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The Reality, Mythology and Fantasies of Unicorns

9/30/2021

About the Book

Title: The Reality, Mythology and Fantasies of Unicorns

Author: W.B.J. Williams

Genre: Historical

The Hunt for a Unicorn.

The belief in unicorns as magical creatures is one that is rooted deeply in human history. They are featured in myths, legends, and folk tales from multiple cultures across the globe. In this volume, W.B.J. Williams, the author of the historical unicorn-themed fantasy "The Garden at the Roof of the World", takes us on a journey through time to the dawn of civilization, for a fascinating take on the unicorn and its origins. Step into the worlds of magic, science, mythology, and the arts on your very own hunt for a unicorn.

Author Bio

W. B. J. Williams holds advanced degrees in anthropology and archeology. He is an avid historian, mystic, poet, and author who manages an information security program at a prominent New England start-up. He is noted for his bad puns, and willingness to argue from any perspective. He is endured by his beloved wife and two daughters, and lives in Sharon Massachusetts. When he is not at home or at his computer, he can often be found haunting the various used bookstores of Boston.

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The Captain's Kidnapped Bride

9/30/2021

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The Captain’s Kidnapped Bride debuts October 1 at the discount price of 99c on Kindle (regular price $7.99)

About the Book

Title: The Captain’s Kidnapped Bride Author: Abby Rice Genre: Historical Romance The last thing Hetty Pritchard ever wanted was a husband. Until a joke-gone-wrong lands her aboard an unfamiliar schooner headed for Jamaica -- with the Captain himself snoring in the bunk beside her. Now a ruined woman, Hetty has no choice but to accept the grouchy mariner’s reluctant solution: a temporary fake “marriage.” Purely for show, of course. And if navigating a ship-full of men, pulling off a fake relationship with a total stranger, and making her way back home weren’t troubles enough? Add in troubling wisps of ‘second sight.’ And an unexpected simmering attraction to her new, fake husband. A stand-alone sweet historical with touches of the paranormal, and a heart-tugging HEA ending.

Author Bio

Adventure really ought to be my middle name. I’ve ridden cross-country on a motorcycle; crewed on a real-life square-rigged ship; built and rehabbed houses/apartments; and helped seek justice for crime victims as a District Attorney. Nonfiction is where I cut my writing teeth, in over 200 magazine stories. (As you probably guessed, natural health was one of my fave topics!) That led me into books. Take a peek at those and my rollicking history blog on www.Clairitage.com. These days when I’m not dreaming up new stories about heroines, health, or history, I’m lending a hand to my garden-crazy husband, or scanning 1860s newspapers for bits of forgotten gossip. Hope you’ll give Abby Rice a quick ‘like’ on Facebook! And follow me on Goodreads (under my non-pen name, Karen Dustman). I love hearing from readers! If you’d like to connect, drop me an email at: AbbyRiceRomance@gmail.com

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Unveiled

9/30/2021

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Unveiled
Celsi Leigh
Publication date: May 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary

“That B****, Who Has it All!” The fans have spoken and Malika Samuels has been crowned the “IT” girl. To the world, she is fabulous, a well-known social media influencer and the wife of a five-time championship winning professional basketball player. To the streets, she is a crafty chick from the Bronx that made it out of the hood and to the top. Malika’s life is elite, filled with luxury, fame, success, fashion, popularity, and riches. She has everything a woman could ever dream of….

Or is it all a facade?

Under the veil, Malika Samuels is a confused woman living through her trauma. It appears that Malika is living a dream life, but in reality what appears to be a dream is Malika’s nightmare. Her life is a facade, pretending for the sake of keeping up appearances. Fed-up with the illusion of her life, Malika is now ready to live in her truth, the good, the bad, and the ugly. Unveiled takes readers on a journey of love, passion, drama, abuse, crime, and power. Malika uncovers the veil of the facade; underneath the wealth, fame, and glamour lies the ugly truth that the perfect life is not so perfect after all. There is a high price to pay to be “That B****, Who Has it All”…

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EXCERPT:

April 25, 1988 – Kingston (Standpipe), Jamaica

While people were lining up to see Coming to America, N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton was hitting the charts, and Hurricane Gilbert was ravaging the small island of Jamaica, my life was just beginning.

“I told your mother not to have a baby by the fucking devil himself and yet she had you.” Aunt Dedra often said to me.

In some sick twisted way, it would appear that I am the spawn of Satan, also known as Trevor Tanners.

My mother, Mallory Hines, died moments after I was born like so many other black women. I was raised in a single father household with my father who wished that I had died alongside my mother. Mallory was gorgeous and strong-willed. She had to be strong-willed, in order to put up with my father. Trevor was such a fucked-up individual that it was inevitable that he would fuck my life up or traumatize me in some way. Mallory suffered from high blood pressure and word on the street was that Trevor’s heavy hand contributed to her untimely death.

