TEASER TUESDAY: The Damned (Anthology) #horror

 

Anthology Stories Include:

 

The Drain, The Enforcers, The Fog, On a Spring Day, and The Trial.

 

Flash Fiction, Horror

Date To Be Published: September 23, 2023


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Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by thirteen authors. From
creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking
in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect.
Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and
what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles from Storm Lomax, Jonathan Reddoch, Zari Hunt, Kellee
Kranendonk, Andreas Flögel, Simon Clarke, Jacek Wilkos, Ferenc K.
Zoltán, Vanessa Bane, C.L. Hart, Natascha Eschweiler, Angela
Zimmerman, and J.E. Feldman.

 

Excerpt


The Drain

Professor Vladimir Reed-Field wished he had never taken the job at
Miskatonic University. He’d never had problems like this when he was
teaching at the University of Hawaii. A volcanic eruption would be  a
welcome change over the sound coming from that damn kitchen sink.

The plumber from Blizzard Pipeworks could find nothing wrong with the
drain. She’d scoped it, snaked it, and performed a full flush. She
said that sometimes the plumbing in Arkham’s old houses just made odd
noises.

The problem wasn’t the pipes themselves. It was the thing inside the
pipes that kept whispering the professor’s name.

 

Purchase Your Copy Today

 

 

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is
spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the
Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That
Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian
fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to
upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes
will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult
son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early
Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be
found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch
horrors.

 

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

Readers Roost Book Blog

Readers Roost Facebook

Readers Roost Twitter

Naughty Netherworld Newsletter


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TEASER TUESDAY: Antler and Bone by Siondalin O’Craig #PNR #Fantasy

 

(Celtic Magic 5): Mabon –Autumnal Equinox

 

Paranormal / Fantasy / Women’s Fiction

Date Published: 09/15/2023

Publisher: Changeling Press LLC


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Maine artist Libby McNulty’s dreams are haunted by the terrifying Wild Hunt
of Celtic legend. As if that isn’t bad enough, the landlord threatens her
and her friends with eviction in order to turn their apartments into more
profitable condos.

Tom O’Sylvan is a reclusive combat vet who serves as the building manager.
When Libby discovers Tom is also the Huntsman, legendary leader of the Wild
Hunt, myth and ordinary life begin to collide. Can the two of them face
their demons to save each other from danger?

 

Excerpt

Copyright ©2023 Siondalin O’Craig

 

Libby McNulty reached a paint-spattered hand toward the chipped mug on the
counter, not turning her gaze from the six-foot-tall canvas standing on a
low easel. Her brush remained poised in the air. A drop of chartreuse paint
clung to its tip, quivering as if envious of the heavy raindrops splattering
the studio windows.

The image of the woman in the center of the canvas looked a lot like Libby,
or rather what Libby would have looked like if she were a goddess of the
hunt in medieval Ireland. The painted huntress wore a green velvet gown
instead of threadbare Lee jeans rolled up around her calves, and her auburn
ringlets bounced free under the canopy of autumn beech leaves, rather than
tucked haphazardly under a bandanna. In her left hand, the woman on the
canvas held a bow, while her right clenched an arrow rather than a
paintbrush. Their luminous chestnut eyes were exactly the same though;
alert, intent, seeing something beyond the edge of the picture.

Libby took a sip of her tea and grimaced. It had gone cold, and the milk
was sour. Its taste spread across her tongue and pulled her mind back inside
the white-washed wooden walls of her studio. She shivered.

The air was cold and damp, colder than it ought to be in September. Soon it
would be Mabon, the autumnal equinox, when the equal length of day and night
brought balance before the long winter slide, through the pumpkins and
trick-or-treating of Samhain, into the darkness of Yule on the longest night
of the year. Usually, the Mabon season meant sunny T-shirt days and warm
sweater nights, but the persistent rain this year had Libby shivering in her
plaid flannel shirt.

