Description: Most days, Anwen regrets working at a funeral home despite the good pay. With the residents no longer inclined to stay in their coffins where they belong, she’s got her hands full making sure everyone follows the rules:
In the funeral home, there is no screaming, no murdering, no mutilation, no possessions, no kidnappings, no resurrections, and no cursing of any type. Be quiet and stay polite.
The day Old Man McGregor decides to take a walk and disturbs her peace, Anwen learns there’s a lot more to the basement in the funeral home than a vampire and a handsome gentleman on ice.
If she’s not careful, she’ll learn first-hand why ‘eternally yours’ is the most potent of threats.
Warning: this novel contains romance, humor, bodies, shenanigans, and mythological puppies. Proceed with caution.
Lemon smelled so much better than rot. As far as the restless dead went, Old Man McGregor hadn’t left me with too much of a mess to clean. He’d stayed mostly intact, limiting his oozing to a spot here and there. It took me twenty minutes to erase the evidence he’d gotten out of his coffin and taken a walk. Five minutes later, Direct Hammel and his merry band of somberly dressed assistants arrived. Why did Direct Hammel need four men to stand around? Most viewings, even the big ones where the whole town showed up, only needed two attendants. The rest of the time, I could handle the work without any help at all. While the viewings sometimes had upwards of the town’s full three hundred people, I couldn’t think of a single funeral with more than twenty attendees since I’d started working at the place. The old stayed, the young left, and with a world full of magic to discover, who wanted to stay in Sunset, Alabama? If my college fund hadn’t been bled dry on drugs and hookers, I would’ve been on the first bus out along with the other six seniors in my class. “Any problems?” the director asked, sniffing the air. I bet he smelled the lemon and wanted to know why I’d been cleaning. “No problems,” I replied. Any other day, Old Man McGregor rising and coming out of his coffin for a chat would’ve counted as a problem, but I was too worn and tired to care. Like with all things, problems were relative. If the restless dead hiding in his coffin decided to cause a problem, I’d back up and watch the fireworks. “I finished my other work for the morning, so I cleaned to make certain everything was ready for the viewing, sir.” “Good job. Our clients will arrive soon. We’ll handle the rest from here. Mr. McGregor’s family is rather conservative, so if you could handle inventorying and cleaning the preparation and refrigeration rooms, that would be useful. Otherwise, go home.” I didn’t need a diploma to read the writing on the wall. If I went home, I wouldn’t be invited back to work, which meant someone hadn’t done their job cleaning the basement. The funeral home went through inspections once a month to keep its license, and we were due to have a government worker poking around the place. Plastering a smile on my face, I nodded. “I’ll be downstairs if you need me, sir.” “Good. Call the main line if there are any problems.” Once again, I read the writing on the wall: if I had any problems during the viewing, I would be in need of a new job. I struggled to maintain a neutral, professional expression. To keep guests from wandering into the restricted parts of the funeral home, Director Hammel locked the stairwell door and turned off the lift. I’d spend the next six hours in the basement. After the surge of restless dead and corpse possessions, the funeral home boasted reinforced lower level walls and doors, fashioned of a mix of concrete and steel to keep the bodies contained should they decide to get up and take a walk. Fortunately, excluding Old Man McGregor, we only had two bodies in storage, and John Doe had been in our freezer since before I’d been born. If he decided to get up, they’d hear my screams in the next state. While the rules kept changing, one thing stayed the same: the older the corpse, the stronger the undead it became. I hadn’t seen Mr. Doe, but I sometimes heard Director Hammel talk about him in hushed, fearful tones. Nothing scared Director Hammel except our John Doe. The other body we had didn’t worry anyone; the vampire wasn’t going anywhere until someone reattached his limbs and revived him with a lot of blood. I wasn’t sure why we kept the vampire on ice, but someone from the CDC came once a month, along with the funeral home inspector, to make sure he remained as alive as an undead got. I’d gotten to take a look at the vampire, as Director Hammel wanted to make certain I knew to avoid the sleepers in the freezer. All in all, I didn’t care about either corpse. Unless I put my throat to the vampire’s mouth, he couldn’t hurt me. As for John Doe, I wasn’t sure what I thought about him. While I wanted to curse over my foul luck, I kept smiling, grabbed my purse and coat, and descended into the basement. I made it all of two steps before the lock clicked