Today I'm excited to share a wonderful new paranormal book that is sure to capture your fantasies. Misty Burke is offering a free digital book to one lucky person. Don't forget to enter below!! The Midnight Cup by Misty Burke The Midnight Cup is a story that follows the romance between a white witch and her man … turned slayer … turned vampire … turned soul mate. Marcus McKinney is a trained member of the Society and a vampire slayer. With an ancient hieroglyphic tattoo to ward off his own personal demons, he travels to a small college town in the Midwest. It is here that he finds The Midnight Cup. A quaint coffee house with a backroom …filled with vampires. The owner of this little establishment is Serenity Baker. She is a Natural. With her long blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes, she is a beautiful white witch that offers light magic with a simple touch. It is this power that draws the coven of vampires to her small coffee shop which in turn brings Marcus into her life. The Midnight Cup tells their story amidst a brewing war. With a circle of witches, a coven of vampires, and a league of Society members, who knows what could happen next. Excerpt: Standing in the moonlight, he watched the neon sign blink in the window of the coffee house across the street. College kids came and went around him. Yet none seemed to notice his presence. The stranger had spent years learning to blend into the shadows. The night hours slowly passed. It wasn’t until he could feel the coming dawn that he strode across the street and walked inside. Only a few students were left as he took a seat at a corner table. He was keenly aware that the backroom was now empty and this fact pleased the woman behind the counter. Oddly though, she hadn’t stopped staring at him since he entered. The delicate beauty could somehow see through his shades of practiced darkness and it unnerved him. The tattoo that circled his left bicep felt like it tightened. They locked eyes as she approached. “What are you?” She leaned in and pretended to wipe down his table. “I was just wondering the same thing about you.” She reminded him of a skittish foal. He reached out to touch her hand and she jerked back. “Is that why you’re here?” Looking hurt, then angry, she motioned to the door. “Get out.” “You’ve got this all wrong.” The stranger shook his head in confusion and then pointed toward the red curtain. “I’m here to help you with your little…problem.” She froze and gave him a long, hard look.“I’ll ask you again. What are you?” He pulled a large wooden stake out of his trench coat and laid it on the table. “I’m a slayer.” She sat down at his table and spoke with soft, hesitant words. “Are you part of the Society?” The question hung in the air as he watched tiny sparkles of gold dance in her light blue eyes. Unknowingly, he reached for her again. The jolt of electricity that followed caused him to take in a quick breath of air. The surge was sudden and left warmth. Staring down at their point of contact, his large hand covering hers, he smiled in awe. “I’m Marcus McKinney. And yes, I’m with the Society.” “Then you know I’m a natural,” she paused only a moment, “don’t you?” The glowing warmth evaporated as quickly as it had arrived. In one fluid motion, he disconnected from her and picked up the stake. Damn it, Josh. This was not in your report. He hid the weapon back in the folds of his trench coat and questioned his next move. There wasn’t supposed to be any other paranormal element. The Society might care, but his fight was only with the vampires. This white witch was not his problem. The woman across from him looked so innocent.“Whatever it is that causes your heart to darken…” The slayer pushed back his chair and stood.“Let’s get this straight. I’ve no interest in your natural magic or your pity. My assignment is only the coven of vampires you harbor. Don’t get in my way.” **** Serenity didn’t have to watch him leave. She could feel it. This slayer, with his curly brown hair and eyes the color of dark chocolate, had an aura she hadn’t experienced before. It was more complex and torn than the simplicity of a human. Yet it didn’t have the vast emptiness of the vampire either. His soul was different, unique, hidden in shadow. Marcus McKinney was circled with a deep fog. There were layers to this man she just couldn’t see and that intrigued her. In fact, she couldn’t think of much else as she closed up the coffee shop. Even after saying goodbye to her staff and locking the doors, she couldn’t get him out of her mind. It was clear to her that his fight with Ivan’s clan was personal. For he might be shaped like a slayer, with years of physical training, but there was more to him than that. Marcus wasn’t just another Society drone. He couldn’t be. Buy Links: Evernight Publishing Amazon All Romance eBooks Bookstrand ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author Bio: My name is Misty Burke and I live in the Romantic Ozark Mountains with my