Showing posts with label sci-fi romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sci-fi romance. Show all posts
Friday, 23 December 2016
Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Monday, 5 September 2016
Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Deadly Genesis by Heather Long
Boomers Book 2
Heather Long
Genre: Sci-Fi, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication: 9/1/2016
ISBN: 9781945193033
Word Count: 53000
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
To save her sanity may cost him his mind...
Amanda Kincaid
Codename: Corkscrew
Abilities: nuclear fission and fusion, absorbs energy and fires beams of radiated heat
Mission: recovery of lost memories and sanity
Kidnapped and experimented on by R.E.X. labs, Amanda's memories are foggy. She can't recognize friend from foe and she strikes out with everything she has. Only one man penetrates the storms surging in her mind, a soothing stranger with hypnotic eyes…
Simon Masters
Codename: Soothsayer
Abilities: telepath
Mission: save Corkscrew or terminate her
Cautious, methodical Simon has always been careful to keep his innermost self, contained. Simon must confront his fears—and his deepest secrets—to help the powerful mutant rein in her abilities in.
With new enemies closing in and dark revelations unfolding, the Boomers face their greatest challenge yet and the deeper into her psyche Simon pushes, the more her madness threatens them all…
Winning never felt so much like losing. The team has recovered Corkscrew, but she is lost to insanity. Simon, the most cautious of them all, must risk everything to bring her back from the brink, but losing this gambit could cost them Simon as well.
Buy from ARe
***
Excerpt:
Simon Masters opened the front door with a push of his hand and the house shuddered. Glass trickled down from the chandelier hanging over the foyer in a tinkling shower of shattering pieces. Plaster dust floated in the air like snowflakes. Doctor Ilsa Blaine slid around the corner from the kitchen, blood trickling from a cut on her forehead.
Every cell in his body went on alert. He shut the door with a thump and strode across the hallway, adjusting his balance for the next shattering quake shaking the room. "What happened, Doctor?"
"The sedatives aren't keeping her down anymore." Ilsa flinched as another shatter echoed from the kitchen. Simon caught her arm, steadying her. Images flashed through his mind in rapid succession, despite his gloves and her lab coat. Her anxiety levels were too high to keep them out. He shored up his shields and tried to sort through the massive influx of data.
Amanda Kincaid, also known as Rory's teammate Corkscrew, was awake. They’d rescued her a month ago from a research facility, but Ilsa's attempts to correct the damage done by a faulty chip in her brain continued to fail. Winning never felt so much like losing.
"Where are the others?"
The house shook and a splinter appeared in the doorframe. A shout of alarm echoed from upstairs. Simon canted his head back. Sweeping the house, he identified five awake minds—none Boomers or Rory's teammates. Fear seemed prevalent in the thoughts of four—but the fifth remained apathetic. Downstairs, however, Amanda's thoughts were a cyclone of pain, confusion, frustration, and rapidly escalating fury.
"Rory called in. She needed backup—” But Simon didn't hear the rest of the explanation. Amanda's chaotic thoughts grew more agitated. Setting Ilsa against the door frame, he gave her a quick glance.
Stay here. If the wood splinters further, get out. He embedded the command in her mind and dodged the falling debris in the kitchen. Since her rescue, Corkscrew's behavior grew more and more erratic. She lashed out, attacking anyone she didn't know and, unfortunately, even some she did. Rory could talk her down, Rex could contain her and Drake could take her hits—but none of those three were present. Ilsa had made the difficult decision to put her into a medically induced coma while her brain healed.
But that didn't seem to be working anymore.
The laboratory downstairs contained the latest equipment, and they’d expanded it for Ilsa's research. The Hamptons mansion doubled as their medical facility since Ilsa joined their quest for answers. Her relationship with Garrett Fox and the peace she brought him aside, she was an invaluable member. Her knowledge of neuroscience and the workings of their bio-mechanical chips continued to provide them with data crucial to the completion of their mission.
Saving the future.
***
About the Author:
Heather Long likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories—her characters drive the books.
When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.
Sign up for Heather’s newsletter at: http://eepurl.com/iKxQ5
For more information on other books by Heather, visit her website: www.heatherlong.net
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
***
Tour giveaway
3 winners to receive an eBook published by All Romance.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, 15 August 2016
Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Boomers: The Judas Contact by Heather Long
Boomers
Book One
Heather Long
Genre: sci-fi, adventure, romance
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication: August 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-945193-01-9
Word Count: 62000
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
Hope may prove their most dangerous threat.