behind me. “Asshole,” I muttered, shaking my head and reaching for switches. I flipped three of the five, bathing the stairwell and landing below in a yellowed light. The stench of embalming fluid burned my nose, and I turned on the ventilation fans so I wouldn’t suffocate before the end of the viewing. When I found out who had left the basement a reeking hell hole, there’d be a third body in the freezer. In prison, I could study and pretend I had a future, and I’d do so on the government’s dime until they kicked me out and made me finish my term doing community service. Curling my lip in a snarl, I stomped down the steps and aimed for the disposal bin meant for the latex gloves. I caught it with my foot and launched the damned thing through the open doorway. It crashed onto the metal table bolted to the preparation room floor. “What’s the fucking point of having a three-inch thick containment door if it’s open all the time? I’m surrounded by brain-dead idiots.” “Yes, you are,” a husky, deep voice replied. “I was wondering who they’d sacrifice to me first. I knew the scarecrow would hide, but I thought he’d betray the whiner first. How disappointing.”
RJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until satisfied.
Trust In Love (Love Mark #2) Author: Linda Kage Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Publication Date: May 4, 2020
Description: The kingdom of Far Shore still resents Donnelly, its neighboring land, for forming an alliance with those filthy High Clifters and then defeating them in war. Twice! They really must pay for such an insult. And what better way to prick their pride than to steal their lovely, revered princess, mutilate her a little, and then ransom her back to them for a hefty sum.
So, the king blackmails stable hand, Farrow, into accepting the mission of kidnapping Princess Nicolette and bringing her back to Far Shore to meet her gruesome fate.
With his sister’s life on the line, Farrow reluctantly accepts the quest and travels through sand and forest, only to find Nicolette eagerly awaiting his arrival with her bags already packed and good to go, spouting off insane nonsense about being his destiny and one true love.
What follows is a crazy, eclectic adventure that brings two lost souls together and helps them learn who they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do in this ever-changing journey called life.
“Given the proper incentive, Farrow here might be more reliable to fulfill this quest than anyone in all of Far Shore.” I narrowed my eyes. The douche might’ve just complimented me, but I’d never trusted him. Whatever Greggor was thinking, I already knew I wouldn’t like it. “What do you mean?” The king asked curiously, and I shook my head, wishing he’d just disregard the damn advisor’s suggestion already. Find someone else for his stupid mission. But he didn’t. “The boy’s quite fond of that middle girl of yours, isn’t he?” Greggor’s top lip curled into a wicked snarl as he watched my face drain of color. Then he rasped one word. “Sable.” And just like that; my entire world shifted on its axis. Cold, slippery dread slithered through my system. I immediately waved both my hands, disagreeing. Whatever he wanted to do that involved Sable, I was out. She was an innocent twelve-year-old child. Why should she be brought into any plans that involved kidnapping another kingdom’s princess? This already sounded disastrous. Turning to my father—my eyes pleading—I said, “No.” But the panic on my face only caused the king to blink in surprise before he motioned to his advisor. “Keep talking.” “No,” I growled more vehemently as Greggor said, “We could hold the child in the dungeon until Farrow returns with the Donnelly bitch. And if he fails his mission…” He glanced at me and smiled. “Sable dies.” “What?!” I shouted. “The hell you say.” Turning to my father, I was even more horrified because I could tell the ignorant ass was actually considering this madness. “Have you lost your damn mind?” I boomed “How could you even ponder such a ridiculous notion? Sable is your daughter.” King Torrance shrugged. “And you’re my—” He cut himself off before finishing the sentiment. I held my breath, wondering if this was going to be the moment of truth, when he finally called me son. My heart beat hard in my chest, yearning for that one word, while my stomach churned, also dreading it. Being his would mean I actually belonged somewhere; I was someone. But did I really want to be the heir of this brute? He snickered and waved a hand. “Well, whatever you are. You’re both equally useless to me, so…” He motioned toward a pair of guards by the entrance of the room. “Fetch the girl.” “No. Stop!” I stepped toward the guards to waylay them, but the king waved his hand again, and four more knights stepped into my path, blocking my way. I snarled at them before whirling back to the king. Shit had just gotten real. With Sable involved, my will collapsed like a poorly-dug well. “You don’t have to involve her,” I told him. “I’ll do it!”