She set the mug back down on top of a folded letter pocked with tea stains.
The letter was signed by Dave Wolf, Vice President and Senior Partner of
James Carbill Real Property LLC. In other words, her landlord. It said
something about selling the building.

Despite the fact that she had a five-year lease with a renewal clause, the
letter made Libby uneasy. That lease had so much fine print, so many pages
she hadn’t read. Her anxiousness to sign something that said
she’d have a home and a place for her art for five years had her
putting blinders on, made her impatient.

She ran a chipped fingernail over the thick paper. It was signed in real
blue-black ink from an expensive fountain pen. Libby knew ink and pigments
better than leases; she made most of her own from bits of trees, flowers,
mushrooms, and stones that she gathered from the forest and rocky shore
surrounding this little town of Lisna, Maine. She was able to make ink and
paints from the plants and barks and stuff she found walking through the
woods — materials that were free to anyone who could read the land. Yet
that blessing was so easily used for evil rather than beauty. She pondered
how many people’s lives around the world had been changed, even
eliminated, by the stroke of ink on paper, wielded for power rather than
art.

But I have my lease, Libby reminded herself again. They can’t kick me
out, at least not for another five years.
Over the drum of rain, Libby could
hear the creaking floorboards that rested overtop of her studio’s tin
ceiling, footsteps of her little band of apartment neighbors. Straight
overhead was the apartment of dear little KatieMor. Next to that, retired
lobsterman Jim Johnson lived with Mario Perkins. Jim with his cane and Mario
with his walker both relied on the Limerick Block elevator as the only way
they could stay living out their end days in their own hometown. Donna
Constantine, the librarian. The Halls, who had a business training
nonprofits how to organize. And Tom O’Sylvan — Tomayo — the building
manager. Libby often heard his distinctive footsteps heading down the stairs
and out the door late in the evening, his big black Irish wolfhound padding
by his side.

Fingering the triskele medallion she wore around her neck, Libby stepped
back and took another look at the painting. Behind the Libby-as-Huntress
stood a cloaked and hooded figure, its face obscured. They stood at the
edge-line between a harvested field and a late-autumn beech forest. The
Libby-Huntress looked off-canvas, toward where, in the real forest just
north of town that it was painted to resemble, a mysterious standing stone
jutted out of the ground in a mossy clearing. The stone — a foot taller
than Libby, and covered with a patchwork of pale green and orange lichens —
had become a grounding point for Libby in her many hours of wandering
through the woods, gathering fiddleheads, ramps, and nettles to eat, along
with oak galls and dyer’s polypore mushrooms to make ink and
paints.

That man whose face lay hidden below the dark hood haunted Libby’s
restless dreams. She could feel him now, pulling her out of her studio
again, out past the brick walls of the Limerick Block, beyond the small
bounds of the village of Lisna, back into the painting, back into the
trees.

The bright green drop of paint let go and landed with an audible plop on
one of Libby’s black canvas sneakers. Libby looked down.

I just need a good long walk, she thought. If only this rain would let up.
A few hours in the forest would set her back to rights, let her get some
sleep, some real sleep, a night without fractured bits of nightmare shocking
her awake. Visions of the stone, the hooded man, a hunt, and all-consuming
flame.

 

About the Author

Siondalin O’Craig writes romance with the slow burn of a peat fire on an
autumn night deep in the woodland hills. Sip a glass of Irish whiskey, turn
the page, and let the magic overtake you. Siondalin lives in the mountains
of New England where she walks under the trees celebrating the wheel of the
year, grows a luscious garden full of magical herbs, and plays a wicked
Irish fiddle. Follow her on Facebook and email her at
siondalinocraig@gmail.com to sign up for her newsletter.

 

Author’s Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter:
@changelingpress


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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

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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


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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



NEW RELEASE: Rhyme of Love by Emily Carrington #LGBTQ #PNR

 Gil struggles to hide his loss of status from Jack, but when he finally confesses, Jack turns around and blurts out his own secret. Who can Gil trust now?

