Too True to be Good by Mary E. Thompson

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Mary will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

His life was good…

Zach Bennett was content to go to work, hang out with his family and friends, and entertain a woman once in a while. As his family found love all around him, he was content to stay single. Unattached. Happy.

Besides, he had enough to worry about with a new chef breathing down his neck for his job.

She faced the truth every day…

Gianna Brooks always wanted to work with people. She saw enough growing up to know kids need all the help they can get. They deserved to be safe. Loved. Happy.

Which is why she’s determined to get her new client into a forever home.

But the truth isn’t always good…

The last thing Zach needs is a little girl showing up on his doorstep claiming she’s his. Her social worker hot on her heels, and demanding a place to stay, definitely doesn’t make it any better. Especially with Gianna’s curvy body and bedroom eyes, and his daughter’s sad sweetness, making him consider keeping both of them.

Gianna knows she should run. Zach knows he should send them away. But neither of them can resist the pull toward the other.

Read an excerpt:

Zach pulled in a deep breath and sunk into the couch. Summer was curled up next to him, her little knees digging into his hip. He couldn’t believe it had only been a few days since she appeared. It was starting to feel like she’d been there forever.

Gianna padded into the room. Her hair was tied up, out of her face. He ached to tug it out of the ponytail it was in and run his hands through it, but instead he just smiled.

“She’s asleep already?” Gianna asked with a laugh.

Zach nodded. “Yeah. She had a busy day.”

“Your family has been wonderful with her.”

Zach grinned. His mom took to Summer like she’d always been a part of the family.

“They all love kids.”

“That’s obvious. Summer will be lucky to stay here.”

The thought of Summer staying still scared him, but he had to admit, he was getting used to it. She was a little presence in his life that would keep him on his toes. He was starting to get a true picture of who she was. He liked her. Maybe even loved her.

Was it possible?

Falling in love with a woman was impossible for Zach to imagine, even when Gianna settled on his other side, smelling irresistible from her shower. Lust, yeah. But love? Zach didn’t know love like he felt for Summer before. He never wanted to let her go. He felt like everything was right with her pressed against his side.

Then Gianna asked, “What are you going to do if she’s not yours?”

About the Author:

Mary E. Thompson grew up loving to read, like a good little girl. Many nights she would fall asleep with the flashlight still turned on as she hid under the covers trying to finish the last few pages of a book. As an adult, the light from her ereader means she doesn't need a flashlight, but she still stays up way too late to finish a book.

When Mary's not reading, she's playing with her two kids or living out her own real life romance novel with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, especially when it's paired with peanut butter, and has been known to have a bad day just because there's no chocolate in the house. Unless there’s wine. Then everything is okay.

Mary grew up in Buffalo, New York and swears she's the only local to never ski or snowboard. Soccer was always her sport, with a couple adventures white water rafting and skydiving to keep things interesting. Mary moved to South Carolina for college but missed Buffalo every day. Yeah, she thinks she's crazy, too. She somehow convinced her South Carolina born and bred hubby to return to Buffalo to raise their kids and live out their lives. He’s still not sure what he was thinking.

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Fiskur by Donna Migliaccio

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by the publisher to celebrate the recent release of Fiskur by Donna Migliaccio, the second book in The Gemeta Stone.

FIVE THINGS YOU’D PROBABLY NEVER GUESS ABOUT ME
By Donna Migliaccio

1) I’m a professional stage actress with more than 30+ years in the business, but was so shy and easily intimidated as a child that a teacher once wrote on my report card: “CRIES CONSTANTLY.”

2) I was born on my older brother’s fifth birthday. My mother thought it was a sign from God. Of what, I don’t know.

3) I’ll eat just about anything, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t do oatmeal. Just. Can’t. Something about the texture.

4) I collect squished pennies and refrigerator magnets from all the places I’ve visited.

5) The oddest job I ever had: rabbit wrangler at a shopping center seasonal display called “Bunnyland.”

With his family's talisman in his possession, Kristan Gemeta is ready to face the Wichelord Daazna – but he has no inkling of the scope of Daazna's power, nor the depths of his hatred.

With the recovery of his family's protective talisman, Kristan Gemeta has found hope, courage – and perhaps even the first stirrings of love. With the aid of Heather Demitt, her band of rebels, a shipload of Northern brigands and the legendary Kentavron, he readies himself to face the Wichelord Daazna. But neither he nor his comrades realize the strength of Daazna's power and hatred. The Wichelord's first blow comes from a direction Kristan least expects, with horrific, lasting consequences.

About the Author:

Donna Migliaccio is a professional stage actress with credits that include Broadway, National Tours and prominent regional theatres. She is based in the Washington, DC Metro area, where she co-founded Tony award-winning Signature Theatre and is in demand as an entertainer, teacher and public speaker. Her award-winning short story, "Yaa & The Coffins," was featured in Thinkerbeat's 2015 anthology The Art of Losing.

Social Media:

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Devil's Gamble by Michele Arris

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Michele will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Sienna Keller saw how men used her mother, and from an early age she swore she’d never allow it to happen to her. So when she meets smooth-talking billionaire Gavin Crane, who uses his connections to help her art career, she resolves to keep things strictly professional—no matter how gorgeous he is.

Gavin might be the son of the head of the Kavanagh organized crime family, but he wants no part of that life. It’s important to him to prove to Sienna that he’s a good guy. But when she winds up in the hospital with a gunshot wound, he is driven to exact revenge. His father agrees to provide security to watch over her as well as find the man who shot her, but at a cost—Gavin must come back into the family business.

As Sienna begins to let her guard down around Gavin, seeing the kind, caring man he’s always wanted her to see, his secrets begin to pile up. Has she done the one thing she vowed never to do—trusted her heart to the wrong man?

Read an excerpt:

“It’s the most beautiful painting I’ve ever seen. You have an amazing gift.”

He slipped into an intense stare, knocking her off guard. He’d never spoken or looked at her like that before, that look of pure warmth, no flirty undertone.

