmares draws five former residents of a New York
City high-rise back to their one-time home. But this is not a reunion. These
five strangers have never met. But they are connected.

The depressed photographer with telekinetic abilities … the
paralegal who reads evil thoughts of strangers … the struggling
author who can predict dark futures … the malicious hypnotist
… the witch’s daughter …

They have met in their dreams, and they have observed the shadows who
follow them until they awaken. Now they want answers. And when the five
board the same elevator at the same time, an ominous reality surfaces. They
did not return on their own. They were drawn back. Drawn by their
nightmares. Drawn by darkness.

Drawn … to be collected.

 


Excerpt

Prologue


        The darkness descends, and the witch recoils. She senses it nearby but
cannot visually establish its location. But it is close. It remains trapped
inside The Amalgam high rise, one of New York City’s premiere
structures for the past one hundred years. The witch’s home. Her
powers existed for years under its nose. She fooled it for decades. Made it
believe she was but a mere charlatan taking advantage of the weak
minded.

          But the witch is no
fraud. Her powers are real. Her powers are formidable. And she’s been
here the whole time. Planning. Plotting. Over the past couple days, she has
been leaving with her bags full. She is trying to escape before they can
capture her. Escape like the few over the years who fled before the darkness
could consume them. They were among the most powerful ones to cross into its
space. But they have also been located, and like the witch, their powers
amassed together will bring forth a darkness never seen in human
history.

          Now the witch
understands that she has been exposed and is trying to flee to a safer
place. Because even she knows that she cannot stop it no matter how much
information she gathers on it. No matter how many of his minions she
deceives.

          You no longer fool
me, Witch. It is time to set my gatherers in motion. And your book of spells
will not save you.

          Or your
daughter.

          Or the others.

          In its century of
existence, The Amalgam has brought forth an abundant supply of those with
gifts the holders never quite understood. Most have been a mere pittance to
that of a true witch – a descendent of one of the most powerful ever
seen.

          As it continues to
observe, the witch lingers through the lobby looking from left to right. She
knows it’s watching, and she sprints to the elevator. Other tenants
wait alongside, so the darkness dissipates back. But it’s now clear.
The witch must be top priority before she can escape.

          But once she is
collected, the others will return.

          The plan for a world
of darkness will reach its zenith.

          It’s time to
call them home. It’s time to collect.

 

About the Author

A writer since grade school, Eric Woods resides in Springfield, Illinois
and finally published his first novel in 2018. Today he has five novels, two
novellas, and one book of stage plays. Most recently, his short story
“The Taurus Bull” was featured in HorrorScope: A Zodiac
Anthology.

If you want to be spooked in person, Eric hosts the Lincoln Ghost Walk in
Springfield (through October). Come take the tour and learn some creepy
tales about the 16th President of the United States!

Eric earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s
Degree in Communication from the University of Illinois Springfield. He
served as a collegiate speech and debate coach for seven years, and has been
a local freelance writer since 2005.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Instagram

TikTok


BOOK BLITZ: Legend of the Wildlings by Brittney Brewer #Fantasy #YoungAdult

Legend of the Wildlings
Brittney Brewer
(The Ellesmere Saga, #1)
Publication date: November 14th 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Everyone who is meant to end up here always does, eventually.

At fifteen, Ember Lothbrok has spent half her life passing through the Galway foster system, though strange occurrences seem to follow her around like a cloud of bad luck. Even if her guardians aren’t completely put off by the rain clouds that form inside, footstools that transform into pigs, or their walls suddenly turning a horrifying shade of puce, her lavender eyes flecked with ash always seal her fate.

Everything changes the day a mysterious new social worker appears for her next family transfer and whisks her across Loch Lurgan to Ellesmere—an island inhabited by Vala—of the magic blooded Northmen, like her. An island of mythical creatures and a magical school. After settling in with the Kitts, her newest foster family, and starting school at Heksheim Academy of Myth and Magic, she allows herself to have hope for the first time in years. A hope that maybe this one will stick.

But if Ember is sure of anything, it’s that a happy ending is not in the cards for her. Just as she’s beginning to settle in, she unearths a prophecy promising death and destruction to the magical creatures and beings on the island. With her newfound friends and a boy with a secret, Ember must try to stop the dark forces threatening her found family and new home before it’s too late.

This is the story of a girl with nothing left to lose,
An island filled with magic and mystery,
And the legend that could destroy it all.

…but what if the legend was wrong?

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order



BOOK BLITZ: War of the Sea by Dana Claire #YAFantasy

War of the Sea
Dana Claire
(Olympian Wars, #1)
Publication date: November 14th 2022
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

His powers could save the ocean. Her vendetta could sink a kingdom.

Captain Elouise Farrington, the youngest pirate on the Caviar Sea, seeks revenge on her father’s killer. But when her oddly hypnotic foe proposes a pact to kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea’s bloodshed, she must make a choice. Put aside her long-brewing retribution or act the underhanded pirate and use the alliance to claim the life of the man who destroyed her family?