Jack knows he screwed up but he believes in honesty above everything else. Well, almost. Running the risk of losing Gil, Jack must learn to lie convincingly or he’ll lose SearchLight, his life, and Gil, as well.  

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/45pMAT1
Get it at Changeling Press: https://bit.ly/3s56J2q  

Sneak Peek …

The Founders, the sons of Lady Weinberg, formerly Agent Weinberg, kept their hands largely out of SearchLight’s day-to-day operations. They hadn’t even weighed in when Jack decided to announce and involve all of SearchLight and the heads of most of the magical communities around the world in a discussion of suspicious disappearances.

So, even though he wasn’t a Crown Prince, one miniscule step below ruler of all the world’s basilisks, he and Gil were equals. At least he thought they were.

But this bathroom was spectacular. Extravagant. And Jack felt a little embarrassed about his nudity in such a place. The bed creaked behind him and Gil crossed to him. Jack didn’t want his lover to see the nerves he wasn’t quite sure he could keep out of his expression.

Gil closed his hands on Jack’s shoulders and began to massage. Jack relaxed almost at once as the feeling and scent of his beloved surrounded him.

“Are you all right?” Gil murmured.

“I am now.” Jack glanced over his shoulder, flashed Gil a grin, and pulled away. “Shower or bathtub?”

“Together?” Gil suggested.

“Separately, or we’ll never get out of here.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” But he was teasing because he said at once, “I’ll take the wading pool. I suggest you take the shower stall.”

Jack nodded, padded to the aforementioned, grandiose, glass-walled luxury and busied himself testing the water. There was a towel hung conveniently just outside on a heated rack. He listened to Gil turning on the water in the wading pool. His lover was muttering, “Now, how does she get it to just that right temperature?” That made Jack smile a little. Gil wasn’t used to doing for himself, but he wasn’t a complainer either. He was just a little lost.

As Jack was.

About Emily Carrington…

Emily Carrington is a multipublished author of male/male and transgender women’s speculative fiction. Seeking a world made of equality, she created SearchLight to live out her dreams. But even SearchLight has its problems, and Emily is looking forward to working all of these out with a host of characters from dragons and genies to psychic vampires. And in the contemporary world she’s named “Sticks & Stones,” Emily has vowed to create small towns where prejudice is challenged by a passionate quest for equality. Find her on Facebook at Shapeshifter Central or on her website.

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 TOUR & GIVEAWAY: Rogue Wolf by Lilliana Rose #ParanormalRomance

 

Tamaska is to become a wolf shifter but she might not survive the change.

Rogue Wolf

Protector Wolf Shifter Series Book 3

by Lilliana Rose

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Tamaska is to become a wolf shifter but she might not survive the change.

If Tamaska wants to survive being hunted by vampires she must transformed into a wolf shifter. But new information brings into question if the transformation process will work or not.

Kodiak doesn’t want to take any risks that might end Tamaska’s life. She is his mate and he can’t imagine living without her. He’d rather she is alive, protected by himself against the vampires. But the vampires capture Kodiak.

Can Tamaska find someone else in the pack to transform her into the wolf shifter? Will she find a way to rescue her wolf mate without letting the vampires capture her?

Tamaska started up the car, ready to drive back to the pack. She’d promised Kodiak she wouldn’t return to her apartment, but it was the middle of the day, when vampires slumbered or whatever they did…hung upside down like bats? She was safe in any case and the chance to shower, to wash away the past few days and grab some clean clothes was too tempting.

What’s the worst thing Kodiak could do to me?

The thought opened all sorts of delicious possibilities that she shut down.

It wouldn’t take long. She’d just grab some of her clothes and toiletries, a few things that would make the clubhouse more like home for her.

“But he said to head right back.”

Tamaska drove the car through the crazy Sydney traffic, heading back to Kodiak.

Home called just as strongly as doing what she was ordered to do. She was sick of wearing sweaty, stinky clothes stained with blood.