“Thank you. It’s one of my favorites, as well.” She was too startled by his expressed sincerity to maintain her detached, all-business persona. A sudden, irrational yearning washed over her, the desire to want more, share more, but she pushed the feelings down, sealing them under a tightly closed lid. “I’ve made a sketch of the room’s layout and put coordinating numbers in the squares where I’d like the staff to place each piece.” She angled the paper for him to view.

He blinked once, warmth dispersed, cool blue eyes back to normal. “I’ll see that it gets done.”

About the Author:

Award winning author, Michele Arris, writes steamy contemporary romance.

Michele is always plotting out her characters’ next move. Even when she’s not seated in front of her laptop writing about strong-willed, professional heroines and the complex heroes who strive to have them, she’s plotting scenes in her head.

“I love to write story where my characters are guaranteed their Happily Ever After.”

In her spare time, Michele enjoys reading all types of romance genres. She loves paranormal romance as well as historical romances, enjoys watching period classics (Little Dorrit, The Buccaneers, and Persuasion to name a few), actually looks forward to working out, is a holistic enthusiast/vitamin junkie, and spending time with family and friends – simply enjoying life.

http://www.michelearris.com
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The It Girls by Karen Harper

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Three randomly drawn commenters will win digital copies of the book. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

They rose from genteel poverty, two beautiful sisters, ambitious, witty, seductive. Elinor and Lucy Sutherland are at once each other’s fiercest supporters and most vicious critics.

Lucy transformed herself into Lucile, the daring fashion designer who revolutionized the industry with her flirtatious gowns and brazen self-promotion. And when she married Sir Cosmo Duff-Gordon her life seemed to be a fairy tale. But success came at many costs-to her marriage and to her children…and then came the fateful night of April 14, 1912 and the scandal that followed.

Elinor’s novels titillate readers, and it’s even asked in polite drawing rooms if you would like to “sin with Elinor Glyn?” Her work pushes the boundaries of what’s acceptable; her foray into the glittering new world of Hollywood turns her into a world-wide phenomenon. But although she writes of passion, the true love she longs for eludes her.

But despite quarrels and misunderstandings, distance and destiny, there is no bond stronger than that of the two sisters-confidants, friends, rivals and the two “It Girls” of their day.

Read an excerpt from an article written by the author about The It Girls:

THE AMAZING SUTHERLAND SISTERS

In the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras, two very different British sisters overcame poverty and obscurity to carve pioneering paths through the restrictive rules and rigid regulations of society. Both worked their way to fame and fortune in an age in which being divorced, going into trade on one’s own, especially for women with strict upbringing and some aristocratic ties, was strictly taboo. I was thrilled to find such amazing women and make them my heroines in The It Girls.

Both Lucile and Elinor Sutherland were career women in an age in which the only proper career was marriage and motherhood. When the eras they knew best were over, they shifted gears and sped into the Roaring 20s. Elinor eventually wrote for the silent movies in Hollywood and hobnobbed with early film stars. After an international fashion career, Lucile designed for the common woman in the Sears Catalogue. Yet these sisters, reared in the wilds of Canada and then on the backwater Isle of Jersey, were not common for their time.

Lucile Sutherland, later Lady Duff-Gordon, (1862 – 1934,) was rebellious, charming, determined and outgoing. When her husband deserted her and her daughter to run off with a “pantomime girl,” Lucile began to design, cut and sew fabulous fashions on her dining room table. She forged a path for women designers, which was then strictly the realm of men. She dressed the rich, famous and royal and fought for innovative changes.

In her 1932 autobiography Discretions and Indiscretions, Lucile relates an incident when she was fitting a gown in her shop for Mary, Duchess of York, wife of George, Duke of York, later King George V. Lucile spilled pins all over the floor, and the duke knelt in front of her to help pick them up. Ah, a future king kneeling before her!

Lucile forged the way to get women out of corsets and boldly put side slits in long skirts so women would not have to take little steps. She certainly was taking big ones! She was one of the first to design silky, lacy lingerie instead of stiff linen or cotton pantaloons and petticoats. She weathered the “immoral woman” accusations (mostly from “moral” married men) because woman dared to love her light-weight, fancy but racy designs.

Lucile first used fashion shows with live “mannequins”/models, rather than showing her costumes on stuffed, faceless dummies. She personally recruited tall, slender woman, even raiding salesgirls from Harrod’s. She called these women her ‘goddesses,’ gave them romantic names and taught them social graces.

About the Author:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Karen Harper is a former university (Ohio State) and high school English teacher. Published since 1982, she writes contemporary suspense and historical novels about real British women. She is the author of The Royal Nanny, and several Tudor era books that have been bestsellers in the UK and Russia. A rabid Anglophile, she likes nothing more than to research her novels on site in the British Isles. Harper won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for Dark Angel, and her novel Shattered Secrets was judged one of the Best Books of 2014 by Suspense Magazine. The author and her husband live in Ohio and love to travel.

For more information please visit: www.karenharperauthor.com
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Master Me, Please by BJ Wane

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Krista Matthews thought nothing could be harder than losing her husband and Master to suicide until the man he’d entrusted her care to left her also. By the time Dr. Dax Hayes returned from an overseas, volunteer medical tour, she thought she was over his deflection and ready to re-immerse herself in the BDSM world she needed and missed so much without his help. One scene proved how wrong she was and after Master Dax’s timely rescue, she agrees to let him tutor her back into the lifestyle. She hadn’t counted on her growing feelings for the strict Dom or his refusal to take her over completely, like she craved.

Dr. Dax Hayes fell for Krista Matthews the minute he looked into her blue eyes and saw the sated, content look she shared with her husband, Dr. Kurt Matthews. He managed to keep his feelings and lust under control until his friend and colleague asked him to join him in gifting Krista with a menage for her birthday. Knowing it was a mistake, but unable to resist, Dax succumbs to the temptation of this one-time scene, never realizing where it would lead. A year later, after sealing his fate with a questionable act, he flees on a guilt trip only to return and discover nothing had changed-he still wanted Krista Matthews with an ache that wouldn’t be assuaged by anyone else.

