Now that she knows her name and what she is, she wants justice for everything shes lost. Though her memories elude her, she takes a job for a half-demon Senator and, aided by werewolves from a local clan, intends to uncover evidence that will convict the Senator of more than thirty murders.
Getting to the Senator and finding the necessary evidence is more difficult than she anticipates, especially when there is a bounty for her death. If that were not enough, the vampire who stole her memories returns and reveals unexpected truths. But shes not going to let anything stop her. Not a sadistic assassin or a servant or Lucifer. Not even her ex-lover, the vampire God of the Underworld. Nothing will stop her from claiming retribution...even if the price is her life.
My Review
5 of 5 Quests
First off I have to say that this book definitely took me on a quest!Man there were so many toss and turns and things I did not see coming I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I have to say that I hope and pray there is a third book. I needed more romance, more love between Shelley and who ever she chooses. (I will not spoil it)
Can you imagine you wake up surrounded by dead bodies and you have no idea what happened or who you are? Well welcome to Shelley's world. She is trying to get her memories back of that fateful night but she can't seem to get them back. As she struggles to learn who she is she meets some interesting people along the way. So on her quest she finally finds out her name is Shelley and a few other things. She is also alerted to fact that she is surrounded by werewolves, vampires, angles, demons, and shifters. Shelley does know one thing and that is she has to find out who did this to her and why.
Watch out world because a woman who wants justice and retribution is coming to town and she will take no crap from anyone. As more and more of her old life unravels she knows there is one person she wants to kill and that is the senator. But how do you get close enough to a senator to kill him? She will have to figure that out and once she does she will be able to execute her plan of retribution.
This was an awesome follow up to The Awakening and I hope and pray that there is going to be a third book. I loved the flow of the story and I loved the characters.
Excerpt #2:
When I reached the main floor, I withdrew my phone. Boss had called. I touched the screen, activating the redial sequence.
“Where are you?” he asked, sounding a bit agitated.
“Walking toward the exit now. Are you parked?”
“Parked and waiting.”
“Be there soon.” I ended the call and slid the phone back into my purse.
Excitement fueled my steps. The heels of my boots echoed in the empty Statehouse. Due to the late hour, or rather early hour, the guys said they’d pick me up in front of the capital. The shortened walk was a blessing given I craved substance.
Reaching the doors, I shoved them open and jogged down the concrete steps. A parked car waited at the curb. Boss, wearing dark pants and a loose blazer, had his arms crossed while he leaned against the SUV. Though he had somewhat short hair, three-inch bangs covered his eyes with the help of the wind. He raked a hand through his locks while keeping his gaze pointed at me.
“You’re late,” he said as I drew near.
I frowned. “What, two minutes?” I stopped in front of him.
He opened the back door for me. “Jonas told me about what happened earlier. In case you need a reminder, minutes can make the difference between life and death.”
The hardass vampire had a way of getting on my nerves, but I still respected and cared for him. Sure, we had our problems in the beginning. He thought I was an abomination. Over time, and with the help of Jonas and Tabby, he realized I wasn’t such a repulsive creature. We even had an intimate moment once, but we both agreed the incident was to satisfy our carnal needs. Quite frankly, my needs were growing, and if I didn’t get sated soon, I’d have to get my groove on with the vamp again.
I brushed my windblown hair from my face, showing him my forehead. “No worries. I don’t even have a mark.”
“No, of course not. I bet the demon who shoved you into the brick wall knew you would heal fast.”
I started to snap back, but a loud screech from the sky stopped me. Boss and I glanced in the direction of the shrill sound and found a garguman perched on top of the building across the street. The naked gray creature flapped his wings and cried out again.
“Get in the car,” Boss said.
I quickly leaped into the back seat. Boss slammed my door and settled into the front.
“Those pesky men must have a liking for you,” Jonas said, staring out his front window.
“Drive, but don’t go fast,” Boss said. “I want it to follow us.”
“What?” I scooted between the seats to get a better view. “Why?”
Jonas shifted the gear and drove away from the curb.
Boss bent down, his gaze aimed at the sky. “Let’s see if it follows us. If it does, I want to capture it.”
I leaned between the two seats and faced Boss. “You want to capture a garguman.” The evil creatures with their ugly gray bodies, razor-sharp claws and piranha-like teeth were incredibly strong.
“I want to find out what it knows and who sent it,” Boss said.
About the Author:
Outside of my government job, I write Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. Dark and dangerous creatures are my friends. I create worlds with vampires, demons, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures. I even create new ones. How do I do this? I have a twisted mind and it gets better with wine.
Care to join me in my fantastical worlds? I’ll introduce you to my friends, and if they bite or corrupt your mind... it’s not my fault.
When Lauren Smith begrudgingly returns to the small Vermont town where she grew up to arrange for the sale of her late grandmother’s old farmhouse, she has everything she’s always worked for. Lauren drives a Mercedes. She’s engaged to one of the most powerful businessmen in the country and wears a three-carat diamond ring to prove it. She lives in a penthouse on Central Park West.
Yes, Lauren has everything she considers important. She is smugly prepared for any eventuality in dealing with these country people so Lauren isn’t surprised when the hot water isn’t working at the old house. No problem. She simply looks in the phone book and calls the local plumber.
The moment Caleb Cochran steps through the old screen door to fix the hot water, the glittery facade that masquerades as Lauren’s life begins to crumble around her. Though she tries hard to deny their mutual, magnetic attraction, Lauren is finally forced to reevaluate her focus and come face-to-face with her true self. Small Town Girl is a story of discovering the true meaning of life and love.
This novel is the first book in the Small Town series, however, each book can be read as a stand-alone.