Linda writes romance fiction from YA to adult, contemporary to fantasy. Most Kage stories lean more toward the lighter, sillier side with a couple meaningful moments thrown in. Focuses more on entertainment value and emotional impact. Published since 2010. Went through a 2-year writing correspondence class in children's literature from The Institute of Children's Literature. Then graduated with a Bachelors in Arts, English with an emphasis in creative fiction writing from Pittsburg State University.
Now she lives with hubby, two daughters, cat Holly, and nine cuckoo clocks in southeast Kansas, USA. Farm girl. Parents were dairy farmers. Was youngest of eight. Big family. Day job as a cataloging library assistant.
Harry Potter House Gryffindor, Patronus White Stallion, character match Hagrid. Supernatural Team Dean. Game of Thrones Team Jon Snow and Tyrion Lannister. The Walking Dead Team Daryl. Outlander Team Jamie Fraser. Teen Wolf Team Stiles. Avenger Team Thor...or Hulk (can't decide). Justice League Team Flash. Arrow Team Stephen Amell. Stranger Things obsessed. Heard Laurel, not Yanny.
Started out reading with the Baby-Sitters Club. Then moved to Sandra Brown, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, and LaVyrle Spencer in high school. Now all over the place with her romance reading tastes.
The Run Around Author: Bernadette Franklin Genre: Adult Comedy/Contemporary/Romance Publication Date: April 28, 2020
Description: Arranging a wedding for her brother and a five-time thoroughbride tests Hope’s skills and patience. She’d believed the vows would be the most dangerous part of the ceremony, but a baseball to the head during the photography session proves her wrong and lands her in the sights of her brother’s best friend, Fredrick.
He wants her to plan his wedding.
She wants to be his bride.
Diving into the treacherous world of wedding planning, Hope keeps her word and arranges the vows for the one man she believes she could love. He doesn’t know how much she cherishes him and his friendship.
What she doesn’t know lands her in the heart of a royal mess.
A sensible woman would’ve been delighted to be her future sister-in-law’s maid of honor, as it implied cordial relationships or some sort of bullshit like that. I knew better.
I made an excellent scapegoat.
As the wedding party’s weakest link, everyone expected me to trip on my dress, maybe break an ankle along with my neck, or spill the entire wine fountain onto the floor. My brother claimed he loved me, but I believed he’d been the one to spread the rumor I was the world’s clumsiest woman.
When I secured my revenge, it would be sweet.
But first, I needed to survive my brother’s wedding without being responsible for a single hiccup. Playing to my brother’s misconceptions, I’d spent months tripping over nothing on purpose so I could transform myself into the image of traditional beauty and grace.
I’d even lost twenty pounds so my dress would fit.
The wedding would be a disaster, but I would emerge from the chaos smelling like roses, red wine, and garlic bread. Honestly, I doubted the wedding would make it to the reception.
Some weddings had bridezillas. We had a thoroughbride, and if she got it into her head to run, I wished my brother the best of luck catching her before she fled from the church. My proposal to have the wedding on a yacht, where my brother’s thoroughbride couldn’t escape, hadn’t earned me points with anyone.
The bride hated the ocean.
My brother was smart enough to catch onto my implication.
It wasn’t my fault Amy wasn’t exactly the most reliable woman in the world when it came to marriage. Once was a fluke. Twice was a trend. Five incidents of running from the wedding was evidence the thoroughbride would strike again, and my dear old brother would be saddled with the fifty thousand dollar bill, as he refused to believe Amy would run out on him.