Unable to resist stepping in when she gets herself in trouble, Dax again gives in to temptation and aids the one woman he can never have back into the lifestyle her submissive nature needed. When a vindictive woman tells Krista the truth, will her feelings be strong enough to forgive him, or did he gamble everything only to lose it all in the end?

DISCLAIMER: This book is intended for adults only. It contains elements of power exchange, BDSM, including explicit sexual scenes and anal play. If any of these offend you, please do not purchase this book.

Read an excerpt:

You had no trouble submitting to Master Dax. That reminder got under Krista’s skin, and it didn’t help when she scanned the lot for her car and spotted Dax getting out of his. The quick, startling stab of jealousy as she imagined him inside with someone else caught her off guard. She’d never been plagued with that emotion before, why now? She stood rooted in place and watched him walk straight toward her with purpose etched on his dark face instead of surprise at seeing her there. Irritation bubbled over, eradicating her initial reaction. Wasn’t it bad enough she couldn’t even bring herself to accept another Dom’s invitation tonight without the memory of last weekend intruding? If he thought she’d turn around and join him in the club after the way he’d made it clear all week he wanted nothing to do with her, he had another think coming. She may still crave dominance and thrive on submitting, but she wouldn’t be a doormat for any man to trample on.

“Fancy seeing you here, Doctor Hayes,” Krista greeted him, proud of the way she could set aside the warm flush spreading through her body with his nearness well enough to keep her voice steady. She missed the easy rapport they shared before he left.

“I thought you realized how unsafe these clubs can be for a woman alone?” The rebuke, stated in his deep, firm voice made her square her shoulders and curse the compulsion to sink to her knees in apology for displeasing him. It was yet another sign she’d waited too long to get her act together.

“It was never a problem before, I mean, before I met Kurt,” she clarified so he’d know she’d played before her marriage. “Enjoy your evening, Doctor.”

“Cut the crap, Krista,” Dax snapped, his frustration evident in the way he tunneled those long fingers through his ink-black hair and his green eyes glittered with that undefinable emotion she didn’t understand.

“I’m not the one who asked for a different surgeon to assist, Dr. Hayes. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get home.”

“Wait.” The hand he laid on her upper arm burned her skin, her automatic halt at his command heated her face and the ripple of longing going through her head left her deflated. It seemed she couldn’t win with him.

“Let’s talk. Are you familiar with Casey’s diner?”

The invitation took Krista by surprise and she sucked in a breath as hope dashed away the remnants of her annoyance with him. If he wanted to be just friends, she’d take it. It would be better than the cool indifference he’d shown her the past few days. “Anyone who’s been out past 2:00 am on a weekend night has been to Casey’s.” The all-night diner boasted the best pie on this side of Miami.

“Meet me there. Please.”

Since he was making an effort, so would she, Krista decided. What could it hurt? “Okay. See you there.” Stepping around him, she hastened to her car before common sense told her she was making a mistake and setting herself up to get hurt again. Since when did common sense have anything to do with her desires?

About the Author: I live in the Midwest with my husband and our two dogs. I love dogs, enjoy spending time with my daughter, babysitting dogs and kids, reading and working puzzles. We have traveled extensively throughout the states, Canada and just once overseas, but I much prefer being homebody. I worked for a while writing articles for a local magazine but soon found my interest in writing for myself peaking. My first book was strictly spanking erotica, but I slowly evolved to writing erotic romance with a touch of suspense. My favorite genre to read is suspense.

bjwane@cox.net
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Magic Forgotten by Jack Hillman

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jack Hillman will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to It's Raining Books, Jack. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I’ve been reading science fiction and fantasy for over fifty years. I like a good story and especially one that has a solid basis in reality (which might sound strange with fantasy). I like stories that make sense even if the sense they make is something I haven’t thought of yet. And when I write, I write the same way.

What world-building is required?

Quite a bit. You need to do whatever world building is required to give you a proper background for the story. If it’s SF- you need to make sure your science makes sense in terms of the story. You can make up new science, but it has to confirm to the world you’ve built to make the story flow.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Sometimes it’s not how big the weapon is, it’s putting the projectile in the right place at the right time. (Ian Goodfellow)

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I write in silence so my thoughts aren’t overwhelmed by the reality around me.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

A bit of both. I tend to start as a plotter, shift to pantser about halfway through and finish as a plotter as I bring all the threads together.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My dragon, Fornir. He’s very supportive. And occasionally provides incentive.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

This novel is first of a series so I’ll be working on the next book in that list- Magic Forbidden. And I have several other projects, both science fiction and fantasy, that I can shift to if I need to stop and think for a while. Like most writers I tend to think about more than one project at a time.

Do you have a question for our readers?

Yes, what kind of story would you like to see that nobody has written as yet. If I like the idea and it’s within my skill set I might give it a shot.

Magic Forgotten is an Adult Urban Fantasy set in Eastern PA. It is the story of a paraplegic, freelance writer who has withdrawn from the world only to be dragged back out by the appearance of two strangers in his back yard. They are a Sidhe, the old elves of England, and a human wizardess, a captive of the elf, and they are here to take over the world. The writer and the wizardess have to stop the elf from achieving his plans.

Read an excerpt:

Dan gripped the rails of his chair with both hands, holding himself upright by what little strength remained in his body. The cold touch of the steel tubing seemed to give him energy and he looked up at Baraz.

“What is it you need?” he asked, weakly. The stones permitted this question, perhaps because it was a benefit to Dan’s master. “I can find anything here faster than any visitor. You need me alert and conscious. To get what you need.” Each phrase was a strain to speak, without direction from Baraz.

“We have found what we need, cripple,” Baraz answered. “By now, Thook has discovered the way into the place where they grow the gems we seek.” He stood, pointing to the computer as if the gems were there for display. “That place grows gemstones, an amazing skill I must learn for myself. Two stones of the proper design, placed together inside a spell Thook will prepare, will open a doorway from my world to thine. The light of the sun will rip through the veil and provide the path for my queen to come back to her power.”