I was the curse that killed my own fucking mother. A murderer.
“A murdering evil bitch that should have died instead.” Trevor often called me.

Shit, he was not the only one who called me that. There were a few of my mother’s family members who also felt that way.

“One likkle evil pickney!” They would say in Patois, the traditional Jamaican dialect.

I received all of this for being alive, all for breathing. I hadn’t asked for any of this, yet they treated me like I had control over it all. I never understood why, I never asked to be brought into this world. I guess that is why I blamed myself on so many occasions when I was being physically abused by an alcoholic son of a bitch. I reasoned that I deserved to be abused because of the murderer that I was.

My life in Jamaica was short-lived as I was only raised there for a short period of time; until I was four years old to be exact. Trevor Tanners and I moved to the Bronx, New York City in 1992. Growing up with Trevor was traumatizing; the type of shit that leaves you with post-traumatic stress disorder and all types of daddy issues that result in years of needed therapy. The problems that members in the black community like to pretend do not exist but currently are ruining so much of our youth. I can show you better than I can tell you.

*****

“Lika, come here!” Trevor yelled, slurring his words through his heavy Jamaican accent. “Yes, Dad.” I responded, exhaling as I hopped down from my twin bed.

At the young age of thirteen years old I had the attitude of a teenager and the responsible mindset of a young woman that was in her twenties. I did not have the luxury of having a childhood, my life circumstances required me to grow up quickly.

I sashayed down the stairs and into the kitchen to see what Trevor could possibly want from me because he always wanted something. Trevor seemed to think that I was much more of a maid to him and his whores than his daughter. The high ponytail that I wore complimented my round face, large beautiful green doe eyes, caramel complexion, full lips, perfectly arched eyebrows, dimples, and long eyelashes.

Trevor sat before the round wooden table, in a dining room chair that was covered in plastic with green upholstery. The kitchen was painted forest green with brown wooden cabinets and green marble granite counter tops. I hated everything about this home, especially the kitchen that I spent way too much time in.

Trevor sat looking how he usually did, drunk out of his mind. A blue dad cap sat lopsided atop his bald head. His oversized white wife beater was dingy with brown food stains and a large hole, accompanied by ill-fitted baggy light denim jeans. A roach sat, relaxing, on his shoulder.

My green eyes rolled to the ceiling in disgust. I shook my head as I walked into the kitchen; I was instantly repulsed every time that I saw Trevor’s face. He was a slim dark-skinned man with a salt and pepper untamed beard and bad acne, the kind that left craters in his face. Thank God for Mallory’s beauty because Trevor was a hideous man, at least he was nowadays. Old photos told me that he was once quite attractive. Years of not taking care of himself had finally caught up to Trevor.

June 19, 2001 – The Bronx, New York City

Trevor sat slumped in the chair, trying to formulate his slurred words. A bottle of clear Jamaican rum sat rested on the table, in between his tight grip.

“Yuh nuh, see wah time it is?” He questioned, slurring his words.

In true Trevor fashion, everything was a question where the magical answer would somehow result in an ass whooping for me.

Of course, he had his rum for breakfast. I thought, walking past him and over to the fridge. It was now time for breakfast and instead of Trevor, the father, making me, the daughter, something to eat, it was my responsibility to feed him. Since nine years old I had been making my own meals and his too. There were rare occasions when Trevor was sober enough to act like a parent. Sometimes, one of his concubines that were desperate for a man would come around and cook but those days never lasted too long because soon enough they realized they were not that fucking desperate after all, they’d rather be single.

“Likkle murdering bitch, yuh nuh hear me a chat to yuh!” Trevor barked, spit flying from his mouth as he pointed his finger at me.

Trevor stumbled to get out of his seat, falling back into it as soon as he lifted himself from the chair. Here we go. I thought, emerging from the white refrigerator with four eggs and six sausages.

“Aye, bring your ass over here! Look so much like your fucking mother why she neva tek yuh wid her!” Trevor continued; his cruel words were routine.

I had heard the words so many times that they no longer hurt my feelings. My childhood was a prison sentence, and I was counting down the days until I could be free.

Suddenly, as I was placing the eggs and sausages on the counter, like lightning Trevor flew from his seat. He snuck up on me from behind, grabbed me by the neck and lifted me in the air directly in front of the countertop, choking me with his right hand.

Crack! The egg that I had in my hand hit the ground as my little fingers clawed at his hands.

“I should kill you! You disrespectful likkle light-skinned bitch!” Trevor threatened, spit particles raining down onto my face.

Gasping for air, I clawed at his hands, mentally begging him to release me. My eyes bulged in my head. Nine . . . Ten . . . Eleven . . . Twelve. I thought, counting down the seconds that I had been choked in my head. Trevor choking me was not new to me, I knew that I had about fifteen seconds before I passed out. Panicking, I dug my nails into his flesh. I prayed that Trevor would release me and that today would not be the unlucky day that this sick fuck killed me.