Oh, no. Amy would never run out on him.
Bernadette Franklin is a figment of imagination owned and operated by two cats, a few plants, and a human.
Blood Always (The Five Families #3) Author: Jill Ramsower Genre: Adult Romance Publication Date: April 15, 2020 Description: It was supposed to be business. Two families, one wedding, zero emotion.
My father’s mafia outfit had saved my life. I owed them everything. An arranged marriage was hardly a sacrifice when I would have already been long dead had it not been for them.
I would give up my independence for the Lucciano Family. I would bind myself to the man whose family tore my life to pieces.
Matteo De Luca was vicious claws sheathed in refinement and class. He saw my untamed independence as a challenge. I saw his alluring authority as a threat.
There was a ruthless storm that raged in his oceanic gaze. A majestic tidal wave of temper and domination looking to break on my rocky shores. He would annihilate me. Rip open my layers until all my pretty secrets were scattered at his feet.
The worst part? I wanted to experience whatever it was Matteo had to offer, and I hated myself for it. I wanted to launch myself at him. To kiss him. To kill him. To end the debilitating torture of the unknown.
The moment our paths collided, our lives were altered irrevocably. Taking us from enemies allied by a strategic marriage to something dark and consuming. Something that tasted like obsession.
“If it’s so upsetting to you, why did you agree to it in the first place?” The question wasn’t antagonistic. I truly was curious why she had agreed to the marriage.
At last, her spite-filled eyes found mine. “Because I’m loyal. Because I would do anything for my family.” Finding herself again, her voice regained some of its iron toughness.
“Do you believe the marriage challenges your loyalties?”
“No. I am a Genovese and a Lucciano.”
“Until we marry. Then you’ll be a De Luca and a Gallo.”
She made no reply, but her steadfast gaze answered for her. She would sooner die than be either of those things.
I shouldn’t have cared how she felt. It was irrelevant to my plans and the future of my family, but that didn’t seem to matter. The stirrings of a serpentine anger slithered deep in my gut. I tightened my fists, refraining from grabbing her and shaking sense into her stubborn brain.
What exactly was it I wanted her to understand? That she wanted me? That there were worse things in life than calling herself mine? It hit me like a freight train that I wanted, no … needed, to get under her skin and crumble her brick wall of resolve. I needed to see her come undone and offer herself to me like a sacrificial lamb. I needed to make her so thoroughly mine that she saw me when she looked in the mirror.
I closed the distance between us, caging her against the back of the couch.
Her eyes widened with alarm, but she didn’t fight against me despite what had to be a feral gleam in my eyes. I eased onto one knee beside her and lowered my face to glide my lips along the shell of her ear. Her breathing shuddered.
“You think I’m the worst thing that could happen to you? I promise you could have done a lot worse.” When I pulled back and met her eyes, her customary fire had returned.
She slammed her hands against my chest, shoving me away, then stood toe-to-toe with me. “I’m well aware of just how vile you men can be.”
“You men? So, it’s not just me, it’s the entire gender?”
“What does it matter to you? I thought this was business?” she spat, eyes blazing.
“The arrangement is business, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to fuck you. I know you want to fuck me too, regardless of how much you fight against it.”
“You seem to know everything, don’t you?” she spat condescendingly.
“I know you.”
Her posture relaxed, and a vicious smile lit her face. “That’s the one thing you’ll never know. Whether we have sex or not, you’ll never truly know me.”
Her certainty took me aback. I scoured her features and could discern nothing but absolute confidence. She had no intention of letting me in. Ever. Why did that bother me so much? Like she’d said, this was supposed to be business.
I hadn’t gotten where I was in life without a relentless ambition to win. If she was going to pit us against one another, my competitive nature had no choice but to prove her wrong. Maybe if she hadn’t been so goddamn sexy, I could have walked away from the challenge. But as it stood, I was ready to go down with the ship if necessary. I would fight until the end—rip open her layers until all her pretty secrets were scattered at my feet.
Gripping her arms, I spun Maria around and pulled her back to my chest. Her muscles tensed, but she didn’t pull away. I lowered my mouth and nipped at her neck, coaxing a shaky breath from her.