It reminded her of the vampires, the fight, and the death she’d witnessed.

Tamaska gripped the steering wheel tightly, as if that action could push away the images burned in her mind.

A horn blasted from behind, and her attention crashed back into reality.

The lights ahead were green, and the cars behind were impatient for her to drive on. Tamaska took her foot off the brake too quickly and lurched forward.

Another blast from a car behind her set Tamaska on edge.

If she was careless and caused an accident, the pack members likely wouldn’t be so forgiving—especially Onai, since Tamaska drove his car. She needed brownie points, not black crosses against her. She couldn’t keep messing up and doing the wrong thing.

Kodiak wouldn’t need to know.

And he wouldn’t, not if she was quick. He was too busy with his new role, leading the pack. He wouldn’t even notice, never mind be angry at her.

All she had to do was to get to her apartment, then get back with the carpet cleaners.

Easy.

Tamaska parked in front of her apartment.

It’s close to the clubhouse, anyway.

Without another thought, she got out of her car and hurried inside the apartment building. After being transformed, she would never need to go back again. It made sense for her to get some of her things now rather than later.

Excuse after excuse for this disobedience filled her head.

The sun shone warm on her skin—another excuse…it was too early for the vampires to out hunt her.

Returning to the apartment might be a sightly risky detour, but if she skipped the shower it wouldn’t count. She’s just go in, grab some things and leave. Easy.

The elevator ride to her floor was slow, and she had to stop herself from pacing the small space. Fortunately, none of her neighbors seemed to be around, and she hurried to her apartment before anyone saw her and started asking questions.

Tamaska took the hidden spare key out of the lockbox, unlocked the door, and swung it open. She’s just do a grab and dash so—

She gasped. Her hand covered her mouth as she stared, horrified, at the sight.

Her neat apartment was torn apart.

Tamaska stood frozen in the doorway. The words who did this filled her brain, but she knew. Of course, she knew.

Vampires.

Marked Wolf

Protector Wolf Shifter Series Book 2

A vampire attack on the Shadow Pack may end in their destruction.

Scared and confused, Tamaska refuses to see or talk to the man who lied about what he was. Kodiak is a wolf shifter and even though her heart breaks at the distance between them, her fear of this supernatural world threatens to break the connection with him.

Tamaska is determined to overcome her fear and steal back the Blood Opal from the vampires so her life can return to normal. She sneaks into the night club in search of the Blood Opal, what she finds is far more terrifying than Kodiak and his pack could ever be.

Kodiak is rejected and disconnected, and loneliness eats away at him threatening to push him towards insanity if he can’t find a way to convince her they are meant to have a future together. He will not allow Tamaska to be so reckless. Worried she will be captured or worse, he ignores his pack responsibilities and risking his status as beta seeks her out.

Caught between the pack he’s sworn to protect and the woman he can’t live without, will Kodiak be able to hold on to everything he holds dear or watch helpless as it’s all torn away?

Fans of Roxie Ray, Kim Richardson, and Sarah Spade will devour Lilliana Rose’s world of unexpected adventure and dark imagination.

Scroll up and click to begin the journey in this protector turn lover and opposites attract series set in a dark, urban fantasy world.

A sound rang out above her, in the direction she’d come from, and made her freeze. Her blood chilled.

Tamaska wasn’t losing her mind, and she wasn’t alone.

Her heart lurched. She didn’t dare to move, let alone risk going back up the stairs. And she couldn’t stay here.

If the staircase led down, maybe there was a way out. But she didn’t want to run. She wanted to get to the balcony area and search for the gem.

Was it worth it?

The softest thump, a footstep on the top of the staircase above her, accelerated her decision. She could only go down and hope there would be a hiding place in the basement—or better still, a way out.

As she raced quickly down the final stairs, a second set of footsteps echoed toward her. Her senses seemed heightened to a level she’d never experienced before.

Since when did my hearing get so sharp?