Unexpectedly, he released me before rushing out of the kitchen, causing my body to come crashing down onto the white tile. With both of my hands, I grabbed my neck and breathed frantically. Air rushed to my lungs as I tried to breathe. My frail young body laid on the cold tile, shivering as I came to. Tears flowed from my eyes so heavily that I was unable to see beyond the flood puddles that were forming. I was so young and innocent, yet my life was burdened with so much trauma. As I attempted to gather myself from the floor Trevor stalked back into the kitchen, staggering and stumbling.

“Aye! Get up and mek mi food before mi kill yuh bloodclaat in here!” Trevor commanded, barreling over top of me.

Somehow, I found the strength to pick myself up off the floor. I wiped the heavy tears from my eyes. I was tired of my life. Actually, tired was an understatement. I was exasperated, exhausted, fatigued, weary, drained, burned out, all of the above for one thousand Alex! I was everything that a thirteen-year-old girl should not be.

Trevor sat back down in his seat while I stood at the counter, staring down at the eggs and sausages. I wish I would have died with my mom. I thought.

Dazed, Trevor stirred me out of my thoughts with a smack so hard that I could have physically flown backwards in time. I grabbed the side of my cheek with my hand as a burning sensation ragged through my cheek. Welcome to my life living with Trevor—for no reason at all, nothing to provoke him, he found pleasure in getting drunk and emotionally and physically abusing his only daughter.

Suddenly, I grabbed the knife from the counter and acted before I could think twice. “Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” Trevor cried as I plunged the knife into the side of his neck.

I shoved the knife as deep as it would go before using all my strength to turn it so that it would go deeper. I bolted, running out of the kitchen in an attempt to get out of his reach as quickly as possible. I ran through the kitchen doors and upstairs.

“Aye Gyal! Come here! Ahhhhhhhhhhh!” Trevor shrieked from the kitchen floor.

Looking down at my blood-covered hands, my face contorted in horror as I rushed into the bathroom to wash the blood off of them. The seconds felt like minutes as I scrubbed Trevor’s blood off of my trembling hands. I was not sure of what my next move was, but I knew that I had to be out of the house as fast as possible, either he would come and find me or if I was lucky, I killed him. Either way, I had to get out of the house as quickly as possible!

Author Bio:

Debut Author Celsi-Leigh (Kelsi - Lee), is stepping into the literary world with the groundbreaking novel Unveiled. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, raised in Philadelphia, Celsi-Leigh’s life experiences have culminated into a unique writing style that is raw and uncut. Through her literary work, she aims to deliver an honest point of view about the current climate of society, connecting with fans through her urban edge. Familiarize yourself with the work of Celsi-Leigh because she is just getting started, there is much more greatness to come.

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Claimed By the Moon

9/28/2021

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Claimed by the Moon
L.P. Dover
(A Royal Shifters novel, #6)
Publication date: September 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Sexy wolves and heart-stopping action await in Claimed by the Moon, the highly-anticipated continuation of the Royal Shifters series by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author L.P. Dover!

In his 200 years of life, Zayne Lyall has made his share of enemies. The most ruthless of all being Knox Channon, who seeks vengeance for a pack war that took place over a hundred years ago.

To gain information he can use to bring Zayne down, Knox reconnects with Amelie Graye, a past love who joined the Royal pack Zayne belongs to. Unfortunately, Amelie doesn’t know much about the royal arctic… despite a longing within her to be near him.

Amelie and Knox have a tumultuous past that ended after she and her family went rogue following an attack by the Sierra pack. While she has no details to offer about Zayne, Knox sniffing around her leaves his inner wolf snarling.

More than anything Zayne wants to charge in and protect the woman his heart aches for. But he has a secret… and it could cost him everything. Amelie is his fated mate. If Knox were to discover this, he would know hurting her would be the key to destroying Zayne. Torn between his desire to claim Amelie as his own and his ferocious passion to protect her, can Zayne find a way to bring down his malicious enemy? Or will an age old vendetta rob him of a blissful future with his bonded mate?

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EXCERPT:

I watch Colin and Zayne on the back porch, and it’s hard not to notice how handsome Zayne is. He’s over a hundred and fifty years older than me, but he doesn’t look a day over thirty. His beard is short and well-kept, maybe even slightly rugged. He’s not your typical wolf. But, I’m not going to lie, he fascinates me.

Colin walks in through the back door, and I turn away to make it look like I wasn’t staring. I figured Zayne would follow him, but when the door doesn’t open again, I peer over my shoulder to see him still on the deck, his attention turned to the mountains.

“Is he coming in?” Kami asks Colin.