“You want laser crystals,” Dan exclaimed, the logo now making sense to him. He had seen it before, in an ad in the employment section of the local paper. SolarTech grew laser crystals for industrial use and they were looking for good employees to work in the labs and clean rooms of their facility. “This has got to be the strangest quest I ever heard of,” he mumbled. “You look like a reject from a sword and sorcery movie. Playing with laser crystals, no less.”

“Enough,” Baraz shouted. “Thy place is to obey, nothing more.” He stepped forward and pointed the ax at Dan. “I could dispense with thee now, but that would require another tool in thy place. But soon, fool, thou wilt be as worthless as thou appear. Then I will deal with thy insolence.”

Dan snapped. Baraz was within arm’s reach. Uncaring of the pain caused by the stones on his wrists and forehead, Dan gripped the shaft of the ax. More due to Baraz’s surprise than any martial skill, Dan jerked the ax free, spun it in his hands and swung at Baraz’s stomach. The blade sheared through the tunic, grating on the mail beneath. Dan spun the shaft in his hands, tangling the tunic around the ax-heads and pulled, dragging Baraz to him.

About the Author: A lifelong Pennsylvania resident, Jack began a love of books sitting amid the mystery of hospitals and medical paraphernalia. Mythology of all cultures and a fascination with martial philosophies led to King Arthur, the knights of the round table and an array of science fiction and fantasy authors that had a strong impact on his life.

Real life got in the way of a writing career to start, but thirty years in the life and medical insurance field led Jack to a job as a stringer for local newspapers and writing for medical and insurance journals. In addition to years in the insurance field Jack also has fifteen years experience as a journalist and freelance writer, and has even won a Keystone Press Award (1998) for his journalistic efforts. Jack has written on a wide variety of subjects and keeps his hand in medical and insurance matters on a daily basis.

In addition to newspaper reporting and magazine articles, Jack has written articles for a variety websites--some under his own name and some as a behind-the-scenes contributor. Jack's first short fiction piece, a novella, was serialized in an old BBS site in 1992, with the first hard copy magazine story arriving in 1993. Four dinner theater plays written by Jack have been produced and performed for local theater in Eastern Pennsylvania. His novels are now coming to light with the release of There Are Giants In This Valley published by Archebooks Publishing.

With experience as a journalist, short story writer, playwright and novelist, Jack often speaks at writer's conferences, to writer's groups and to school gatherings. If you are looking for a speaker on esoteric subjects, Jack probably has something tucked away in a folder for the occasion.

He lives in eastern Pennsylvania with his supportive wife, a squad of feline editors, and an array of edged weapons to inspire his works.

Updated on December 22, 2015 by Jack Hillman

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Cover Reveal: Break the Line by Allison Mullinax

This post is part of a Cover Reveal Book Tour for Allison Mullinax's new book Break the Line, scheduled for release next year from Fiery Seas Everlasting.

As a pro-fisherman, Benson Howell’s days are spent on murky lake water, reeling in largemouth bass and winning first place trophies. At twenty-nine, life is easy and carefree. His only job is to stay in the top rankings during the fishing circuit, and keep the sponsors happy. That is, until he meets hot tempered, fiery haired Danni-Rose in small-town Alabama. He has never backed down from anything too big to reel in.

Danni-Rose has spent the past six years of her life burying her past. When Benson Howell literally plows his boat right into her life, armed with simmering anger, she fights the current pulling her closer to him. With a past she can’t let go of, and the sexy fisherman breaking down all her walls, Danni-Rose does everything she can to break the line connecting her to Benson.

Will Danni-Rose be able to let go of the past? Can Benson change her mind about him? Or will they both miss the catch of a lifetime?

About the Author:

North Alabama native, Allison Mullinax, grew up in the small lake town of Guntersville, AL. She discovered the escapism and addiction of writing at an early age. Today she remains a lover of reading, all things outdoors, and spending time with her husband and three daughters.

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Duets and Sominance by Anya Summers

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anya will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Duets & Dominance by Anya Summers

Elizabeth “Lizzie” von Klepper has a problem of epic proportions—she’s the oldest virgin in the world. Invited to perform on Pleasure Island with her best friend Solomon, she devises a plan to seduce him, and rid herself of that infernal status. After all, they shared a mind-blowing kiss a year ago and that has to count for something, right?

Solomon Ventura adores Lizzie. She’s been his best friend since their humble beginnings at Julliard, but deep down he’s yearned for her. For more. And ever since he tasted her, a stolen kiss he hasn’t been able to forget, he cannot seem to stop his mind from conjuring up myriad fantasies with Lizzie in the starring role. But he’s not the man for her. She’s light where he is dark, and his brand of love would shatter the only woman he’s ever cared about.

Will the best friends move their relationship out of the friendzone? Or will a week spent on pleasure island destroy them both?

Read an Excerpt:

This place would be good for him. He already planned to stay past their performance week. If he had to fuck his way through the sub pool on the island—as well as any single subs who visited—to thoroughly evict Lizzie from his lustful thoughts and put her back squarely in the friend column, then that was what he was going to do.

The private balcony off his room had a clear view of the ocean. The waves undulated, an endless movement of shimmering turquoise and cobalt. Sol inhaled a few steadying breaths. Lizzie wasn’t for him. She was too pure, too sweet, and just too good for a man like him.

But Christ did she look good, better even than when he’d seen her in Scotland.

Lizzie was the type of woman suited to candlelight and gentle lovemaking. Sol wasn’t that kind of man, never had been. It wasn’t that he wasn’t a good man, he just wasn’t good for her. She wouldn’t survive his brand of love, and Solomon couldn’t be satisfied without being a Dominant.

That didn’t mean he’d forget that one stolen kiss. Far from it. One touch, a simple brushing of lips, and every part of his being had stampeded to the forefront, eager to stake its claim. That Lizzie belonged to him.

If only that were true.