It didn’t matter. All that mattered was escape. Self-preservation spurred her instincts on, and she rushed down a narrow, dark corridor.

Except it wasn’t as dark as it should be.

Add my eyesight to that list, too.

Soft, orange guide lights pushed back some of the thick, heavy darkness. Yet Tamaska could see the details of the basement area as if it were fully lit.

Her senses screamed. Someone knew she was there. That someone had followed her. She needed to keep moving.

Evenly spaced doors dotted each side of the corridor. Ahead stood a brick wall and an old wooden table with a vase of black roses and a flickering candle. Sensing no way out past the wall, she turned her attention to the doors. Did she dare to open one? The thought of the strange kitchens upstairs chilled her.

She was running out of options.

If she was found, who knew what might happen to her alone in the basement? She would lose the chance to find the Blood Opal, and she wasn’t about to let that happen.

One door stood ajar. Tamaska pushed it open and stepped inside. Immediately, she wished she’d taken her chances and gone back upstairs.

The chilly air in the room hurt her lungs. A strong metallic stench seemed to stain the air, permeating everything.

And in the middle of the room sat a huge, thick table, like an evil thing. It made her want to run as the panic slid in close to her bones, but curiosity drew her closer.

Strange swirl patterns were engraved deeply into the tabletop. The space had to be for something sacrificial. Her gut twisted.

What the fuck goes on here?

She knew.

Red liquid pooled deep in the carved crevices. Was that…blood? Something drew her to it. She reached out, hand shaking, and pressed her fingers against the table.

A jolt went through her, and she snatched her hand away. What was that strange sensation? It wasn’t sharp or burning hot, but more like an energy zap that sent an uncomfortable vibration up her arm. Like a low-level electric shock. It didn’t hurt, but the unpleasantness left her wanting to back away.

Moisture clung to her fingers, and her stomach heaved as she looked. It was definitely blood, fresh enough to still be wet, but congealed. Her mind filled once more with the images of blood drinking.

Coming here was a mistake. I have to go. She turned to step away and bumped into something. And screamed.

Shadow Wolf

Protector Wolf Shifter Series Book 1

Kodiak must protect Tamaska against vampires who want her dead.

The leader of the vampires wants to capture Tamaska. She needs someone to protector her against a world she has no idea about. That someone is Kodiak, but she doesn’t trust him.

If Kodiak fails at protecting Tamaska and the vampires kill her, they will cause death and destruction on earth. His alpha disagrees, and forbids him from protecting Tamaska. The pack must be committed to each other against the vampires and not be distracted by a human.

There’s a bond forming between Kodiak and Tamaska and he is compelled to protect her.

Who will he choose, his pack or Tamaska? Or will Tamaska break his heart and risk everything he is trying to protect?

Fans of Twilight, Shadow Hunters, and The Winx Saga will devour Lilliana Rose’s world of unexpected adventure and dark imagination.

Scroll up and click to begin the journey in this protector turn lover and opposites attract series set in a dark, urban fantasy world.

That lust had been there since the moment their eyes had met last night.

Tamaska took another step towards him and splayed her hand on his chest. Kodiak could barely think. Releasing her had taken most of his self-restraint and he wasn’t a man built for such things.

When he wanted, he took.

But she was human and…

Hell. She looked at him like she wanted to rip off his clothes and take him here and now.

Her eyes glittered with carnal lust, like she wanted to strip back all humanity’s constructs and get down to the bare boned honest business of sex.

As the music’s beat built, thrumming with the desire in his veins, the last of his control snapped.

He caught her hand and lifted it, without breaking eye contact. He took two of her fingers into his mouth and sucked on them, letting his tongue slide over them, before biting down. She moaned, that low-throated sound that set him ablaze and made the desire within him combust.

This was inevitable. It was fate.

He released her fingers and drew her in. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck, rising on her toes so her mouth was a whisper from him.