“Oh, yeah,” Colin answers. “He said he just needs a minute.”

Colin busies himself with helping Kami, but I can’t take my eyes away from Zayne. An idea pops into my head, and I smile. Moving over to the wine, I fill up my glass and turn for the door.

“Where are you going?” Kami asks.

I wink at her over my shoulder. “You say people love talking to me, so I’m going to see if it’s true.”

Her eyes widen. “You’re going out there?”

Both her and Colin stare at me as if I’m about to walk into the lion’s den. But, then again, that doesn’t scare me. Nothing does anymore. Zayne’s just a wolf who doesn’t like to socialize with people. Unfortunately for him, I’m not going to give him a choice.

“Hopefully, he doesn’t leave me hanging,” I say, backing up out of the room.

Their mouths gape, but they don’t try to stop me. When I get to the door, I take a deep breath and walk outside. Zayne tenses when I step onto the deck, but he doesn’t acknowledge me. I move closer, but there’s about three feet of distance between us. Bringing the wine to my lips, I slowly sip some down, wondering if he’ll speak to me first. Of course, he doesn’t, but that doesn’t shock me.

Turning my body toward him, I smile and wait for him to look at me. “I’m Amelie. I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m a good friend of Laila’s.”

Being around royals is always interesting. Zayne slowly turns his head my way, and it’s the first time I’ve noticed how blue his eyes are. I can feel his power more so than any other wolf I’ve been around. He’s strong.

“I know who you are,” he says, his voice low in that sexy sort of way. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author L. P. Dover is a southern belle living in North Carolina with her husband and two beautiful girls. Everything’s sweeter in the South has always been her mantra and she lives by it, whether it’s with her writing or in her everyday life. Maybe that’s why she’s seriously addicted to chocolate.

Dover has written countless novels in several different genres, including a children’s book with her daughter. Her favorite to write is romantic suspense, but she’s also found a passion in romantic comedy. She loves to make people laugh which is why you’ll never see her without a smile on her face.

L.P. Dover is represented by Marisa Corvisiero of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

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Grave Witch

9/28/2021

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Grave Watch
Annie Anderson
(Soul Reader, #3)
Publication date: September 28th 2021
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Meeting long-lost siblings should be awesome, right?

Well, when you happen to be on the wrong side of the law and have every intention of staying there, having a cop for a sister isn’t exactly ideal. And teaming up with said sister? Well, that is just the cherry on top of the craptastic pie that has been my life.

But when our brother decides to attack us head on, banding together is the least of our problems.

Because in our family? Being the hunter also means being the hunted.

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EXCERPT:

Simon wiped at his leaking eyes before striding across the grass and pulling me up by my biceps. “He gave you an hour and we’ve wasted enough of it. You have to get ready.”

Dumbstruck, I allowed him to pull me by the forearm back to the house.

“Clem, get their leathers ready,” he called over his shoulder as we crunched over broken glass and fallen books.

The house looked no better than it had a week ago after our little invasion, and I had to wonder how many times it had broken apart and been put back together by magic over the years. Simon muttered to himself for a second before picking through the debris, yanking me behind him to the staircase. An irritated trill pulled my gaze to my feet, and an angry set of glowing green eyes pierced me with an annoyed glare. Simon yanked me again, and Isis wound around his feet nearly tripping him.

“Damn and blast, Isis. It’s not my fault you went and hid under the bed. The whole bloody house was going to fall on us, you mangy feline, and you can’t die.”

She couldn’t? Well, that was new information—and sort of comforting if I was being honest. The world without a little skeleton kitty in it seemed just a bit awful to me. I pulled my arm out of Simon’s hold and picked up the bone cat, cuddling her in my arms as I continued following him up the stairs.

“Did evil Simon leave you behind, my sweet girl. What a bad daddy.” Scratching at her nonexistent fur, I smiled evilly when Simon shot me a look over his shoulder as he muttered something about children these days.

Author Bio:

Annie Anderson is a military wife and United States Air Force veteran. Originally from Dallas, Texas, she is a southern girl at heart, but has lived all over the US and abroad. As soon as the military stops moving her family around, she'll settle on a state, but for now she enjoys being a nomad with her husband, two daughters, an old man of a dog, and a young pup that makes life... interesting.

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The Soul of Love

9/27/2021

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The Soul of Love
E.X. Alexander
(The Soul of Love, #1)
Publication date: August 31st 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

For generations, the Greek gods have been at war with each other; fighting to sit on the throne of Mt. Olympus.
Eros, the god of love and the most powerful of the ancients, has been waging his own secret war. For eons, he has been looking for his lost soul mate, Psyche; her return marks the beginning of the end of the reign of the Olympians, and the restoration to power by the primordial gods. But she has been reborn as a mortal, with no memory of him.