“Challenge accepted.”
Within a year of self-publishing her first book, Jill Ramsower quit her job as an attorney and dedicated her days to churning out romantic adventures. She likes to think of her books as contemporary romance with a touch of fantasy--at its core, her writing is about the connection between two people. Sometimes that connection involves a little magic...
With Jill's books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.
Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she's a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.
Coop (Reed Security #22) Author: Giulia Lagomarsino Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance Publication Date: April 13, 2020 Description: Coop Becky is life. She’s the sunshine that lights up my world. But for some reason, I just can’t seem to fully commit. Everything in my head is screwing with me, and if I don’t figure it out soon, I’ll lose her. And to make matters worse, my sweet angel of a daughter has turned into a rebellious seventeen year old that is doing everything in her power to kill me. Something’s gotta give or I’m going to lose everything I’ve fought for in my life.
Becky Coop has always been a mystery, but he was my mystery. Now, though, I can’t take any more. I want him, but I want all of him. If he can’t let me in, I can’t stick around. I need the whole man, not just the pieces he’s willing to give me. But even if I get him, can I hold onto him? He’s the one thing I want most in this world, but I have a feeling that things aren’t going to go my way.
“Because she’s breaking the fucking rules, and one of these times, it’s not going to turn out so well for her.”
Storm shoved his gun in his holster and then strapped on his knife. Tacocheese was putting on his vest. “I’m still not seeing what you hope to accomplish,” Storm grumbled.
“Hey, Thunders, when you have kids, you’ll understand.”
“Kids? Ha, never gonna happen. Troublemakers, all of them.”
“Exactly. The plan is, we’ll surround the house and then storm in, scaring the shit out of Kayla and whoever she’s with.”
“You want us to storm someone’s house?” Tacoman shook his head. “Not happening. You’re gonna get us all arrested.”
“We have Sean on speed dial. It’ll be fine.”
“No, I’m pretty sure we’re all gonna end up in jail.”
I glared at Tachocheese. “Are you a man or a pussy?”
“A man?”
“If this was your kid, sneaking out of the house at all hours, showing up at someone else’s house, someone you have no fucking clue about, wouldn’t you do anything you could to make sure that she thought twice about ever doing something so stupid again?”
“I don’t know. I think I’d let it play out and see what she’s up to.”
“And that’s the difference between us. I’m not leaving my kid in a potentially dangerous situation that could get her killed. What if she’s with a rapist right now and doesn’t even know it? They hide in plain sight, hunting the weak.”
“But Kayla’s not weak,” Storm pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter. She’s inexperienced. Anyone can see that and they will use it against her.”
“I still think this is fucking ridiculous,” he grumbled as he strapped on the last of his gear.
“Rob, come in,” I said over coms.
“I read you loud and clear.”
“Send me the address. We’re heading out.”
“Copy that.”
We headed for the SUV and climbed in. I was driving because I was pissed and needed control over something right now. It was a short drive into town. I parked a block away from the address and hurried down the street, sticking to the shadows.
“Alright, Storm, you head for the back door. Tacocheese, you’ve got the garage door. I’ll take the front. I want all the information we can before we enter. If you see the target in trouble, we move in right away.”
“Just for the record, I don’t think Kayla would like being called a target,” Storm said. I slapped him upside the head, ignoring his scowl.
“Let’s move out.”
I made my way through the bushes to the front door, peeking inside the windows as I went. I was just about to get in position when I saw her move through the house, laughing at some asshole that was trying to grab at her. I saw red.
“Target acquired. Everyone in position.”
I tested the front door, checking to see if it was locked. It was. At least I knew she was trying to remain safe indoors.
“Copy that,” Storm said. “Ready to storm this nice suburban house.”
“Yeah,” Tacocheese grumbled. “I’m ready for jail.”
“Move out.”
I kicked at the door twice and then gave a final boot to the door and watched it swing wide open, banging against the wall. I saw the look of shock on Kayla’s face as I moved into the living room and cleared the area. The asshole moved in front of her, trying to protect her.