His breath caught and he lowered his lips, catching hers. It was a taste, a nibble. She was hot and soft.

A groan broke free from his lips before he kissed her again. This time, she met him, her mouth as needy as his, as savage.

It was like an eternity of lust burst from them. The kiss was a carnal, dark exploration and he couldn’t get enough.

He wanted it all.

Now.

He didn’t give a fuck they were in the vampire club. He didn’t give a damn about the opal.

Right then, the only dangerous thing was not to continue.

He pulled her in hard against him and kissed her once more.

This could cost him his life, and hers.

And he didn’t give a damn.

Lilliana Rose is an Amazon Bestselling author, who writes romance in the subgenres of contemporary and paranormal romance. She enjoys helping characters overcome problems or issues, and the misunderstandings that often plague relationships, to help them fall in love. Whether it’s city heels being replaced with country work boots, or some magic beyond this world, each story shows how love can prevail. She has poetry, middle grade, picture book, novellas, and novels published under various pen names.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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NEW RELEASE: The Big Blue by Anne Kane #shifterromance

Tundra’s a polar bear shifter with a hankering for some Big Blue.

Polar bear shifters are rare these days, and most of them keep a low profile. Tundra knows the rules, but tonight she needs to get laid, and it will take a strong man to satisfy her.

Alex’s buddies call him Big Blue, and they’re closer to the truth than most of them know, but he does his best to hide his true nature — trolls have a nasty reputation in this brave new world.

The very first time Tundra sees Blue, she knows she had to have him. What she doesn’t realize is that she’ll never want to let him go. So when Alex goes to confront the head of a vicious cabal, Tundra follows to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. After all, even a troll’s hide isn’t as thick as a polar bear’s.

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/TheBigBlueGoodreads

Get it from Changeling Press: https://bit.ly/44539CL

Sneak Peek…

A gust of wind drew my attention to the door. The man who entered sent heat curling deep in my gut. Civilized was the last word that came to mind. Hard. Wild. Uncivilized. Yeah, those described him to a T.

A riot of dark hair curled all the way to the blue uniform stretched tight across his huge shoulders. He reminded me of the football players at the inner city stadiums, wide and covered with thick ropes of muscle. A tingle of anticipation raced through me. His dark eyes swept the room with cynical disinterest as he shouldered his way through the noisy crowd, and I found myself holding my breath as I waited for him to notice me.

“He’s trouble, Tundra. Don’t even think about it.” Sam slapped the beer down in front of me, breaking the spell.

“You know him?” I ignored the bartender’s frown. I was way past needing someone to vet my dates. “I don’t remember seeing him in here before.”

Sam nodded. “Alex is a loner, a beat cop down at the precinct. He doesn’t come in here often. Last time he did, it took me two days to clean up the mess.” He leaned forward, lowering his voice so I had to strain to hear his words. “I heard a rumor that there’s a troll somewhere in his family tree, and I’m inclined to believe it.”

“Really.” I swept my tongue across my suddenly dry lips as I watched the slide of tight material over his ass. “That could make things very… interesting.” Sam snorted and shook his head as I took a long pull on my drink. “That’s one word for it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

I laughed, throwing him a saucy grin as I slid off the barstool. “Warning duly noted. Wish me luck!” Turning my back on his disapproving frown, I wound my way through the dense crowd toward my target.

About Anne Kane

Anne Kane lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a bouncy little rescue dog whose breed defies description, a cantankerous Himalayan cat, and too many fish to count. She spent many years trying to fit in and act normal, but finally gave up the effort. She started writing romance in 2008, and her fate was sealed when she won a publishing contract with Red Sage Publishing and just a month later Changeling Press accepted her first submission. Since then she has published more than thirty stories in a variety of sub-genres, all with a happily ever after.

She has two handsome sons and six adorable grandchildren and enjoys spending time with them whenever she can. Her hobbies, when she’s not playing with the characters in her head, include kayaking, hiking, swimming, playing guitar, singing and of course, reading.