Psyche holds the key to the throne of Mt. Olympus. With her and Eros’ enemies coming out of the shadows to stop them, it is a race against time. If she cannot reunite her soul with Eros, her powers, memories, and the lives of the gods and mortals alike will be forever lost.

Content Warning: This book contains some scenes with mild violence, sexual situations, and references to suicide.

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EXCERPT:

She lay still in his arms, allowing the heat from his body to lull her back into a semi-relaxed state. When he made no move to resume the intimacy of their wedding night, she turned slightly toward him.

Burying his head in her hair, he breathed in her scent as if committing it to memory. “I will leave you alone if that is your wish. We can wait until you are ready to consummate our marriage.” Feeling a heavy sorrow at the thought of leaving her, he nonetheless did not want to cause her any more turmoil. He would wait, even as it threatened to dim the joy he felt at finally having her back in his life.

He pressed a kiss against her temple and released her. As he turned away and made his way out of the bed, Psyche was gripped with fear at the thought of him leaving her. It was so strong it overwhelmed her with a desire to keep him by her side in spite of her reservations.

Not understanding her reaction to his departure, she cried out, “Wait!” Reaching out to stop him, she was shocked to discover what her hand was gripping. “You have wings,” she said in startled amazement.

Eros stopped and shuddered at the touch of her hand on his wing. It was the first touch she initiated between them of her own volition, and it devastated him. Holding still, for he did not trust himself, he waited to see what she would do.

Psyche was too stunned to do anything but hold on to his wing for several moments. When he did nothing to repudiate her touch, she slowly slid her hand down his wing, marveling at the soft texture and heat. Repeating the caress, she inched closer and brought her other hand to press against his other wing. Feeling emboldened by his continued silence, she pressed against his back and continued to stroke his wings.

Then Psyche laid her cheek against the center of his shoulder blades, where his wings grew out of his back. She continued her slow caress. The feel of his wings seemed strangely familiar, as if she had run her hands over them hundreds of times. Frowning, she tried to remember, the memory teasing along the edges of her mind, but no matter how hard she tried, the knowledge danced away from her. Before she could chase the phantom memory, she was distracted by the hiss of pleasure that her new husband released at her touch.

Eros could barely restrain himself from turning around and pinning her to the bed as lust consumed him. The feel of her bare breasts pressed against his lower back sent shards of pleasure directly to his groin, where he tightened painfully as she continued to pet him. But it was her breath teasing the sensitive nerve endings of where his wings emerged from his back that was his undoing. When she started to nuzzle him, Eros knew he had to warn her before he lost total control. “Psyche, make your choice now. I only have so much control, and I have waited so long for you that I cannot continue to let you touch me without taking you. So choose, do I stay or do I go?”

Psyche stilled at his words. Faced with the power to control even a small part of her destiny gave her courage. Feeling that something fragile and precious would be lost if she allowed him to leave this night, she made her decision. “Stay.”

Author Bio:

E.X. Alexander is a romance author who loves to tell a good romance story: the hotter, the better. A proud Greek American (no My Big Fat Greek Wedding jokes or she'll be forced to pull out the Windex ;) who loves to spend time with her family and friends. There is no better way to relax than to curl up with a steamy romance novel with purr babies under a blanket. Okay, a spa day would be a close second. If she is not reading or writing she can usually be found in her car listening to heavy metal and rock music in pursuit of her two favorite fruits: coffee and chocolate. (Yes, they are fruits.)

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Friends Till The End

9/27/2021

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Friends to the End
C.L. Colyer
Publication date: September 27th 2021
Genres: Action, Adventure, Middle-Grade, Supernatural

Zach doesn’t believe in ghosts…but he should.

Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.

When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

“We were going to look for the ghost house.” Dom adjusted the faded NY Yankees baseball cap he wore. “But Morgan has to be home by five.”

“We’ll never make it there and back in time, and we never leave a man behind,” Josh added, dropping a backpack on the grass next to him. It landed with a clunk.

“Ghost house?” I repeated, picturing a boarded-up, decrepit building built during the Civil War or something.

“Haven’t you heard the stories?” Josh asked, eyes wide in amazement.

I shook my head.

Dom walked over to our open garage, grabbed my skateboard out of one of the boxes, and said, “It’s known as the disappearing house.”

My bewildered gaze slithered from Dom to Josh, finally coming to a stop on Morgan as I tried to decide if they were crazy.

“If the house is invisible, how do you expect to find it?” I asked.

Morgan sat on the stoop next to me. “It’s not always invisible. My brothers saw it once. They said it’s a big house with a long porch. It vanished before they could set foot on the first step, and I’m glad, too.”

“Why? What would have happened if they were on the steps?” I asked. Not because I believed an old ghost story had any truth to it, but I was curious to know what she’d say.

Morgan had to pick her jaw up from the walkway before she could answer, and when she did her voice came out in a high-pitched squeak. “If they had been on the porch or worse—” she swallowed loudly “—inside, they would have disappeared with it.”