Wrong fucking move.
“Down on your knees,” I shouted, pointing my gun at him. I knew that Tony Tacos and Storm were clearing the rest of the house, so I kept my gun trained on this asshole. He slowly moved to his knees, but my girl stood tall, refusing to get down. Obviously, she knew who I was. She would recognize the gear anywhere.
“Kayla, baby, get down. Just do as he says.”
“No,” she said defiantly.
I walked forward slowly and placed my boot right over the fucker’s fingers, slowly lowering the weight of my body on top of his hand. He screamed in agony, but I remained staring at Kayla.
“Still want to stay standing?” I asked her.
“You’re being an asshole,” she shouted.
“An asshole,” I repeated, lifting my boot just enough to kick the fucker in the side. He tipped over, holding his side and gasping for air. Kayla stared at me incredulously.
“What are you doing? You’re gonna get thrown in jail!”
“Kayla,” the fucker whimpered. “Just do as he says.”
I waited for her to listen, but my defiant little girl just wouldn’t do it. I quickly snatched him off the floor and held him against my body, my arm wrapped around his throat. Tony Tacos and Storm entered the room, both with wide eyes.
“Oh shit,” Tacos grumbled. “We’re so going to jail.”
“Should I call Cap?” Storm asked.
“He would do the same fucking thing if it was Caitlin,” Tony answered.
“Just…don’t kill him,” Storm said, narrowing his eyes at me.
I grinned maniacally. “I’ll take that into consideration.” I turned to the kid, whispering in his ear. “Have you ever felt the sting of a really sharp blade against your neck?” He shook his head wildly. “That’s a shame. It’s really a very…exciting feeling. Let me show you.”
I pulled out my knife and slid it ever so slowly against his neck, not actually putting him in any danger. I was quite good with a knife and there was no chance that I would accidentally nick him.
“Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”
He shook his head slightly.
“Dad, would you stop fucking with him?” Kayla said in exasperation.
“Dad? This is your dad?” the fucker shouted.
“Nice to meet you. You can call me Mr. Cooper.”
I'm a stay at home mom that loves to read. Some of my favorite titles are Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Horatio Hornblower. I started writing when I was trying to come up with suggestions on ways I could help bring in some extra money. I came up with the idea that I could donate plasma because you could earn an extra $500/month. My husband responded with, "No. Find something else. Write a blog. Write a book." I didn't think I had anything to share on blog that a thousand other mothers hadn't already thought of. I decided to take his challenge seriously and sat down to write my first book, Jack. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed writing. From there, the stories continued to flow and I haven't been able to stop. I hope my readers enjoy my books as much as I enjoy writing them. Between reading, writing, and taking care of three small kids, my days are quite full.
Alien Minds (Dimension Drift #1) Author Christina Bauer Genre: YA Science Fiction Publication Date: June 5, 2019 Publisher: Monster House Books Description:
DIVERGENT meets OCEAN’S EIGHT in this urban fantasy heist! On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.
So, I’m living the perfect life.
Then why does everything feel all wrong?
My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.
And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories.
Maybe it’s time to pucker up.
“Appealing and engaging. Love the strong female character!” – Arlene’s Book Reviews
This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action & adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.
“Intoxication with technology is the hallmark of an underdeveloped society.” – Beauregard the Great, Instructions for Visiting Parallel Worlds
After spending hours on guard duty, I can finally leave Mass General. Soon I’m tooling my hoverbike toward the outskirts of the Boston Dome. Overhead, a cloud-free sky is projected onto the plasma. Tall buildings loom around me in a maze of chrome and concrete.
An image appears in my mind. Meimi—I never even think the false name Wisteria—lies curled on her hospital bed, drugged up and asleep. Every instinct in my soul says I should’ve stayed behind and guarded her while she rested. Not an option. An important appointment is coming up, and I can’t miss it.
For Meimi.
Of course, Godwin—my boss and Meimi’s doctor—doesn’t know I’m leaving the city. Then again, the doctor doesn’t know a lot of things about me.