Captain Rylander Bordeaux, the revered royal navy captain of the Isle of Cava, has one mission—kill the Siren Queen and end the War of the Sea. The ocean is the only place Rylander calls home, but to bring peace to his beloved waves, he must defeat his past so he can reshape the future. His greatest hope is Captain Elouise, who calls to him like no siren song ever has. Too bad she’s almost as bloodthirsty as the fanged heart-eaters themselves. She promises to lend her all-female crew to his war on the sirens, but can he trust a brigand—especially one who wants him dead—to uphold her end of the bargain? Or will she be his undoing?

Goodreads / Kickstarter

Dana Claire’s best-selling, award-winning fantasy romance, War of the Sea, is getting an early one-year birthday present, an audio book, and companion novel, called War of the Land. To pay for the critically acclaimed narrators, Dana is launching a Kickstarter. In that Kickstarter, she will also release the next book in this series, War of the Land, a standalone HEA with sassy female demi-gods, strong arrogant Gods, and of course mischievous sirens and swashbuckling pirates.

Check out the Kickstarter campaign HERE!

EXCERPT:

“You are incredibly difficult, royally frustrating, and ridiculously beautiful. It drives me mad.”

Rylander gripped my hair at the back of my head and angled my chin upward. His lips were on mine before I took my next breath. There was no softness or patience to this kiss. His fist tightened, forcing my head back further. His tongue slipped passed my lips, demanding entrance, and I acquiesced. No fighting. No thinking. No questions. Only submission like two magnets pulled toward one another.”


Author Bio:

Dana Claire is an award-winning author whose stories explore identity, fate and destiny in the crossroads of romance and adventure. But her writing career didn’t begin when she published her first book, The Connection, in 2020. It started when she was a young girl when her mother, an elementary school teacher, inspired her to create imaginary worlds between the pages.

Dana’s love of romantic tension, the supernatural and non-stop action has elicited very positive feedback from many readers, as their online reviews reveal her flair for spine-tingling action and unforgettable characters. But it’s not just readers who love her; literary critics have also taken note, and Dana received the Children’s Moonbeam award for The Connection in 2021.

Dana is now sharing her stories through speaking events and book signings, introducing more readers to the worlds she created.

Currently, she is living her dream in Los Angeles, CA as a published author, but she has bigger dreams of sharing her stories through other mediums: film and television. The self-confessed hopeless romantic says she and her husband are living the best love story of all.

Instagram ➜ @authordanaclaire

Facebook ➜ facebook.com/danaclairebooks

Visit her website ➜ danaclairebooks.com

Drop a line ➜ danaclairebooks@outlook.com

For media and partnership inquiries including TV and Film, please reach out to The Next Step PR at kiki@thenextsteppr.com


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BOOK BLITZ: The Bucket of Blood by Paul Malott #GraphicNovel #Dystopian

 

Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic Graphic Novels, Dystopian Graphic Novels,
Humorous Graphic Novels

Date Published: June 2023



 


“The Bucket of Blood” by Paul Malott is a darkly-funny comedy
that takes readers on a thrilling and immersive journey into a dystopian
Detroit ruled by the enigmatic Granny Schmif. This sassy splatterpunk
graphic novel combines elements of humor, action, and horror to create a
unique blend of genres that keeps readers engaged from beginning to
end.

Fans of stoner, darkly-funny comedies will enjoy this adventure epic about
freelance spies meandering in the streets of Detroit.

About the Author

Paul Malott is a writer, procurement leader, and organizational management
expert who’s also a self-proclaimed lover of all things comics, 3D printing,
history, and human inventiveness and perseverance. He’s a big believer in
the power of laughter and has made it his mission to help people trust in
the adage that ‘laughter is the best medicine’.

In his graphic novel “The Bucket of Blood” Paul offers a
facetious and humorous perspective on today’s struggles through the
lens of some unique characters such as Granny Schmif. Paul believes that the
ability to balance seriousness with humor leads to success in all areas of
life, from relationships to career, and his graphic novel provides readers a
witty narrative providing substance to his lifestyle.

But, Paul’s not just a one-trick pony. He’s held various leadership
positions in fortune 500 companies throughout his career and has honed his
skills in leadership, problem-solving, procurement, and strategic planning.
When he’s not writing or working, Paul can be found indulging his family and
getting lost in his other passions, which include playing the drums,
watching sci-fi movies, and trying to master the art of cooking. He also has
a knack for making people laugh ..he’s told his sense of humor shines
through in his writing, and readers can expect to be entertained as well as
informed.

In short, Paul Malott is a multi-talented writer and expert who’s
passionate about communication, laughter, and helping people achieve their
goals. His unique blend of expertise, humor, and satire makes him an
invaluable writer and resource.

 

Contact Links

Author Website

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Patreon

Discord

 

Purchase Link

Amazon