“That’s a myth,” Dom said as he rode the skateboard down the driveway.

“It is not!” Morgan shot back.

“Come on, how is a solid person going to disappear?” Dom asked from the sidewalk.

“The same way the house does! Duh!” Morgan shook her head as if Dom was the loony one.

“Isn’t the whole thing…um…you know…a myth?” I asked. There were no such things as ghosts, and buildings didn’t just go poof and disappear into thin air. “I mean, you don’t really believe in—”

“The house is real, dude,” Josh said.

“And we’re going inside of it.” Dom did an Ollie, lifting all wheels of the skateboard off the ground.

“No, we’re not!” Morgan shook her head as if that reinforced what she’d said. A dark auburn curl snuck out from under her baseball cap. “We are,” Josh confirmed. I was with Dom and Josh. Not the part about believing in disappearing houses, but if one happened to exist and I managed to find it, I’d want to see inside of it, too.

Author Bio:

Professional network technician by day, novelist by night, Cherie lives a quiet life in the Chicago suburbs with her charming husband. She has four amazing sons who she loves dearly. Cherie magically weaves together stories with a paranormal twist. She’s the author of the Embrace series (Embrace, Hold Tight, and Entwined), Challenging Destiny, Damned When I Didn’t, and Friends to the End. She waltzes into the adult novel world with this enchanting holiday romance, Merry Little Wishing Spritz.

She happily visits schools, libraries, and book clubs, and is a member of SCBWI (Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators).

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Let Me Fly

9/27/2021

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Let Me Fly
A.C. Pontone
(Wild Wings, #1)
Publication date: September 9th 2021
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

My name is Isabelle Dark, and my life sucks. In exactly ten days, four hours, fifty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds, I will cease to exist.
Okay, maybe that’s a bit dramatic, but what would you say if you were being forced to marry a man you despise?
Exactly. I have to find a way to escape.
Up to now I’ve spent my life in hiding. There aren’t any other options for those like me: I’m a Nephilim, a half-breed. The only choice I have is whether to be killed by the Shadows or to remain here, hidden among the Hollows.
So I made my decision: I would rather risk my life fighting to be free than continue to struggle to survive in the home I grew up in.
My plan was to go to college and live a normal life, but somehow I ended up in a school for Shadows where everyone hates me. Plus, I’ve been assigned seven angels as my bodyguards. Jailers would be a more appropriate word.
The tension growing between us is impossible to deny. Sparks are starting to fly. They’re beginning to get under my skin and . . .
What do I do now?
My name is Isabelle Dark. I’m a Nephilim and I’m screwed.

Warning: This book is a full-length reverse-harem romance. It contains adult themes, MM scenes, foul language and some violence. If, however, you’re in the market for a novel full of sexy angels and a hot-blooded main character, you’ve found your next read.
Let Me Fly is the first book in the Wild Wings series and cannot be read as a standalone.
Intended for 18+ readers.

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EXCERPT:

My name is Isabelle Dark and my life sucks. In exactly ten days, four hours, fifty-seven minutes, and fifteen seconds, I will cease to exist.

Why do I say this? Well, all you need to know is that I’ve been forced to live in the shadows. I have to struggle to survive in my own home. There’s no other choice for someone like me. I’m a half-breed, which means that my only alternatives are to be killed by the Shadows or stay hidden here, among the Hollows. As I said, it sucks!

I shake my head as a hysterical laugh forces its way out of my throat. I can tell the woman behind me is frowning, her mouth tightly closed, her lips pressed together. “Stay still,” she orders me. “Hold your breath and suck your belly in!”

My jaw goes rigid, but I remain silent.

“Don’t make that face!” she mutters. “You need to eat less. You’re not thin enough!”

Fuck you, I think, as my hands ball into fists and I try to keep myself from punching her in the face. I hate her. I hate everything about her. I hate her pointy nose, her high cheekbones, her oval face, her gray eyes that have no spark of light in them, her brown hair that’s always pulled back in a perfect chignon. I hate her long skirt and dumb white shirt buttoned up so tightly under er chin. I don’t understand how she doesn’t choke. Why can’t she choke?

With a sigh I regard the image in the mirror again. Who are you? I struggle to hold back the tears. I don’t want to cry, not while the woman is looking at me.

She yanks the laces of my dress even tighter, so tight I can barely breathe. Who are you? I ask my reflection again. The person in the mirror is a stranger. She’s not wearing my usual outfit of ripped jeans and a man’s T-shirt. Her blond hair frames her face, falling in soft waves on the lace bodice of the dress, which is peekaboo, with visible stays. It extends to her hips, emphasizing her narrow waist. The full, soft skirt falls to her feet. The pure white of the dress blends in with the white skin of the girl in the mirror.