About the Author
Linda has written steadily throughout the years, but usually other people’s papers, speeches, or articles for agricultural trade magazines. Her only published work of fiction was a children’s book, “The Copper Angel of Piper’s Mill”, written in 1988 when her children were still small. Now that the kids are out of the house, Linda is writing fiction again, and this time it’s personal! She writes full time and it’s Romance! Her first romance novel, “Small Town Girl” is being published by Omnific Publishing and should be available late summer/early fall of this year.
Linda lives in a romantic stone house in the green mountains of Vermont surrounded by her gardens and her animals who include horses, sheep, cats, dogs, chickens, a parakeet and various wildlife visitors who wander in and out at will. When time permits, she also enjoys sketching and painting.
Publisher: Carter Publishing House (Self-Published)
Format: Ebook
Length: approx. 130 pages
Release Date: March 15th 2013
Book Description:
The steamy Deceived romance trilogy by Eve Carter, in the bestselling tradition of Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James and The Blackstone Affair by Raine Miller.
When Chloe Swanson, an innocent mid-western college graduate, lands her dream job in New York City, she doesn't realize what kind of a ride she's in for.
It doesn't take long before her boss, the charming and sharp businessman Patrick Collins, deceives her into being part of his plan to land the biggest account of his life.
However, he never expected that he would fall for her. Suddenly, he finds himself trapped between a ruthless billionaire client, who has her own eyes set on Patrick, and his deep affection for the beautiful Chloe.
What follows is a sensual and passionate journey of self-discovery, as Chloe faces the harsh reality of jealousy, love and money in the big city.
Stimulating, amusing and highly arousing, Deceived is a romance that will excite and titillate your senses.
After her family was killed by a dark elf, mercenary Honora Butler’s purpose is the disposal of wicked faeries, elves, and other Unseelie beings, but she’ll find herself questioning her mission when she meets Brennan, a dark elf who doesn’t conform to what she believed his kind were like.
Brennan O’Niall doesn’t know what it is about Honora that makes him crave her, but he wants to find out. However, when she’s charged with the murder of a friend, he’ll have to discover the truth and decide just how much she means to him.
Excerpt:
Gritting her teeth, Honora Butler sneaked farther into the dark, snowy forest. Danger lurked within the shadows, and she would kill or be killed. Death didn’t intimidate her anymore. She knew it too well.
Everyone she’d loved had been taken from her.
Snow crunched beneath the soles of her knee-high leather boots. When she was young, the Mercenary Guild had taken her in. They’d seen her abilities and her determination. They’d trained her, given her a chance when she’d wanted only to die, and now she did what she bloody well could to make sure the dark beings of the Unseelie Court hurt no one else.
A horrified scream erupted ahead, beckoning her deeper into the forest. It had to have been caused by her prey. Picking up her pace, she pulled a throwing knife from its sheath. Her magic surged into the blade, filling it with power and making the metal white—hot.
The trees broke into a clearing. The cause of the cries stood in the dirt road. A woman cowered on the ground while a short, stocky man dressed in blood red with a matching hat sneered at her. He looked to be having far too good a time.
"I have a husband and kids. Please, don’t hurt me," the woman whimpered. "My master…he’ll—"
The Fear Dearg snorted and crossed his arms in front of him. He stared down his crooked nose at the terrified woman as if pondering what to do first.
Honora doubted the woman was in immediate danger. The Red Man mostly engaged in cruel pranks on those he sought, but that wouldn’t stop her from killing him. Her mission in life was to rid the world of malevolence.
She slid from the trees, taking one quiet step after another. "Na dean maggadh fum," she said. Those words, ‘do not mock me’, were the best chance she had to take him down without a problem.
The Fear Dearg jerked his gaze to Honora. His lips curled back into a snarl at the interruption. "So be it. Now go on. Get out of here. Can’t you see I’m busy?" He stared at her blankly, waiting. "What? You want my favour and prosperity? Wait for your turn."
Just like that, he returned his focus to the woman. He grabbed at her dress.
With a snap of her wrist, Honora sent the throwing knife sailing through the air. A wash of blood arced in a thick spray as the Fear Dearg collapsed, the knife lodged in his head.
Shrieking, the woman scurried backwards from the corpse. Her eyes were wide and horrified at the sight of the dead faerie. "What have you done?" she asked, glancing Honora’s way. Shaking her head, she picked up her large basket with foodstuffs that lay on its side. Most of the food had fallen out, but the woman didn’t bother gathering it. She took the basket, then ran off down the dirt road.
What had that been about?
Honora watched the woman until she disappeared around the curve of the path. She walked over to the dead Red Man then tugged her blade out of his skull. It came away easily, blood dripping off it in great crimson drops. She wiped it clean on his jacket before tucking the knife back in its sheath.
Her stomach rumbled. On the ground was an unsoiled loaf of bread from the woman’s fallen food. She stripped off her bloody gloves and crouched. She brushed off a few leaves then tore a piece from it and lifted it to her lips.
In the distance, she heard a faint noise like that of a large flock of birds beating their wings. That couldn’t be right. Birds weren’t typically active at night there. Yet the sound grew louder.
The sudden realisation of what it was punched her in the gut. She dropped the bread and raced after the woman. Honora needed to find the safety of shelter. She couldn’t be out here when the Sluagh—restless spirits of the dead—flew over. What they did was worse than death. They captured their victims’ souls.
Behind her, the cries became impossibly louder. She didn’t have much time at all. She had yet to spot any homes or places to hide and knew if she were spotted she would be connected with the murder of the Fear Dearg, and hunted. She wouldn’t be safe unless she found somewhere soon.