They were friends. It was better that way. She deserved better. Were he to turn the full brunt of his desires in her direction, she’d run screaming into the night. As she should, because a good girl shouldn’t tangle with the big bad wolf. His brand of dominance would leave her shattered. Solomon must have control, otherwise it put him on a slippery slope toward utter ruin.

And he’d never be able to live with himself if he destroyed such perfection.

About the Author: Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Anya grew up listening to Cardinals baseball and reading anything she could get her hands on. She remembers her mother saying if only she would read the right type of books instead binging her way through the romance aisles at the bookstore, she’d have been a doctor. While Anya never did get that doctorate, she graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in History.

Anya is a bestselling and award-winning author published in multiple fiction genres. She also writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance under the name Maggie Mae Gallagher. A total geek at her core, when she is not writing, she adores attending the latest comic con or spending time with her family. She currently lives in the Midwest with her two furry felines.

Visit her website here: www.anyasummers.com

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Don’t miss these exciting titles by Anya Summers and Blushing Books!

Dungeon Fantasy Club Series

Her Highland Master, Book 1
To Master and Defend, Book 2
Two Doms for Kara, Book 3
His Driven Domme, Book 4
Her Country Master, Book 5
Love Me, Master Me, Book 6
Submit To Me, Book 7
Her Wired Dom, Book 8

Pleasure Island Series

Her Master & Commander, Book 1
Her Music Masters, Book 2
Their Shy Submissive, Book 3
Her Undercover Doms, Book 4
Her Lawful Master, Book 5
Her Rockstar Dom, Book 6
Duets & Dominance, Book 7
Ménage In Paradise, Book 8
Her Rodeo Masters, Book 9

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Snakes Can't Run by Ed Lin

This post is a part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Ed Lin will be awarding a limited edition print copy of the book to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Set in New York City in 1976, Snakes Can't Run finds NYPD detective Robert Chow still haunted by the horrors of his past and relegated to tedious undercover work. When the bodies of two undocumented Chinese men are found under the Brooklyn Bridge underpass, Chow is drawn into the case. Most of the officers in his precinct are concerned with a terrorist group targeting the police, but Chow's investigation puts him on the trail of a ring of ruthless human smugglers who call themselves the snakeheads. As Chow gets closer to solving the murder, dangerous truths about his own family's past begin to emerge. Steeped in retro urban attitude, and ripe with commentary on minorities' roles in American society, this gritty procedural will appeal to fans of George Pelecanos and S.J. Rozan.

Read an excerpt:

By the time I got to Henry Street under the Manhattan Bridge overpass, one black-and-white and one unmarked police car were already there.

Peepshow was standing at the edge of the crime scene, twirling his baton, the one thing he could do without fucking up. "Keep moving, keep moving!" he yelled to the murmuring Chinese people. He touched his cap when he saw me. I nodded back.

Two bodies, Asian men in their twenties, lay on their sides. Both had their hands tied behind them with wire. They didn't look fresh, and one man's tattoo behind his ears stood out in sharp contrast to the white bloodless flesh of his neck.

I walked up to English, but before I could say anything he put a hand on my shoulder.

"These fucking bag monkeys won't let me past the tape," he said, pointing out the forensic team collecting samples around the bodies.

"They're just trying to do their job right."

"I'll do their job for them right now. These guys died from gunshot wounds and the bodies were dumped here. You can analyze for blood type all you want, but you can't find the criminals looking down a microscope."

"I hear you."

"You know what solves crimes?"

"What?"

"Shoe leather. Walking around and asking questions."

"All right."

"Chow," he said, coming in closer. "You see the guy in the crowd in the red knit shirt smoking a cigarette?"

"Yeah," I said, knowing better than to look immediately.

"I don't like his face. Too smug."

"I'll follow him."

About the Author:

Ed Lin, a native New Yorker of Taiwanese and Chinese descent, is the first author to win three Asian American Literary Awards and is an all-around standup kinda guy. His books include Waylaid and This Is a Bust, both published by Kaya Press in 2002 and 2007, respectively. Snakes Can't Run and One Red Bastard, which both continue the story of Robert Chow set in This Is a Bust, were published by Minotaur Books. His latest book, Ghost Month, a Taipei-based mystery, was published by Soho Crime in July 2014. Lin lives in Brooklyn with his wife, actress Cindy Cheung, and son.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/barronsedlin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/112827.Ed_Lin
Buy Links: https://www.harpercollins.com/cr-123754/ed-lin-1

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A Warm Winter Romance featuring Mary Alice Pritchard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a Kindle (US only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Six Things You Wouldn't Guess About Mary Alice Pritchard

Things that you probably wouldn’t guess about me. That’s not easy.

1. I live with nine feline muses. They tolerate me and interfere with my writing every chance they get, but I love them. Watching them often stimulates my thought process and if I’m at a difficult part in the book, watching them brings out what I need to go on.

2. I have a soft spot for men who ride motorcycles. I like the big burly teddy bears but draw the line at hard core clubs. I guess that’s why I like writing bear shifters as well. They appeal to me.

3. A lot of my books have my favorite things in them like my favorite color of lime green, Diet Cokes, Pathfinders for cars, and larger sized women. I have found that a lot of my readers want the plus sized woman who they can identify with. I’m like that as well.

4. I prefer to wear shorts year-round. Even when it’s icy outside, I wear shorts. Unfortunately, I have to wear “lime green” scrubs for work. Of course, they’re lime green. Honestly, most of the clothes in my closet are a variation of green

5. I’m a loner. I don’t have a lot of “real life” friends. Most of my friends are online. I tend to hole up in my writing cave and hang around the house instead of going places.

6. One more for fun. I don’t watch TV at all. I don’t even have cable. I will stream a show that interests me to help me write or check the news or weather online, but I don’t ever watch TV and haven’t in many years.

Four tantalizing tales to warm you this winter.

Winter Love:
Maeve expected nothing more than an evening of hotness on a cold winter night, but Jackson, her dominant and love, had very different plans. Plans that would change the dynamics of their relationship forever, if she chooses to accept them.