supportive husband and our four wonderful children. When I'm not enjoying family time, I love to write steamy romances. Creating exciting fantasy worlds filled with dangerously handsome heroes is one of my passions. My favorite writing quote is ...The best time for planning a book is while you're doing the dishes. ~Agatha Christie Author Links: Site Facebook I'm so very excited to have Tamaria Soana visiting today to share her latest release. This story is sure to touch every reader and make them aware of the problem of domestic abuse. Tamaria has written a touching story about a young woman who finds the strength to break free of this horror. The Calm Before the Storm by Tamaria Soana The last two years of Erica Bloom’s life have been spent looking over her shoulder. Sawyer Marsh promised the day she filed for divorce and left him, that if he couldn't have her no one would. Even though Sawyer hasn’t contacted her in two years she’s still feared for her life. She remembers all too well the nightmare their marriage was and what it felt to be on the receiving end of his wrath. The news of Sawyer’s engagement allows Erica to finally let her guard down and enjoy her new life and budding relationship with Brock Maxwell. While away relaxing at Brock’s vacation home on the Willow Lake, the past comes back to haunt her. Were the past few years just the calm before the storm? Excerpt: Erica picked it up and smiled when she saw it was Joann calling. “Hey, Joann.” “Hi, Erica. You busy?” “No, not at all. I was just reading the paper.” “Did you hear the news about Sawyer?” Erica stood up. Chills ran down her spine at the mention of his name. “What news?” she replied, just above a whisper. “He’s getting married.” The words stunned her. “Erica, are you still there?” Joann asked. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down so she could respond. “How do you know?” she managed to stammer. So many feelings were flowing through her body as she paced the floor. They ranged from fear to relief. Was he truly moving on? “Tim ran into his cousin at the hardware store. He said they’re getting married in a few months.” “Wow.” Erica breathed out. “Are you okay?” “Yes. This is good news. He’s moved on. Maybe I can stop looking over my shoulder every time I go out. Do you know who she is?” “No. From what I understand, some woman he met while on a business trip and Sawyer’s cousin mentioned that she’s much younger.” “The poor girl doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into. I feel for her because I know all of his tricks. He’s sexy and charming in the beginning and you’re so over the top in love with him. You marry him and get so caught up in the fairytale you believe is your life, until one day he changes into the man he truly is. A monster,” Erica stoically stated. “Erica, I know you went through hell with him, but it’s been two years. You have a terrific man in your life. I think it’s time you let go of the past and live again.” Erica sank down on the couch. She felt like she was hit by a freight train. “I have a lot to think about. I’ll call you tomorrow.” “Let’s get together soon.” “Sounds great.” “Erica, relax. The nightmare is finally over.” Her friend reassured her. “Bye, Joann.” Erica ended the call and stared into space. Could it be that easy? Am I honestly free from that man once and for all? Amazon Buy Link Watch the Trailer: Link > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQItNvn9QIo&feature=plcp ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Note from the Author: To say it’s surreal to have my short story come light is an understatement. The vision for this story came to me months ago. I wanted to write a short story to raise awareness for Domestic Abuse. This cause is very near to my heart. I also wanted to find away to use my story to raise money for the cause. After a few phone calls I decided I needed to look no further than my own back yard. I live near Buffalo, New York and we have a wonderful woman’s shelter that has helped countess woman and children get back on their feet. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. I will donate 100% of the proceeds from The Calm Before the Storm in October to my local woman's shelter, and 50% for the life of the book. Here are some Domestic Violence Statistics § Every 9 seconds in the US a woman is assaulted or beaten. § Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women—more than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined. § Nearly 1 in 5 teenage girls who have been in a relationship said a boyfriend threatened violence or self-harm if presented with a breakup. § Every day in the US, more than three women are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends. Those facts alone make you want stand up and do something. One thing you can do if you're in an abusive relationship or know someone that is please get help by calling the hotline. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−SAFE (7233) or TTY 1−800−787−3224 Author Bio: Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels her life has begun. She writes sexy contemporary romance stories that always end with a ‘happily ever after’. Growing up she loved to read and make up new places in her head to escape to. In her late teens she began writing short stories and poetry; it wasn’t until her late thirties before she began to spin a full story. She’s married and a stay-at-home-mom of two beautiful young girls, they reside in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw is her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Besides writing, she co-owns Shades of Rose Marketing and hosts a talk show on Talkshoe called Live with Tamaria ~ Giving authors a voice. Author Links: Site Weebly Facebook Author Page Twitter Today I'm featuring s hot new book by Ciara Lake. The cover says it all! Steamy! Curse of a Dragon's Claim is the second book in the Forsaken Series. Looks like if you haven't read the first one, you have something for your TBR pile! Curse of a Dragon's Claim by Ciara Lake The Forsaken Series, Book 2 The flame within a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible. The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage. Clayne MacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin's death. When Arianna meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him. Clayne knows he can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate. Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war. Content Warning: graphic sex, some violence Beachwalk Press Buy Link Amazon Buy Link Barnes& Noble Buy Link ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Excerpt Don't scream. I mean you no harm, Clayne said as he studied Arianna's reflection in the mirror. "Screaming will only cause an unnecessary disruption to their party. I'll have to disappear, only to come back later." Touching her cheek, he captured a tear with his finger. He placed the tear on his tongue, his eyes falling to half-mast for a moment. "Mmm, you taste sweet." Stunned, Arianna gaped at him for a moment. "What are you doing here?" She ground out each word. "How long have you been here? I didn't hear my door open." Their stares locked in the mirror. She paled when she realized he had not entered through a door. "If I'm not a witch, you are." I'm not a witch, those fickle creatures are governed by wealth rather than any true loyalty. He leaned down and boldly kissed the mark on her shoulder. Arianna jerked in surprise. The feel of his lips made her pulse quicken. She shivered, helpless to her response. You carry my mark, something I wasn't informed of. I find this all fascinating. His eyes bored into hers. Then he shook his head. "It seems even in my years, I can still be surprised." Placing his hands on her bare upper arms, he lightly squeezed. "I was determined not to like you, there's so little of your kind redeemable to my species." Arianna, frozen, as if hypnotized by him, continued to stare at his reflection. I'm fated to what I've despised for so very long. At least half of you is what I've despised. The fates can be so…unpredictable. They do like their games. He grinned. "The fates enjoy these circumstances." The blue flames in his eyes flared as he watched her. The implausible light show within his pupils woke her from her trance. Your mark? She glared at him. "What you've learned to despise? The games of the fates?" Arianna spit each one of his phrases back at him. "You, Signor, are clearly insane. I don't understand a thing you're saying. Nor do I care to." You may think I'm insane, but I'm not. Instead, it seems I'm cursed to be fated to a beautiful dracvipen. I've yet to decide what to do with this revelation. After all, curses aren't all bad. Especially when they aren't really curses. Boldly, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him. "You do feel nice. You smell good too. I think it a fair exchange. One can ignore the mix as long as it comes in such a beautiful package." She stood, struggling to get free of him. He held her firm, sniffing her neck. Unable to help it, she tilted her head, giving him better access for a brief moment before she returned to her senses. "Unhand me, you insane rogue." As you wish, Arianna. Clayne withdrew his arms from around her. A chill passed through her heated body as he let go. "You'll miss our heat." He continued to stand behind her. His eyes flamed bright. "You're lovely. You have spirit, yet there's sweetness to you. A beautiful combination, you're absolutely fascinating." You’re most definitely a charming mix. Get the hell out of my head. You…you…rogue. Arianna turned to face him. She tried to stomp on his foot. Deftly, he avoided her attack. For a woman with such linguistic abilities you're truly lacking in vocabulary to describe me, he teased. She wanted to slap his face, taking the grin right off. And you'll have to learn to move much faster to keep up with me. I'm very swift. He reached around, swatting her on her behind. How dare you! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the Author Reading and writing is a wonderful diversion from an often-difficult world. I love to create my own stories and have control over how things will end. It's exciting to create brand new worlds and characters. My imagination can come alive. In sci-fi, fantasy, and paranormal stories, I can invent wonderful places and people. Anything is possible in these genres, it's limitless. I'm able to create an escape into a special world filled with unique and fantastic things and there is always a happy ending. A high school teacher inspired me to write. However, instead of initially pursuing my writing career I became a lawyer. I work in divorce court, so erotic romance is a great escape. There can be true love and happy-endings, at least on my pages. My two children and I have two good-humored dogs that share our home and ease our stress. I have traveled and lived all over the world, and these experiences have given me great creative ideas. I look forward to creating many more adventures in romance. Connect with Ciara Lake: Site Twitter Facebook I live in a state that is known for the colors Maize and Blue. I live in a state that has borders on the Great Lakes. I live in a state that has been featured in movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Grosse Pointe Blank. If you can tell me where I am living and guess it correctly, you will be entered in the contest to win an ebook copy of my SCP book, Beach Desires. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE SECRET CRAVINGS AUTHORS PARTICIPATING FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN! http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com/ Can a summer fling last a lifetime? Stacey Wilder escapes to the beach for a much needed vacation and meets a woman who tempts her passion. But Stacey hid her desires growing up because small town Catholic girls don't fall in love with other women. Mandy Kenzie is a Southern girl who also dealt with discrimination growing up over her choice of lovers. When she meets Stacey, sparks fly and passion ignites. But will their beach fling become a forever match or just a vacation affair? Can Stacey and Mandy make their long distance relationship work? Or will they let the prejudices of their upbringing ruin their chance at happiness? Today I am very excited to share with you one of my favorite books. The Star Child is a fabulous read about a young man who finds out that he is a part of an ancient prophecy to save the world. I'm also extremely fortunate to count Stephanie Keyes as one of my friends. Check out the blurb and excerpt to see for yourself why I love this book! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the Book The world is about to be cloaked in darkness. Only one can stop the night. Kellen St. James has spent his entire life being overlooked as an unwanted, ordinary, slightly geeky kid. That is until a beautiful girl, one who has haunted his dreams for the past eleven years of his life, shows up spinning tales of a prophecy. Not just any old prophecy either, but one in which Kellen plays a key role. Suddenly, Kellen finds himself on the run through a Celtic underworld of faeries and demons, angels and gods, not to mention a really ticked off pack of hellhounds, all in order to save the world from darkness. But will they make it in time? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Excerpt “Kid, we're here. Wake up.” The driver pulled to a stop. Somewhere in the corner of my mind, I heard him get out of the front seat to take my bags out of the trunk, stomping on the gravel road as he walked. A yawn escaped me and I rolled my head in slow circles, peering out from the window into the small garden that wrapped around the cottage. It was littered with flowers in every color of the rainbow. With no skills or knowledge of plants, I sighed, resigned to the knowledge that I'd probably kill them within the week. The exterior of the house was whitewashed brick, the roof slate. Beyond the cottage, I could hear the crash of the sea against the rocks. The entire perimeter was surrounded by a stone wall, which identified the property’s barriers and kept out most unwanted livestock. Most of it, anyway. There was a small cow grazing in the yard that I didn't think belonged there. I'd have to deal with him or her eventually, but one step at a time. It was around dinnertime and my stomach grumbled. The smell of the salt air always made me feel hungry, for some reason. The sun was slowly starting to set beyond the hills; it would be dark soon. I was immediately anxious to get inside and settled, afraid of getting stuck outside trying to figure out how to unlock the door in the dark. There was a lonely feeling here; the nearest house was about a half mile away. The dramatic landscape haunted me; each mountain and ruin was a ghost peeking out at me. Gran had loved the solitude of it all and reveled in the