Chancing a look over her shoulder, she saw a horrible black mass darken the sky. Screams of their victims filled her ears then. They were close. She caught sight of an elegant manor off to the left.
About the Author:
Sarah Mäkelä lives in North Carolina with her husband and cats. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, computer and console games, and traveling all over the world. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, as well as the Heart of Carolina Romance Writers and the Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal chapters. Find her online at www.sarahmakela.com.
What do early readers have to say about WAIT FOR YOU?
“J. Lynn creates a wonderful cast of characters that will make you laugh, swoon, and cry. Cam stole my heart.” – Cora Carmack, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of LOSING IT
“For the love of all that is Cameron without a shirt on! Wait for You will have you laughing out loud, fanning yourself and anxiously waiting to know what will happen next.” – Molly McAdams, NYTimes and USA TODAY Bestselling Author of FROM ASHES and TAKING CHANCES
“I don't think I have ever read a NA Contemporary novel with as much depth as this one. It really moved me and by the end I was just speechless over how inspirational and uplifting it was as well as being sexy and cute and funny and emotional.” - K Books
“Wait For You is uniquely different from anything else J. Lynn's written but it might possibly be her best work yet.” – Jenuine Cupcakes
“For all of you in love with Aiden and Daemon, PREPARE YOURSELVES! Your heart will have to expand a little more for Cam.” Total Bookaholic
“For the love of all things CAM, this book deserves more than 5 stars.” – Mundie Moms
“I cannot even begin to explain how much I adored this perfectly crafted contemporary.” – Shortie Says
Excited? Ready to see the cover for WAIT FOR YOU?
Synopsis
Some things are worth waiting for…
Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.
Some things are worth experiencing…
Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.
Some things should never be kept quiet…
But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she’s has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?
J. Lynn, also known as Jennifer L. Armentrout, is the USA TODAY Bestselling author of the adult romance Gamble Brothers’ series, the young adult Lux Series and award winning Covenant Series. She pretty much writes everything—contemporary, paranormal, and fantasy. All of her books have one thing in common no matter the name or genre: kissing… and stuff. When she’s not busy writing, which is never, she’s usually hanging out with dog Loki, watching reruns of The Walking Dead, or procrastinating on the Internet. You can find out more about Jennifer by visiting the following websites:
In 1950s Australia, during the height of the divisive White Australia Policy, Virginia, a young Aboriginal girl is taken from her home and put to work on an isolated and harsh outback station. Her only solace: the violin, taught to her secretly by the kind-hearted wife of the abusive station owner. However, Virginia's prodigious musical gift cannot save her from years of hardship and racism.
Decades later, her eight year old granddaughter Ruby plays the violin with the passion Virginia once possessed. Amidst poverty, domestic violence and social dysfunction, Ruby escapes her circumstance through her practice with her grandmother's frail, guiding hand. Ruby’s zeal attracts the attention of an enigmatic music professor and with his help, she embarks on an incredible journey of musical discovery that will culminate in a rare opportunity. But with two cultural worlds colliding, her gift and her ambition will be threatened by deeply ingrained distrust, family jealousies and tragic secrets that will define her very identity.
My Review
5 of 5 Gifts
First I have to say that gifts is a book that is heart wrenching and lovely all at the same time. This is one of those rare books where you have to read it to enjoy it. It deals with racism and poverty amongst other things but at the heart of this story is a beautiful message of hope and perseverance. It is a story about never giving up what your heart wants and what your heart desires. The word Strength kept coming to mind when I was reading this book because the main character had a lot of strength and she kept going even when times got rough for her she kept at it and never gave up.
I was also surprised to see that in the 1950's Australia had racism. It never occurred to me that this would be the case but it was. The girls were removed from their families and sent to work as maids like slavery. It annoyed me because no one should be subjected to that kind of treatment but they were and it broke my heart. Then Dean brought it to modern day times where poverty and jealousy live. It is scary to think that someone would try and destroy another family members dream.
I have to say that this book is absolutely brilliant! It is one of those reads that captures you right from the first page and keeps you going until the end never wanting to stop reading in fear that you might miss something. Thank you Dean for allowing me to read your book and sharing a world with me that I never knew existed.
Dean Mayes has established himself as an author of great passion and literary style since the publication of his debut novel The Hambledown Dream in 2010 and has since gone on to grow his following even more with his latest release Gifts of the Peramangk - all while holding down a very busy day job involving a stethoscope. Dean lives in Adelaide, Australia with his partner Emily and his two children.
The Hambledown Dream, a lyrical and moving paranormal romance, is his first novel. His second novel "Gifts Of The Peramangk" was released in October 2012.
He writes regularly for a loyal following at his blog Dean from Australia.
A deadly and currently incurable disease has been released as the result of an unknown experiment that went awry. Dubbed 'Lycanthropy' by the media due to its similarity to the horror movie genre depiction about werewolves, anyone infected begins to change, and every night of the full moon the 'beast' within is released. Within one year, lycanthropy spread throughout Europe, Asia and has now infected the USA. In an attempt to control and treat the outbreak, concerned governments have begun creating camps to contain those who are infected and to help find a cure. Despite rumors comparing these camps to the concentration camps of almost 70 years ago, the US government maintains these camps have the best interests of the public and the residents at heart. Expectations for a cure in the next year remain high.
Ryan Zachery lived his life the way all high school teenagers should - carefree, and oblivious to anything around him. He had an attractive girlfriend and hope for the future. One night when he was walking home he was attacked by an unknown assailer. He awoke in the hospital to learn he had been infected by lycanthropy, a disease he had heard about but had ignored.