Winter Wonderland:
Toni Wellington lives a dramatic life on a reality television show. Can the holidays bring her peace and a happy ending?

Snatched by the Cat:
Sarach has no choice but to snatch Thea away from her land. But can he convince her that a life with him will fulfill her dreams?

A Little Peace and Quiet:
Can Heath survive the winter with Gloria banging on the house next door? He’s ready to hibernate but the she-wolf isn’t cooperating.

About the Author: Born in Greenwood, Mississippi, Mary Alice Pritchard has lived all over the state of Mississippi. She’s a nurse and has worked in nearly every area of the profession including Home Health and Hospice. Her favorite area in the hospital is the Emergency Department with its fast pace and constant change, a true adrenaline junkie!

Drawing from the rich culture of the South and her own menagerie of experiences over the years, she spins addictive tales of romantic intrigue, mystery and suspense mixed with the paranormal and lightly sprinkled with her unique style of humor.

Presently living in the northern part of the state, she works in the reimbursement area of finance for a large health system and quietly creates conspiracies and conundrums to entertain herself while plugging away at work. She lives with several muses who both inspire her and conspire against her their feline antics a constant source of entertainment and inspiration for her writing. Her love of animals is only matched by her love of books and the joy of exploring a new world every time she begins a new one.

http://www.maryalicepritchard.com/
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2853970.Mary_Alice_Pritchard
https://twitter.com/meow1963

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Son of the Moon by Jennifer Macaire

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly drawn commenter will win a $10 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

In Nysa, Alexander the Great and time traveling journalist Ashley find their abducted son Paul being worshiped as "the son of the moon". Knowing she can’t change history and that Alexander’s kingdom will be torn apart when he dies, Ashley must make the terrible decision to leave her firstborn son in the sacred valley.

Alexander presses on to India, where he and Ashley are welcomed with feasts - and treachery. They struggle through monsoons, face the might of Porus’s army, and outwit deadly Brahmin rebels. Facing the reality of Alexander’s looming death, Ashley considers the unthinkable - How to save him, and the consequences of cheating the Fates. Book III in the Time for Alexander series

Read an excerpt:

The battle that day was over by mid-morning. Alexander lost twelve men. The enemy lost half their army and sued for peace before noon.

Alexander was carried into the infirmary where I was helping Usse. His ankle had been shattered by a lance.

“Are you all right?” I asked, rushing to his side.

He stared at me, sweat pouring off his face, and his eyes two wells of pain.

“Would I come here if I was all right?” he gasped.

I sat down next to him and held his hand while Usse took off his sandal and examined the wound. When he probed, my own hand was nearly broken in Alexander’s grip, and I yelped.

“Sorry,” muttered the slender Egyptian doctor, dousing the ankle with hot water mixed with different herbs. He cleansed it and put a splint around it. There wasn’t much else he could do. Now we just had to pray it didn’t get infected.

We stayed for three days while we organized the peace talks with both tribes. Then Alexander decided to pull out and head straight to Nysa. An ambassador for the Assacenian king told us that the child of the moon was being worshipped in Nysa.

The child of the moon was Paul, my baby, now nearly five years old. I hadn’t seen him since he was ten days old.

Alexander left two divisions behind with his general Coenus while we took the rest of the army. We would all join up at the Indus River.

About the Author: Jennifer Macaire lives in France with her husband, three children, & various dogs & horses. She loves cooking, eating French chocolate, growing herbs and flowering plants on her balcony, and playing golf. She grew up in upstate New York, Samoa, and the Virgin Islands. She graduated from St. Peter and Paul high school in St. Thomas and moved to NYC where she modeled for five years for Elite. She went to France and met her husband at the polo club. All that is true. But she mostly likes to make up stories.

https://jennifermacaire.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/TimeforAlexander
http://www.twitter.com/jennnifermacaire

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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Sweets & Treats: Festive Recipes for the Clean Chocolate Lover by Carrie A. Lombardi

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This book contains 25 deliciously simple chocolate treats without all the stuff that will wreak havoc on your digestive system. The ingredients are less refined, as well as being dairy, gluten and soy-free. Many are also grain-free, peanut-free, vegan, vegetarian, or Paleo (noted as such on each recipe). A dream come true for chocolate lovers who crave clean, yet decadent chocolate delights!

Carrie Lombardi is a Certified Health Coach, wife, and mom to three wonderful grown children. She loves chocolate! She strives to make her recipes tasty and tries to include ingredients which may be beneficial for the body. In addition to her recipes being gluten, dairy, and soy-free, she uses the healthiest ingredients possible that will maintain the integrity of the dish and will be fun, delicious to eat, and keep the belly happy and healthy!

Carrie struggled for many years with digestive issues. .A diagnosis of sensitivities to dairy, gluten, and soy set her on a journey to optimal health and wellness through food and adopting a healthy lifestyle. She decided to become a health coach to fulfill her passion of helping people with food sensitivities to improve their health and to feel their best. Carrie received her training at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She enjoys the challenge of creating recipes reminiscent of the old gluten and dairy-filled dishes she loved growing up and finding healthier ways to make sweets that are just as indulgent. Through her website,www.happyhealthybelly.info, Carrie helps educate people on finding balance in their life through nutrition and healthy lifestyle strategies. She offers fun tips and recipes for those wishing to follow a gluten, dairy, and soy-free diet.

www.happyhealthybelly.info | www.facebook.com/4HappyHealthyBelly| Follow Happy_Healthy_Belly on Instagram

Buy Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Sweets-Treats-Festive-Recipes-Chocolate/dp/1537575058

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sweets-amp-treats-carrie-a-lombardi/1125962053

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Just Off the Path by Weston Sullivan

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Weston Sullivan will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Hansel never asked to be a hero. He never wanted to fall in love with Rapunzel, Queen of the East. He didn’t ask to be raised by Gothel the Wretch, and he certainly never wanted to be credited for her arrest. But more than any of that, Hansel never wanted to lie: but he did. He lied about everything. He thought that he was done with it all when he and his sister Gretel retreated into the woods to reclaim their land, but he should have known better.