I heave a sigh, and the sad blue eyes in the glass regard me. They’re alien to me, but somehow terribly familiar at the same time.

Who are you?

“Edward certainly won’t want a fat wife!” The bitch tightens the ribbons of the bodice even more. I’m suffocating.

“Fuck you,” I mutter, this time audibly. I want her to hear. She ignores me as she continues to fit me with my wedding dress. There are now only ten days, four hours, fifty minutes, and thirty seconds remaining until I say I do.

But it’s not going to happen. Less than three hours from now I’m going to escape. I have to, if I want to survive—or at least die free. What will become of me when I leave this damned prison, though? What will become of you? I silently ask the girl reflected in the mirror.

Author Bio:

Angela Camilla Pontone is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Italy, in a town between Rome and Naples. She's been an avid reader since childhood. She prefers romance, but will gobble up pretty much anything that's available. She's always loved history and literature, so she obtained a Master's Degree in the fields of Italian and Romance Languages, Literatures and Philology, Historical and Musicological Studies, Latin Languages and Literatures, Ancient History, and Archaeology.

Camilla's secret desire was always to be a writer, but she never had the courage to pursue her dream until her life experiences led her to seek a way out of reality. Now, her dream is to continue to create great stories that her readers will love.

For all the latest news about her books and events, sign up now at https://my.sendinblue.com/users/subscribe/js_id/3t1ws/id/3 to receive Camilla's newsletter.

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The One and Only Crystal Druid

9/24/2021

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The One and Only Crystal Druid
Annette Marie
(The Guild Codex: Unveiled, #1)
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: September 24th 2021
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

I’m not your average girl.

My best friend is my switchblade. My favorite hobby is using it on the cruel, the abusive, and anyone who gets on my bad side. I’m a convicted murderer with a chip on my shoulder and a dangerous lack of restraint.

And then there’s Zak.

His rap sheet makes mine look tame. The bounty on his head is worth more money than I’ll ever make, and the deadly fae that shadow his every step wield more power than I’ll ever know.

He’s the Crystal Druid, and his first mistake was setting foot on my turf.

His second was saving my life.

And his final mistake will be failing to realize that however dark, however ruthless, however broken he is…

I’m worse.

--
From the author of the best-selling Guild Codex books comes a new series that delves into the dark, dangerous world of druids and fae alongside two ravaged souls who may be exactly what the other needs…if they don’t destroy each other first.

Unveiled can be read as a standalone series or in conjunction with other Guild Codex series. For the full reading order, visit Annette Marie’s website.

--
More series in the Guild Codex world:
The Guild Codex: Spellbound
The Guild Codex: Demonized
The Guild Codex: Warped

Goodreads / Amazon

EXCERPT:

When my attention landed on him, he strode toward me, his long legs eating up the ground and coat billowing out behind him. Stopping almost on top of me, he reached down as though to take my elbow—and seized the front of my jacket.

I grabbed his wrist as he roughly hauled me onto my tiptoes, bringing my face close to his. Despite the moonlight and forgotten flashlights illuminating the clearing, the interior of his hood was filled with unnatural darkness.

Ríkr watched us from his lofty perch, pale blue eyes gleaming.

“That was quite the scene I came in on,” the man rumbled in a low, dangerous tone. “What do you know about that bear fae?”

I stared into his hood.

A rough sound grated from his throat. “You don’t seem to be grasping the situation. Tell me what you know before I lose patience.”

I smiled, showing my teeth. “Was that a threat?” “What do you think?”

My smile widened, and I lifted my empty hand toward his face. “It’ll take more than a hood and a threat to scare me, especially when”—I pushed his hood back—“I’ve already seen your face.”

The shadows fell away, revealing his countenance again. Inhumanly vibrant green eyes, framed by dark lashes, fixed on mine, his eyebrows lowered with menace. A beautiful face, if I were honest. Striking cheekbones, a strong jaw, full mouth—currently pressed into a thin, angry line. By my best guess, he was in his mid-twenties, maybe a bit older.

My palm brushed against his clean-shaven cheek as I let his hood fall—and with the same motion, I flicked my hand, pulling my switchblade from my jacket sleeve. The blade sprang free, and in an instant, I had the point resting against the corner of his left eye.

But not fast enough.

A cold, thin edge pressed against my left cheek. I didn’t break eye contact to see what sort of weapon he had in my face, but the blade felt sharp—sharper than my little knife.

Neither of us moved, his fist tight around the front of my jacket. If either of our hands wobbled, we’d both bleed.

His right eyebrow arched slightly. “How do you want to play this?”
“Let go of me.”
“I don’t think so.”
“I stab you, you stab me,” I suggested frostily. “My cheek is more likely to heal than your eye.”

“Pass.”

He wouldn’t let me go and he wouldn’t play knife-chicken. What was left? “Then I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.”