Taken by armed guards and dragged away from his parents who did not understand what was happening, Ryan was thrown into a US camp made for those 'suffering' from lycanthropy. Treated like prisoners, he and other lycanthropes were abused by the guards and by their own kind. Scientists regularly performed experiments that promised to treat the disease, yet only caused pain. If Ryan or any of the other roommates acted up or demanded answers, they were thrown into solitary, nicknamed the 'dungeon', and ignored until they became docile once more.
But at the night of the full moon, the beast within him is freed. The beast hates the prison and Ryan. When an experimental procedure allows the beast and Ryan to communicate, the two enemies become unlikely allies who will stop at nothing to tear down the walls keeping them prisoner. With the beast's help, Ryan learns how to change at will. When even his own kind begin to fear him, he creates a plan to release all lycanthropes. They caged the beast, but now he will show them that he will never be dehumanized.
My Review
5 of 5 Dehumanized
Dehumanized is one of those stories that captures you right from the start and keeps you on the edge of your seat wanting no needing more and more. I love stories that have Lycanthropy in them. I love me some werewolf stories. This one is particularly different in how the story unfolds and what happens to the main character and how he grows and makes decisions for him as well as the others around him.
Ryan is just your average 19 year old guy living his life and minding his business. He hangs out with his friends until one night he is attacked and bitten by a lycanthrope and is turned into a werewolf. His world is turned upside down and he is taken from his family and friends and brought to the government compound where he will live. At the compound he is subjected to testing and other things. He is in a room with Fred but he does not really talk to him because Fred does not know how speak English.
One thing Ryan can count on is that the government wants to see why and how the Lycanthrope are the way they are. With this Ryan finds himself trying to stay away from people and stay out of trouble but he finds himself in the Dungeon which is like a jail cell where they are placed naked and only given a bucket to relieve themselves.
Ryan will soon get a new roommate name Anna and she will be a game changer for him. She will give him the one thing he has given up on and that is hope. On one of his testing days he is given something and he is able to change on will. The government wants to know how he can do that and why he is able to change himself at will. But all Ryan wants to do is escape from that horrible place. Will he escape? Who will he take with him? What will happen when the government finds out? This is a must read story!
About the Author:
Michael Loring was born in Bristol, Connecticut, but has lived in a variety of places such as Florida and Tennessee. He likes to think of himself as an amateur Lycanthropologist, studying werewolves ever since he was eight years old when he first saw An American Werewolf In London. He spent most of his life switching between home school and public school, always focusing on his passion of writing no matter what. His interest in writing was sparked in the second grade when his teacher encouraged him to write short stories for the class, earning him more than one award at school assemblies for Creative Writing. He currently resides back in his birthplace of Connecticut with a house full of women who like to drive him up the wall until he finishes his chores. Though they seem to avoid him during the night of the full moon for some unexplainable reason…
“On the Rocks” is the hottest club on South Padre Island, and Meghan’s new workplace.
If the warped mermaid uniform isn’t enough, the fact that she can’t stop thinking about the club’s singer, Zenzie, is. Everything about the female gets Meghan hot, but when she finally gets her shot with the temptress, it turns out Zenzie isn’t as perfect, or as human, as Meghan thought.
My Review
5 of 5 Erotica
******* THIS BOOK IS FOR ADULTS ONLY*******
THIS IS A SHORT EROTICA STORY WITH FEMALE ON FEMALE.
There isn't really anything to say other than it is a short novella and it grips you right from the beginning and keeps you reading to the end. Yes it is two women but it is beautifully written and if you enjoy short erotica novellas this one is for you!
Meghan starts her new job On The Rocks and she is soon captivated by the singer Zenzie. She wants her and what she gets from Zenzie is more than she bargained for!
Excerpt:
Her warm breath skated down my neck causing a shiver to curl around my spine. She straightened then slid her hands through my hair. My eyelids fluttered at the feel of her fingertips stroking over my temples and along my hairline.
“I saw you watching us.”
I stared at her. “Excuse me?”
“Do you like watching?” She retrieved a few items from the vanity table, twisted two sections of my hair, and pushed the hair clips into place. “It’s all right. You can tell me, Meghan.”
My body tightened at the husky way she said my name. The knot between my legs pulsed under her piercing stare. I had no idea how, or even why she managed to get under my skin, but God, I wanted her.
“I’m not a pervert or anything.”
“I know you’re not.” She slid a chain of small red flowers into the black mass of my hair.
“I just heard a noise. I guess my curiosity got the best of me.” I shifted on my seat. “I’m sorry—”
“Don’t be. I liked you watching.”
My nails dug into my knees as her hands moved down my throat. Her skin like satin—her touch, soft. She ran her fingertips over the top of my breasts.
“I would have asked you to join us, if you hadn’t run.” Her gaze caught mine again while she slid her hand inside my skin-tone bra. “Will you run now, or will you do what we both know you want to do?”
About the Author:
Elizabeth started life wanting to be an actress because she loved entertaining people. She enjoyed nothing more than being able to make people laugh and to help distract them from reality for a few hours.
She studied Musical Theatre in college, but during her second year, her mind started to overflow with story ideas, so she began writing plays. Slowly, over the following three years, she was writing more and more, channeling every ounce of her imagination into the written word.
Now here she is, years later, hiding away like a hermit in her little cottage in Cheshire, England, writing like crazy and loving every minute of it.
For more information about Decadent Publishing authors, books, and their submissions guidelines, visit www.decadentpublishing.com. Decadent Publishing is current accepting submissions in all sub-genres of romance, including their ongoing series'.