Hansel needs to find a way to fix this, otherwise he will be responsible for Grimm’s destruction, or that is what he thinks. As Hansel isn’t the only liar in Grimm.

Read an excerpt:

Hansel felt like he was in a pot of boiling water while he waited for Rapunzel. One second he was plotting ways to sneak from the castle, and the other he was imagining himself at her table, drinking tea.

The minutes seemed like days, and he was certain a month went by before he heard movement behind the large doors at his back. It was the unmistakable sound of royalty—Rapunzel’s shoes echoed throughout the throne room. By the sound of her footsteps, he could tell she was taking small, noble strides, like the Queen she was. Each collision of her heel to the floor coincided with the thud of Hansel’s heartbeat, until she drew nearer when his heart was doing double time. Finally, after a few agonizing seconds, he could see the top of her head from his place at the maw of the staircase.

She stopped and looked at them as they stood at the place between her throne and her city. Hansel gulped. It had been five years since he’d last seen her, and she’d grown more beautiful with age. She was about as tall as he, and was draped from head-to-toe in a solid white dress, the bodice of which clung perfectly to her shape. Her legendary hair was woven into a thick, rope-like braid and placed delicately over her shoulder, hanging all the way down to her kneecaps.

When she saw them, she smiled, her white teeth set against rosy lips. Her eyes were done up with golden flecks. In paintings, she was always depicted as young and soft, but in reality, she had jagged cheekbones and a diamond-shaped head, with large, pouty lips that drove Hansel mad. Her eyelashes were full and long, an expression of her femininity.

She held her smile as she descended the stairs, holding the train of her dress. Each step she took was slow and deliberate, and she fixed her eyes on the two of them. Taking the last step, she walked toward Hansel. For a second, he froze, lost in her golden-brown eyes. He shook himself out of his stupor and bowed to her.

Laughing, she said, “There’s no need to be so formal, Hansel.” She hugged him.

It was as inappropriate to hug her back as it was for her to hug him in the first place, but he placed his hand on the small of her back and felt nauseated by the sensation. He was disappointed when she let go, but to his surprise, she stepped back and placed her hands on his cheeks.

“You’ve grown up,” she said. “And what a man you’ve grown up to be.”

Rapunzel lingered for just a second, and then turned to Gretel, smiling warmly. After a brief hesitation, they walked toward each other, arms extended outward. They embraced for a moment, then Rapunzel stepped back and examined Gretel the way she had Hansel. She made a face, like the smell of rancid meat had carried through an open window, and proceeded to run her fingers through Gretel’s hair. “It’s so nice to see you both,” she said, pushing stray hairs out of Gretel’s face.

Stepping back, Gretel crossed her arms. “I’m sure that you have a good reason for all this?”

Immediately, Rapunzel’s smile faded, and her eyes fell. She began to fidget with the train of her dress nervously. “You just got here,” she said to Gretel, regal but aware of the girl’s tone. “There’s no need to go into all of that so quickly, is there?”

“As a matter of fact, there is,” Gretel stated. Seeing that she’d made the Queen uncomfortable and feeling the shift in power among them, she stepped closer to her, her voice insistent.

About the Author:

After graduating with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of South Florida in 2017, Weston Sullivan moved to New York City to live and write in the heart of the industry. In late 2016, he began working as an intern in the submissions department of BookFish Books. His short story, "On the Hillside", won the Anspaugh Award for Fiction in February of 2017, and his novel, JUST OFF THE PATH, is due for release in early September. 

He likes to believe that he is in charge of his own destiny, but at the end of the day, he knows that he was born to serve his two beloved cats.

Westons’ Links
Website: https://westonsullivan.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16281109.Weston_Sullivan
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/westonjsullivan
Just off the Path street team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1838574233124616/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sullivan_weston

Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.subscribepage.com/b9i9b7

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DKSBVH
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B074DKSBVH
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B074DKSBVH
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B074DKSBVH
Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B074DKSBVH
UNIVERSAL LINK (B&N, iBOOKS, Kobo,): https://www.books2read.com/u/4EDD8g

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Temptation and Treachery by Sahara Roberts

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sahara Roberts will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Andres “Rio” Rivera became his ICE profile years ago. Cold and calculating, he never promises anything beyond right now. But when he ends up with a cancelled flight and a shared hotel room with the secretive Celeste Patron, the fire behind Celeste’s buttoned-up exterior melts every barrier. He may only have her for one night, but that’s long enough to make her every fantasy come true.

Read an excerpt:

“Come on.” Kari led them back to the infirmary, taking her time with each step. “I’m going to try putting the pieces together myself. Stop me if I’m off track.” They walked away from the edge of the clearing. “I figure you didn’t just meet Rio yesterday.”

Celeste kept her expression neutral.

“In fact, from the way he was acting, I’d say the last time you saw him was three weeks and two to three days ago.” She held up a finger. “Well, three to four, since that was a day ago.”

It shouldn’t surprise her that Kari had figured things out on her own. Did everyone else know? Did they realize he’d played her for a fool? She closed her eyes, wondering if everyone in the chow hall was laughing at her, even know.

“Oh, come one. When you two were together there was so much sexual tension in the room I thought I’d end up pregnant.”

Oh damn, she’d hoped she’d been wrong about that.

“There’s no reason you can’t pick up where you were back then.”

Celeste’s gaze snapped to Kari. Did she mean sex? If so, no. She shook her head. They wouldn’t be picking up there. She’s been seduced for one reason, and one reason alone. To get the Ayala cartel.

“Rio’s an intense guy, and the way he looks at you…” She looked over and winked. “Well, as long as he doesn’t launch himself off the ceiling fan, you should be good.”

About the Author:

Sahara Roberts caught the writing bug early in life. She enjoys writing Romantic Suspense and Contemporary Romance. Her days are filled with international trade issues (the legal kind) and her evenings writing steamy romance. She is currently working on the fourth novel in the Dangerous Desires series and plotting a contemporary romance series.