His full mouth thinned again, green eyes raking across me. “Fine.”

His agreement surprised me until I realized he expected to win this game too. He thought I’d reveal more with my answers than he would with his.

Not likely.

“Who the hell are you?” I demanded.

“Answer my question first.”

“You first. Who are you?”

He growled under his breath. “The Crystal Druid.”

Surprise flushed through me, and I couldn’t stop my eyelids from flickering with a single, startled blink. He was a druid?

“Now,” he rumbled, “tell me what you know about that bear and the other aggressive fae in this area.” “I don’t know anything.”
His blade pressed painfully into my cheek. “This little game doesn’t work if you lie.”
“I’m not lying.”

“Then you’re an idiot. Every fae across the lower mainland is talking about the attacks and disappearances around here.”

“Fascinating, but this is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Aren’t you a witch?”

“Yes, but a terrible one.”

His striking green eyes narrowed. “Terrible in what way?”

Ignoring his question, I shifted my blade ever so slightly, ensuring he couldn’t miss the sharp point in his peripheral vision. “My turn again. Why are you here?”

“The fae—”

“Yes, yes, the attacks. But why do you care about some aggressive fae?” I arched my eyebrows, though my bangs probably hid them. “What are you hoping to gain, Crystal Druid?”

Author Bio:

Annette Marie is the best-selling author of The Guild Codex, an expansive collection of interwoven urban fantasy series ranging from thrilling adventure to hilarious hijinks to heartrending romance. Her other works include YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter.

Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada with her husband and their furry minion of darkness. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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The Grove

9/24/2021

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The Grove
Karri Thompson
Publication date: September 21st 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult

Entering the woods is forbidden. To go in can mean a fate worse than death. At least that’s what seventeen-year-old Laura has been told. But living in a new town with nothing to do, she ignores her mother’s dire warnings and explores the forest near her home.

The trees entice Laura deeper into the woods. A mysterious, soothing voice calls her name, and she becomes lost. When a young man finds her, she thinks she’s saved. But he insists their meeting is more than a coincidence. For centuries, his colony has been waiting for a savior. With his alluring eyes and gentle smile, Laura almost believes his crazy story.

Caught between worlds, and with her life at stake, she doesn’t know who to believe or trust. Her heart tells her one thing and her head another.

Is it her destiny, or will her fate only postpone the inevitable?

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EXCERPT:

The hair on my arms rose. My heart thumped hard, the blood pulsing through my chest into my throat. Looking left and right, my muscles tensed to run or fight.

“Who’s there? What do you want?” I said at the same low whisper, my voice shaking.

A shimmering blur disappeared behind a tree—a featureless something, flashing in indistinguishable color as quickly as a silent whip.

“Laura,” someone said again, gentle and feather-light, drifting between the largest trees in front of me.

I held my breath.

“Laura.” My name resonated through the humid night air, echoing through the sugar maples before it thinned and died.

It was a male voice, full- bodied, but lacking malevolence and hostility. Strangely, it put me at ease. There must be a boy somewhere out here in the woods. I was sure of it. The voice sounded young, maybe my age of seventeen.

Or maybe it was a ghost. My Uncle Dean had told me the locals believed these woods were haunted. But ghosts couldn’t kill. At least that’s what I believed.

“Who are you?” I asked, relaxing my stiff muscles just enough to take a step forward. My shoulders dropped as I exhaled a pent-up breath. Broadening my stance, I leaned forward, raising the branch, and squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to hear it again.

“Laura,” it repeated. The word lingered through the dead of night, ringing softly in my ears. I opened my eyes.

“How do you know my name?” I asked, moving toward the direction of the voice. As a cool breeze rustled my pajama shorts, I wrapped one arm around myself.

A bird chirp rode the wind, followed by several more, weaving into a rhythm of tweets and trills. I looked up. Within the tousle of leaves and sway of thin limbs, perched a gathering of birds, flexing their wings for flight.

I took a step backwards, my eyes fixed on the canopy of leaves.

The bird calls increased, one squawk overlapping the other until their unique melody collapsed, twisting into an eerie song and wing beats.

“A–are you still there?” I breathed, eyeing the woods ahead of me and taking another step back.

A smear of color flashed to my left, and a cloud of leaves rose from the forest floor.

“Don’t go,” I said, breaking from a whisper.

The woods resonated with angry bird speak, their unnatural song thumping in my ears.

“I want to see you,” I shouted above the rising mad twitter.

A shadow skated across the ground at my feet. Wings flapped overhead, and a bird beak met my scalp with a hard peck.

Author Bio:

Karri Thompson, a native of San Diego, attended San Diego State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in education. When she’s not writing novels and teaching high school English, she can be found nerding out at San Diego Comic-Con and cooking delicious meals for her family. Karri is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel for 2014.

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