Ever since the one time Andie Weber threw caution to the wind - and paid the price for it - she’s learned that it’s safer and smarter to live life playing by the rules. Now she’s got a great apartment, a steady job, and a wonderful boyfriend in Colin; he’s sweet, stable, and essentially perfect – except maybe for the fact that his best friend is Chase.
Chase McGuire lives his carefree, unstructured life strictly for himself. Dripping sarcasm and oozing wit, he refuses to censor his feelings or opinions for anyone, making no apologies for either and wearing his abrasiveness like a badge of honor. No one has ever gotten under Andie’s skin the way Chase does – and vice versa.
So when Andie and Chase find themselves forced to take a two-day road trip together, they are already dreading an inevitable all-out war. But as the trip progresses, and the undeniable friction that has always defined their relationship slowly begins to wear away their preconceived notions of each other, Andie and Chase discover they both have a lot to learn about life, courage, happiness, and the age-old battle between logic and love.
Priscilla Glenn lives in New York with her husband and three children. She has been teaching English Language Arts at the middle and high school levels for the past eleven years while moonlighting as a writer, mommy, coach, student, and professional laundry-doer.
If you catch her when she's feeling sophisticated, she'll tell you her favorite things are great books and good wine. In the moments in between, she'll admit her love for anything Ben and Jerry's, UFC fights, and Robert Pattinson.
Glenn is also the author of the contemporary romance/YA crossover BACK TO YOU.
He's one person throughout life you think about every so often, the one who leaves his unique indelible mark on you, the person with whom you need closure.
For Margaret Collins that person was Mike Taylor.
After he broke her heart seventeen years ago, she left everything she knew and reinvented herself. With a new home, a new look and a new name, Riley Williams is now an up and coming journalist given the assignment to interview a Mike Taylor. She never suspected he would be her Mike Taylor.
With Mike having no hint of Riley's true identity, she must decide if she will make him pay for sins he doesn't remember committing, or if she can wipe away the past and be with the one man who she has always wanted?
Can she finally have closure?
Excerpt 2
There’s always that one guy. Riley watched her date and shook her head.
"Stay there, I'll get the door." Mike got out of the car.
The cellophane on the roses Mike gave her when he arrived at her apartment crinkled in complaint as she moved them to the back seat, but not before she breathed in one more time. The floral perfume combined with his cologne made her dizzy, or maybe it was the ride down Pacific Coat Highway to Malibu.
Yes, there was always that one guy, the one that every other man is measured against. Up until yesterday she hadn’t thought about Mike in years, but he was always there. His imprint was all over her, a fingerprint unique to only her. How many men had to live up to memories they couldn’t compete with?
Part of her wished she possessed the strength to turn him down. Part of her wished he hadn't shown, or cancelled. Part of her wanted this date to reclaim what she lost so long ago she forgot she missed it.
The moment she got in the car with him, she became the seventeen-year-old
Margaret again. Only her former self never got this far. At the time she convinced herself it was better, the date would have been terrible, he was too goal oriented, and he only wanted what he perceived as an easy lay.
He took long strides around the car, opened the door on her side and held out his hand.
"Riley."
Now she was Riley. Margaret was gone. Riley had hidden her away with a name change taken from her parents' middle names, a bottle of hair dye, and a move to a new state.
She paused, studying him. Tonight he wore a pair of black pants and matching blazer and dark blue button down. As always, he fit his situation perfectly. She acquiesced and put her hand in his.
Author Bio:
Kim Carmichael began writing eight years ago when her need for graphic sex scenes and love of happy endings inspired her to create her own. She has a weakness for bad boys and techno geeks, and married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep her all her gadgets running. When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices.
His mouth went dry. Her pale skin glowed against all the black.
She rolled up the shirt and put it in her handbag. "What are you waiting for?"
He cleared his throat and pushed the button.
The elevator doors closed. If she wouldn't allow him to know where they were going, he would make headway in another direction. He stepped back and slid his arm around her waist.
She settled against him.
Her position gave him the perfect opportunity to take in the top of her breasts.
They wanted to overflow out the lingerie disguised as a dress. The corset contoured to her curves, accentuating what was already magnificent. He dared to snake his hand up.
"You look troubled." She moved her hair out of her face.
"You look beautiful."
"Are you sure it's not too much?" A bit of pink stained her pale cheeks.
He let his gaze travel from her face to her neck decorated with a black lace choker, and back to her cleavage. He was never going to make through tonight without having her.
"It's not too much." He took a chance and moved his hand to the edge of her breast. Even with the restrictive garment, her flesh changed, soft, welcoming, enticing.
She arched her back toward him. "So, you like what you see?"
Less than ten minutes ago this woman wouldn't kiss him. He wanted to grab her, take her hand and press it to himself and show her exactly how much he liked what he saw.
"I can think of nothing better."
"Are you ready for some surprises?" She reached up to fix his collar.
His life had turned into nothing but twists and turns ever since she asked her first interview question.
The end of Maine Guardsman Sgt. Thomas
Kennedy’s conscious life is ushered in by a flash of light on a plain in
Afghanistan. While he languishes in a veterans’ hospital, Thomas’s devoted
wife, Margaret, is raising their son on a dairy farm in rural Maine. She
receives an invitation to Washington, DC, to meet the President of the United
States as he signs a bill in support of wounded veterans with war veteran and
West Point graduate Charlie King as her appointed escort. Charlie and
Margaret’s shared circumstances inspire them to confide in one another.
Suddenly, the pair creates a private world all their own, leaving the effects
of war behind them. Margaret’s vows to
her husband linger, raising a series of harrowing choice.