When she's not at her usual hangout, Savvy Authors, she enjoys socializing on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and her website, or watching APB, The Blacklist, and The Walking Dead (Following Daryl). Sahara lives in South Texas with her husband and a very spoiled cat. She enjoys cooking, baking, and cake decorating, but she would certainly prefer to have someone else do the dishes.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36119724-temptation-and-treachery
http://sahararoberts.com
https://www.facebook.com/SaharaRobertsAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/SaharaRoberts
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9110764-sahara-roberts
http://www.pinterest.com/sahararobertstx
https://plus.google.com/+SaharaRoberts
https://twitter.com/SaharaRobertsBK
https://www.instagram.com/sahararoberts/
http://amazon.com/author/sahararoberts
http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/sahara-roberts



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The Blue Amberol Turns Again by K.N. Johnson from A Haunting of Words

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Welcome to K.N. Johnson, the author of "The Blue Amberol Turns Again." Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I’ve always been intrigued by the cerebral, strange, and unsettling. I’ve had vivid nightmares since childhood and those inspire scenes and plots for my stories. My upbringing included family issues like alcoholism, mental illness, and fundamentalist religion, so no matter what I tried to write, it always came across as dark and creepy. Horror is my natural voice.

What research is required?

I participate in ghost investigations to get in touch with the fear that comes from unknown things moving in the dark. I also legend trip and those places often inspire my story locations. I’m big on research. I love to sprinkle in science as much as folklore. For this particular story, I was inspired by blue amberol cylinders I found in a Louisville, Kentucky, antique store called Joe Ley Antiques. There are stories all over that place.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

Since I jump time in “The Blue Amberol Turns Again”, there are two families, two heroes.

From Pa Turner, I was surprised to learn about the Border War between the United States and Mexico from 1910-1919. This war led to the permanent border wall. Reading about this reminded me how history repeats itself, like a rolling cylinder.

From Max Fielding, I learned more about steampunk rock - particularly a British band named The Men That Will Not Be Blamed for Nothing. They’re very tongue-in-cheek and even released a single on a wax cylinder in 2011! I highly recommend giving their song “Sewer” a listen - it’s a hilarious lament about a father’s grave being moved for a sewer installation.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I use two monitors. One is for Word, the other is for researching or setting a mood. Sometimes, I’ll play music to get into the right mindset and sometimes just sounds. I’ve spooked my cats by playing a bird’s call over and over and exhausted my family with the recording of an ocean buoy ringing and ringing… that was for “Below Deck”. For “The Blue Amberol Turns Again”, I played “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” when I wrote about the Turner family, and “Seven Nation Army” by the White Stripes when I wrote about the Fieldings. Jack White’s music jolted me back to modern times with a sense of urgency.

Oh, and sometimes I use food! When I wrote “Frigid”, I ate so many frozen banana slices I made myself sick.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a rough plotter who leaves room for pantsing if the characters take me there. I try to scribble out a storyline with a beginning, middle and end with ridiculous notes like “build suspense here” or “something scary here”. When I begin typing, though, the characters take more shape and throw me twists I wasn’t expecting.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

A tall cherrywood bookcase. The top shelf is filled with several volumes of the Best American Short Stories series while the bottom shelf holds hardcover home decorating books. My shelves are cluttered with handmade ceramics by my daughters, a jack o’ lantern, and a little skeleton hanging on a rubberband.

Anything new coming up from you? What?

“Regolith” is my first dark science fiction story - it’s coming out in the Grimbold Books anthology Terra Nullius. “The Clearing” is a speculative fiction story coming out in the Transmundane Press anthology On Fire. And, I’m finally working on my own full project with the working title: Field Notes from Supernatural Locations. It will include bits of history and stories from all of my legend trips and ghost investigations. I’m hoping to include a few photos, too.

Do you have a question for our readers?

What keeps you up at night? What things are you surprised to find frighten you?

From Scout Media comes A Haunting of Words—the third volume in an ongoing short story anthology series featuring authors from all over the world.

In this installation, the reader will experience a multi-genre journey beyond traditional haunts; from comedy, to drama, fantasy, romance, and horror, these stories put eclectic spins on the every-day ghost tale. Whether you are running from the ghost of a vengeful mother, falling in love with an apparition, touring with a deceased famous musician, saving a newborn from a possessed crib, or having a specter cat as a sidekick, these stories of hauntings and apparitions will warm your heart, send shivers down your spine, and tickle your funny bone.

Whether to be enlightened, entertained, or momentarily caught up in another world, these selections convey the true spirit of the short story.

Enjoy an Excerpt from "The Blue Amberol Turns Again" Meg skulked to the door as well and yelled as she left. “I’m taking a break, too.”

Max rolled his eyes. Kids. Didn’t they want to witness the reveal, the great moment of discovery? He crawled beneath the cobwebs sagging from the ceiling and reached a small stack of boxes.

Meg and Jack reappeared, their eyes wide as they crammed against the doorframe. “There’s music. Old music coming from the house.” Meg gripped her brother’s shoulders. He hummed and tried to sing. “Long way to … where’s Tippa Larrey?”

Despite his efforts, cobwebs clung to Max’s black t-shirt. He cupped his hand around his ear. In the distance, the distinct strain of an old song wobbled, the male tenor belting out about it being a long way to go. He shifted his body, closed his eyes to focus on the faint music, and felt his knee sink into a soft plank of wood with such speed, he failed to grab anything to stop his long, long fall.

About the Author:

K.N. Johnson’s short story “Frigid” won Mythraeum’s Pygmalion contest and is being developed into a short film by Mythraeum, LLC and Loste Films. Filming begins January 2018. Johnson’s work has appeared in Proximity Magazine and Incandescent Mind literary journal. Her short stories are included in the anthologies A Journey of Words, A Haunting of Words, Below the Deck - Tales from the Cellar and Polterguests. Her dark science fiction story “Regolith” will appear in Kristell Ink’s upcoming anthology Terra Nullius. “The Clearing” will appear in the anthology On Fire published by Transmundane Press. For more: https://www.facebook.com/knjohnsonauthor.

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