aloneness. Although I’d probably love it for the same reasons, I couldn’t help but wish, as I had many times before, that I wasn't quite so on my own. Buy Link: www.inkspellpublishing.com/store.html or check out the cover reveal here: http://www.inkspellpublishing.com/1/post/2012/07/star-child-cover-reveal.html About the Author Stephanie Keyes holds an undergraduate degree in Management Information Systems as well as a Master's in Education. A seasoned, facilitator, Mrs. Keyes worked in Training and Development for an international telecommunications corporation for twelve years; spending the first eight years of her career as a Software Trainer and Technical Writer and the last four working in Human Resources and Employee Development. In May of 2012, Mrs. Keyes left the corporate world to focus on her family and her writing full-time. She also operates a freelance graphic and instructional design business, Sycamore Road Design. Inkspell Publishing will release her first novel, The Star Child, on September 21, 2012. She is now currently at work on the second book in The Star Child Trilogy, The Fallen Stars. Keyes lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two children, and Riley the dog. Contact Stephanie Website: www.stephaniekeyes.com Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes/150860604966160 Twitter: www.twitter.com/StephanieKeyes Stephanie is giving away an autographed paperback copy of The Star Child as well as five ebook copies of the book and six posters and bookmarks! (paperback and posters open to US and UK only. Ebooks are open internationally.) Guess where I live and you can be entered to win a copy of my Secret Cravings e-book- "Beach Desires". Just read the clues and see if you can figure it out! I live in a state that is known for the colors Maize and Blue. I live in a state that has borders on the Great Lakes. I live in a state that has been featured in movies like Beverly Hills Cop and Grosse Pointe Blank. If you can tell me where I am living and guess it correctly, you will be entered in the contest to win an ebook copy of my SCP book, Beach Desires. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AND DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE SECRET CRAVINGS AUTHORS PARTICIPATING FOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN! http://secretcravingspublishing.blogspot.com/ Can a summer fling last a lifetime? Stacey Wilder escapes to the beach for a much needed vacation and meets a woman who tempts her passion. But Stacey hid her desires growing up because small town Catholic girls don't fall in love with other women. Mandy Kenzie is a Southern girl who also dealt with discrimination growing up over her choice of lovers. When she meets Stacey, sparks fly and passion ignites. But will their beach fling become a forever match or just a vacation affair? Can Stacey and Mandy make their long distance relationship work? Or will they let the prejudices of their upbringing ruin their chance at happiness? I am so excited to have fellow Rebel Ink author J. L. Oiler visit today. She is so very talented and I wish I was more like her. The stories she writes have readers on the edge of their seats. Today she is sharing with us one of her newest books: "Glimpses of Midnight". The Glimpses of Midnight is a series of books that J.L. is writing with another Rebel author, Suzzanna Ryan who will drop by in a few weeks to share some of her tale with us! Glimpses of Midnight: Indulgence JL Oiler Carina Bellefleur is the only daughter of the dark lord of South Hedonism, Cyrus Bellefleur. Belonging to a city of Indulgence and decadence has its privileges but the half vampire half succubus is having a difficult time finding someone, or better yet more than just one someone, who can help her reach that ultimate orgasm. When a pair of human males are caught just outside the city walls the subject of the dark city desire nothing more than their immediate death. Carina however sees something special in the pair of well-endowed males. Evan and Eric are the ultimate urban adventurers. Therefore, when they hear rumors of a city hidden beneath their own beloved New York they cannot help themselves, they have to try to find it. Now as prisoners among creatures they would never in their wildest dreams believed existed, the pair of brothers find their fate lay in the hands of the city's sexy princess. They discover survival depends on providing Carina with the ultimate in sexual satisfaction before her father discovers humans within the walls of his city. In exchange the feisty woman might lead them back topside. There is however a catch, what if they really don’t want to go or she doesn’t want to let them? Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?sortBy=recentlyAdded&searchBy=author&qString=JL+Oiler Site: http://glimpsesofmidnight.blogspot.com/?zx=c511203b15ae6cc5 |
Melissa KeirGator Girl Extraordinaire Archives
October 2023
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