My Review
5 of 5 Margaret From Maine
Margaret From Maine is a heart and gut wrenching story about what happens to the loved ones left when their spouse goes to war. I laughed and I cried reading this book because I remember waiting by the door waiting to hear the bad news every time someone died over seas. Someone close to me served two tours in the gulf war and Afghanistan and every time I saw the state car I would panic thinking the worst. So while I was reading this I could feel every thing Margaret felt.
Margaret loves her life in rural Maine with her son. Her husband is off in the war and gets injured and leaves Margaret to raise their son alone in Maine. At first she is weary but she does like most wives do and they pick up right where they left off. Then the President passes a bill that helps Veterans and their families who have been injured in war. Margaret is invited to the Capitol to hear the president talk about the bill and the benefits the veteran will receive.
It is upon this invitation that a young handsome Foreign Service Officer decides he is going to escort her to Washington. Charlie King decides he will escort Margaret so she does not have to go to the Capitol all by herself. It is on this road trip that Margaret and Charlie fall in love. Margaret is torn because her husband is not dead just in a coma and she knows he will never wake up. She wants to be happy because she has fallen in love with Charlie but she is loyal to her marriage vows and she has her son to think about. This story is so hauntingly heart breaking because Margaret must chose to live her life in happiness of continue to live a shell of a life. What will Margaret chose?
This is a must read for all those who love a great love story!
About the Author:
Joseph Monninger is the author of Eternal on the Water and TheWorld as We Know It, as well as several award-winning young-adult novels. A professor of English literature, he lives in New Hampshire. Visit him online at http://joemonninger.com
I feel swimmy, high, adrenaline on full tilt, though I haven’t consumed a drop of alcohol. “We need to subdue him first,” I hear myself say. “Can’t just slap a hand on his face and hope it knocks him out.”
Marly nods, though she is too encumbered to move quickly, and me—there’s no guarantee of what I can do.
“I have pepper spray,” she fidgets with her purse as though she’s about to withdraw it. “And it’s not like we have to break in, Grace. He’ll let us in, when he sees it’s me. Think I’m coming to talk.”
“Okay, then,” I say, before I lose my nerve. And we get in her car and drive.
We park and walk four residential blocks. The streets are lit by yellow halogen lamps, but there’s also a nearly-full moon. Its bold light makes me feel bolstered, sanctioned. Marly points to his condo, one square box among many in a beige world of homogenous residences.
“This could have been my life,” Marly whispers, her face a portrait of disgust. “I should be in that kitchen right now making dinner, then go spread my legs for him. I can’t believe he thought he could get away with what he did to me.”
The guilt surges through me again. If only I hadn’t healed away the evidence. But we didn’t know. Nobody could have known.
“Let’s do it soon, before I chicken out.” My palms have begun to ache with heat.
“Damn straight,” she agrees, and the toss of her hair is so familiar it’s like we’re fifteen again.
Simultaneously, we take a deep breath.
Marly repeats her lines, “I’ll say we’re here to talk—that I brought you as my friend and witness. That will put him on his best behavior. And you?”
I choke a little on my own saliva, cough, and answer, “I’ll ask for a glass of water, say I got too much sun today. He’ll take one look at me and have a hard time refusing, right?”
Marly pats her purse. “Let’s go.” She’s always one step ahead of me.
Forged in Grace by Jordan E. Rosenfeld
Publication date: February, 2013
Genre: Psychological Suspense (Adult w/ YA and NA crossover appeal)
Grace Jensen survived a horrific fire at age 15. The flames changed her: badly scarred in body and mind, Grace developed an ability to feel other people’s pain. Unable to bear human touch, she has made a small life for herself in Northern California, living with her hoarder mother, tending wounded animals, and falling a little in love with her former doctor. Her safe world explodes when the magnetic Marly Kennet reappears in town; Grace falls right back into the dynamic of their complicated friendship. Marly is the holder of many secrets, including one that has haunted Grace for over a decade: what really happened the night of the fire?
When Marly exhorts Grace to join her in Las Vegas, to make up for the years they have been lost to each other, Grace takes a leap of faith and goes. Although Marly is not entirely honest about her intentions, neither woman anticipates that enlarging Grace’s world will magnify her ability to sense the suffering of others—or that she will begin to heal wounds by swallowing her own pain and laying her hands on the afflicted.
This gift soon turns darker when the truth of Marly’s life—and the real reason she ended her friendship with Grace—pushes the boundaries of loyalty and exposes both women to danger.
When I first began writing FORGED IN GRACE, or rather, when the character of Marly whispered in my ear while I stoked a fire in a little cabin overlooking a wild river, I knew right away this would be a story about female friends. I didn’t know it would be a dark exploration, but when all was said and done, I continue to think of this novel as a “dark love story of friendship.” That is to say, it’s a story that celebrates the powerful bonds that young girls forge with one another as they act as surrogates to each other for the mature relationships that will come down the road.
I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of friends in my life, but as a girl, I only had one best friend, Sacha. The tried-and-true bestie who was part sister, part romantic stand-in, part keeper of secrets. She could make me feel good or break my heart all in the same day. She was an athlete to my bookworm, daring and brave where I was timid. She came from a loud family with brothers and two European parents. I was a latch-key kid from a “broken” home with two hippie parents.
Like Grace does Marly in the novel, I adored and was slightly in awe of Sacha. She bounced back from sleights while I wilted. She took the world head on, while I crept at it from the shadows. We fought, sometimes for days, but always came back together. Not until high school—though Sacha was a year older than I was—did a wedge come between us, and that wedge was, natch, another girl, named Shawna. A prettier, more sophisticated, worldly girl than me who didn’t use “too big” words and needed to wear a bra. Quickly I became replaced. It was a theme that would repeat in my life as part of the messy geometry of friendship. A theme that seems to happen to so many girls, teaching the painful lesson of jealousy and self-esteem, of loyalty and betrayal.