Like the fact that I’m not from this planet.
Plus, I’m not just any alien. My father’s the Emperor of the Omniverse, the universe of universes.
So what Godwin doesn’t know about me is quite a lot, actually.
Meimi doesn’t know much, either. To begin with, she doesn’t remember that I’m her transcendent. Even worse, she thinks I’m in league with someone as evil as Godwin. Not to mention that I’m part of a government creating an apocalypse for anyone who isn’t perfect.
Bands of sorrow tighten around my chest. There’s no avoiding the truth. Meimi sees me as her enemy. I straighten my spine. But being her enemy? That keeps my girl safe. So that’s what I’ll no do, no matter how much it tears at my soul.
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
By Blood and Magic (The Dragon Portal #2) Author: Jamie A. Waters Genre: Adult Fantasy Publication Date: March 26, 2020
Description: A priceless treasure is hidden within the ocean’s depths…
Sabine barely managed to escape from Akros with her life.
But the ocean isn’t safe for someone whose power stems from the forests.
When their ship is attacked on the high seas and one of Sabine’s companions is taken hostage, only an agreement forged by blood and magic may save her friend’s life.
The pearl of the sea is also the key to the gods’ revenge…
With the dragon portal failing and the gods’ magic threatening to destroy their world, Sabine must choose between following her heart or upholding a sacred oath.
The cost of ending a centuries-old feud may be higher than anyone expected.
Sabine scanned the sea, but she couldn’t see any sign of the missing crew. If the Merfolk were already taking prisoners, they were running out of time. A few more hits like the last one, and the ship would capsize.
“If you have any suggestions, Sabine, now is the time. Otherwise, I agree with Bane. I’ll destroy every last one of these Merfolk for harming those under my protection.”
Without waiting for a response, Malek leaned over the railing toward the lower deck and called out more orders to ready the catapults. Sabine swallowed and tried to bury the sick fear threatening to overwhelm her. Esmelle wouldn’t even have been on this ship if it weren’t for her. The thought of losing one of her closest friends was unfathomable.
Sabine’s hands tightened on the railing as she stared at the angry sea. “They’ll keep Esme and the rest of the hostages alive until they manage to capsize the ship. Those who aren’t enslaved are usually fed to their underwater pets. If they take all of us down below, we’ll lose any negotiating power we might have while still under the sky.”
“I’ve heard the stories,” Bane admitted, caging her with his arms. She leaned back against his heated skin, thankful for the warmth he offered against the chill from the elements. Bane might have difficulties tapping into softer emotions, but he’d made it no secret he admired and respected the spunky witch who was now an unwilling hostage.
“They aren’t just stories,” she said as a daring plan began to form in her mind.
Bane squeezed her midsection and murmured, “You are my priority, Sabine. If we must lose Esme, she will be mourned, but we cannot allow you to fall. We need to get you and this ship out of here.”
Sabine turned and glared up at him. “We won’t be mourning anyone. I will get them back—all of them. And you’re going to help me do it.”
Jamie A. Waters is an award-winning writer of science fiction and fantasy romance. Her first novel was a winner of the Readers' Favorite Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance and the CIPA EVVY Award in Science Fiction.
Jamie currently resides in Florida with two neurotic dogs who enjoy stealing socks. When she's not pursuing her passion of writing, she's usually trying to learn new and interesting random things (like how to pick locks or use the self-cleaning feature of the oven without setting off the fire alarm). In her downtime, she enjoys reading on her Kindle, playing computer games, painting, or acting as a referee between the dragons and fairies currently at war inside her closet.
Within a year of self-publishing her first book, Jill Ramsower quit her job as an attorney and dedicated her days to churning out romantic adventures. She likes to think of her books as contemporary romance with a touch of fantasy--at its core, her writing is about the connection between two people. Sometimes that connection involves a little magic...
Jamie A. Waters is an award-winning writer of science fiction and fantasy romance. Her first novel was a winner of the Readers' Favorite Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy Romance and the CIPA EVVY Award in Science Fiction. 