In FORGED IN GRACE, Grace has an unhealthy bond with the bold, beautiful Marly. Grace wants what Marly seems to have. And yet Marly is all pretense and façade. Her external world hides the darkness she keeps tucked away. What Grace thinks she wants, Marly may not actually have, and vice versa. And it’s up to Grace to realize her own talents and power in order to come to see the friendship for what it was, and is. A lesson many girls can use.
Many of my favorite books and movies about dark female friendships touch upon an overt or indirect sexuality between the girls. As an adult I can see now that most of these friendships are not, explicitly, sexual—barring those that really are, of course, and that’s not what I’m talking about in this piece—but rather girls, with their fluid and often early developed emotional lives, need to start exercising these feelings before the boys get around to it. They test them on each other, for better or worse. They project things onto one another that will someday be meant for their mates. In the best of scenarios, they forge life-long friendships; in others, jealousy and competition draw them apart.
As an adult, lucky to have a circle of dear, trusted women friends with whom I can talk honestly and show my dark and messy sides, I now look back on the friends of my youth with a clearer eye. It was my girlfriends upon whom I first tested the strategies of what would someday become my grown-up relationships at slumber parties where we whispered to the night sky our deepest desires and fears. Like Grace, those early friendships are important artifacts that reveal precious information to me about myself.
AUTHOR BIO
Jordan E. Rosenfeld learned early on that people prefer a storyteller to a know-it-all. She channeled any Hermione-esque tendencies into a career as a writing coach, editor and freelance journalist and saves the Tall Tales for her novels. She earned her MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars and is the author of the books, Make A Scene: Crafting a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time (Writer’s Digest Books) and Write Free! Attracting the Creative Life with Rebecca Lawton (BeijaFlor Books). Jordan’s essays and articles have appeared in such publications asAlterNet.org, Publisher’s Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle, The St. Petersburg Times, The Writer and Writer’s Digest magazine. Her book commentaries have appeared on The California Report, a news-magazine produced by NPR-affiliate KQED radio. She lives in Northern California with her Batman-obsessed son and Psychologist husband. www.jordanrosenfeld.net
Interview Questions for Jordan E. Rosenfeld about her novel FORGED IN GRACE (i.v. ink, 2013)
Q: You lean towards the dark and moody. Ever think of writing a comedy?
Yes, all the time. My personality actually leans toward the comic. Yet me trying to write comedy is like Jack Black doing serious movies. Doesn't work so well.
Q: Your novel portrays a bond between girls that is less than healthy. Why?
It's not that I believe all female friendships are negative, it's that the unhealthy ones leave more to scour for a novel, and most of us have a few scars from those early friendships as we tested out our future relationship strategies upon each other.
Q: You have an erratic writing process, care to share?
Yes, I write this elaborate outline, sketching out the characters and their problems, and then proceed to completely depart from it. Somehow I take comfort in an outline, no matter that I rarely stick to it. I need to pretend I know where I'm going.
Q: After "finishing" a version of this novel once titled "Little Alien"--you then hired an editor, and gutted some 375 pages down to a mere 119, before writing your way back to its current state. Why put yourself through this torture?
The novel just wasn't working. It was masking its flaws under fancy plot twists and implausible characters. Because of its partial Las Vegas setting, I thought I could get away with some big flights of fancy. Ultimately I came to see that it's a novel about two girls/women and their personal secrets/power. Coming back to that focus allowed me to access the real story I wanted to tell.
Q: Let's just get this out of the way: Your character heals people. So is it magic, or is it the Memorex (sorry, 80s throwback!): Sigh. I guess that's a question each reader has to answer for herself. There are real cases of people healing others, and an entire industry that professes to be able to do so now--is acupuncture, Reiki, therapeutic touch and more, magic?
On the one hand, I think you can take the healing gift as a metaphor; on the other, you can choose to see it as real. What's most important is how the "healing" works in Grace and what it does for her story.
Q: You were raised in Northern California by hippies. How did that influence your work?
My parents were New Yorkers drawn to the wild, free spirit of California in the early 70s, raised on a healthy diet of 60s civil rights activism. Their best friends were astrologers, artists, Reiki practitioners and massage therapists among other things (Yes, I speak New Age). I think that my upbringing left me open at the edges. I wasn't raised in a religion, so there was a lot of seeking and exploration without anyone telling me if I was doing it right or wrong. While that may also come with its own set of problems, it left me interested in that edge of life that we can't fully explain, which turns up in all of my writing: healing powers, prophetic dreams, the creative spark that exists in artists... And I was an avid reader, and an only child until I was 14, which may have had more to do with my writing aesthetic than anything.
Q: What's the question you least like answering, and why?
Easy: "Do your characters come from people you know?" It's a valid question, but the artiste in me laughs because I never consciously set out to model my characters after anyone--they come out of me as themselves, like children, and any resemblance to living people will be denied.
Q: Give a writer some advice, will ya?
Say yes to all opportunities, creative and literal, unless they ask you to send your bank account to a foreigner living abroad.
Q: Is there a piece of advice you'd wish you'd known sooner?
Not really--writing is one of those crafts where it's better not to know the work ahead of you before you set out.
Q: Whose career do you covet?
Joyce Carol Oates, Jodi Picoult... I think of myself as their love child, with a little Alice Hoffman thrown in.
Q: What is the biggest leap of faith you’ve ever taken and how did it turn out?
JR: I was going to say quitting my job to work for myself as a freelance writer over ten years ago, which worked out fabulously, but as I sit here thinking about it, the greater leap of faith was having my son. I was 33 when I got pregnant, and my husband and I had been together already for 12 years--that’s a long time to get extremely settled in a lifestyle. My son’s birth rocked everything, changed me, and did that strange thing where your heart busts out of your chest and lives on your forehead forever after, where it is no longer safe from sappy commercials, stories about kidnappings, or light jazz. Now, he’s four and a half and I sort of feel like I’m getting used to this motherhood gig.
Q: : Grace can heal others but not herself – something I think a lot of people can relate to in a metaphorical sense. Why do we have such a hard time letting go of our own struggles and hurts even as we encourage others to do so?
JR: Yes, you’ve tapped into one of the major themes of this novel. One of the things Grace and I share in common is what I’ve come to call “extreme empathy”--sometimes I identify so strongly with the pain of others that I can’t figure out where my own begins/ends. I think it’s difficult to let go of our own struggles because they’re adaptive, they were our coping mechanisms as children and as adults we still get something out of them. Until we learn new strategies, we’re screwed.
Q: If you could steal another author’s muse, whose would you take?
JR: Joyce Carol Oates’! That woman is prolific and takes on all manner of dark, complex and interesting subjects that appeal to me. When she retires, she can fed-ex her muse to me.
Q: How much of your personality traits do you put in your characters when you write? Do you put yourself in them at all?
There is no conscious effort to imbue my characters with me, but like any child, they carry facets of me, or they hold opinions/feelings of mine, though I try really hard to make sure they are behaving in ways that are true to THEIR characters, not mine. Others who know me will always read into my characters more than is probably ever intended.
Q: Tapping into what SN said about letting go of struggles and and hurts, how important do you think healing is for a persons emotional growth and interaction with the world? Can a person offer emotional help/support if they are not healed themselves?
Well, to sound somewhat pompously metaphysial, II think that’s sort of the point--to start out unfinished, “broken” even, messy, unformed and journey toward wholeness and healing. We heal in many different ways, and I have had some pretty inexplicable and life-altering healing experiences, as well as some normal, mundane ones. I think anything that helps us really be alive with all of our senses and appreciate that life, is a form of healing. I think that yes you don’t have to be some bastion of perfect health to be available to others; some very wounded people have insight and wisdom to share. But, I’d prefer to be as “healed” or “whole” as is possible, yes. I like to feel good, to feel happy.
Q: You are an original founder of indie-visible. How did the idea to form a writing collective of indie authors occur and grow to where it is now?
It was born out of a literary loneliness coupled with dissatisfaction with mainstream publishing, which seems to be growing ever narrower. Since moving to a new town nearly seven years ago I lost my huge in-person literary community. I felt amputated, and I’ve learned that I’m someone who needs to be part of something creative and collaborative to feel happy. I had met Chelsea Starling through a student of mine, we quickly became friends, and when I was discussing these things with her, it became clear we had two similar visions that needed marrying. Where it is now is a result of the passion of some highly creative, amazing people. And frankly where i.v. is now is just the beginning of an exciting new stage yet to come!
Q: You’re very physically active - do you think there is a link between a fit body and a fit mind?
JR: Well for me there’s a link between MOOD and body. I’m a MUCH nicer person when I exercise--and I definitely notice my mind gets clearer and burdens slough away when I go exercise, especially if I’m stressed. What is “fit” for one person is different for another. I take classes with marathon runners, and 80 year old women! I began exercising as a harried, exhausted, unfit mother when my son was 2. I had not slept a full night or exercised much in two years! I did it to start feeling better mentally. I can’t ever set the goal of “become fit” or “lose weight” because those goals have implicit self-judgment in them; instead, when exercise was making my mind and heart feel noticeably better, and I had fun in these dance classes, iit was the beginning of an addiction.
Q: When someone asks to hear about what you’re writing, what do you say?
JR: I think I am guilty of the heavy sigh or groan. I only like talking about my writing when I know I’m not boring someone, which is hard to know.
Q: An early title of this novel was Little Alien, referring to Grace’s sense of being different and possibly even invoking her shame about her appearance. What led you to change the title?
I think in earlier drafts, as I was getting to know Grace I was exploring her through the lens of her alienation, her isolation because I couldn’t yet understand what being a burn survivor was like (indeed, I called her a burn “victim” then). But after talking with some burn survivors, and eventually casting off some superfluous and unnecessary fanciful plot twists, in the last big revision I came to see that there was far more material to probe in her coming back to the world, in the dark landscape of her friendship with her wild friend, and in actively connecting with people; so Little Alien no longer felt right. This is a book about Grace coming into her right to be alive, her power.
Q: Did anyone in your life in particular inspire your characterization of Grace’s mother?
I think Grace’s hoarding Ma is a personification of my own cluttered mind! But really, I’m fascinated by hoarding because a part of me understands it and has minor tendencies of my own toward holding on for emotional reasons, and not “seeing” what others would call a disaster around me. And as I’m married to a psychologist I get to have lots of interesting conversations with a professional. Most important, for the story I wanted Grace to experience, on every level possible, an emergence from the small, the cramped, and the dark--her mother being a hoarder made so much sense for the story as I revised it.
Q: You’ve written several novels. What moved this one to the top of your queue for publication?
In many ways this book felt like it was the closest to “done”--which turned out to be quite a joke played by my ego, as I wound up putting more work into this novel than any of the other 8 I’ve written. And of those 8 novels, all but two will likely remain shelved. They are my “miles of canvas” as an artist once told me about her process to getting a good painting done.
Title: Captivated 
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