Doctor Ilsa Blaine
Codename: Doc
Abilities: Designs programmable bioware, enhanced understanding of brain chemistry
Mission: Research, analyze and troubleshoot the team’s active microchips
On the cutting edge of neuroscience, Ilsa is developing microchips that can be inserted into the brain and deliver information. The applications are endless, but her current goal is just to get dogs to return to their owners should they ‘become lost.’ When her college roommate turns up asking for lunch, she’s hardly prepared for the chaos that ensues or the revelation her chip changed the world, and the lives of five heroes from the future. And now they need her help…
Garrett Fox
Codename: The Viper
Abilities: toxins, poisons and assassination, he can kill with a touch
Mission: Protect Ilsa Blaine
One of five desperate men sent back in time to save the future, Garrett volunteers to be the doctor’s guinea pig as she studies their neuro-chips. It’s not his first time being a lab rat. In close quarters, the unthinkable happens—an attraction that could kill Ilsa. Drawn together by science, and on the fast track to destiny, Ilsa and Garrett must save his team from their chips before they can end them, and maybe Ilsa can prove to Garrett he isn’t toxic to everything he touches…least of all her.
Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. An alliance with the modern day Halo has given their leader a taste of hope. For these five lonely soldiers, the single emotion may prove their most dangerous threat.
ARe | Amazon | Kobo | iTunes
***
Excerpt
It took most of a day to get the equipment. Fortunately, in the decades since they’d arrived, the team had created stockpiles of weapons, technology, and safe houses. They came from a time when vanishing off the streets into an underground network was the only way to stay alive. They never forgot the habit, no matter how soft the gentle insanity of the so-called modern world became. Garrett, especially, stayed abreast of medical research and breakthroughs. Some nightmares a person never forgot. Security collars and electronic tagging were just a step below the “invisible fences” for pets.
“You don’t have to do this, Garrett. Drake and Rex both volunteered to take your place.” Simon came down to the main level of the warehouse to help him but, instead of loading the van, he studied Garrett’s profile.
“It’s not a problem. I’m the most logical choice. I’ve already developed a rapport with the doctor.” He selected a crate of dried foods. Cooking wasn’t something he enjoyed, but he could add water and heat with the best of them. He liked the noodle cups. They actually reminded him of his childhood.
An oddly pleasant sensation, rather than a painful memory, filled him with every serving.
“Walk me through it again.” Simon let the argument go for the time being, but Garrett wasn’t fooled by his mild tone or patient expression. The telepath may invade their minds upon request, but he kept his own thoughts buttoned up tight.
“We have the estate on the other end of Long Island. It’s extensive and heavily fortified—she can work there. It’s late in the season for the normal tourists, which will provide us with a quiet cover. Once we’re embedded, we’re going to stay in lockdown. I can use an electronic jammer to block cell signals. Depending on how long it takes the doc to finish her work, we’ll check in every day.” The plan was hardly complicated.
“Closest neighbors?”
“Over a thousand yards. The location is a prime piece of real estate with its own beach. Motion sensors will alert me to any arrivals. No one from the team will approach without notifying me ahead of time. You do realize that this is hardly my first picnic. “
“How are you feeling about Ilsa?”
Garrett swung around to meet Simon’s paler than pale gaze without a trace of humor. “She’s a means to an end. That’s it. She may prove helpful to the cause. Beyond that, I feel very little.”
Which wasn’t entirely the truth but, unless Simon dug down past Garrett’s innate defenses, it was the only truth he planned on sharing. The woman was beautiful, curvy, and real. She possessed a wildly keen intelligence, but he hadn’t missed the way her eyes lit up or the excitement that teased her nipples beneath the too thin shirt as she hammered them with questions about the chip.
Protect her. The chip’s command aside, he understood his task. Keeping her alive to do her work helped the mission. The entire plan fell within an acceptable parameter.
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. Any unusual urges where she is concerned?”
“You mean lust?” Garrett snorted. “No, my brain is still in my head. I haven’t turned into a hulk of monosyllabic testosterone driven by the urge to strip her naked at the first opportunity.” Although he imagined she would be as lovely without her clothes as she was with them. Her height and generous curves gave her a soft, lush look.
“It’s a valid question. You’ve already established a bond with her, volunteered to let her study you and inserted yourself into an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous position. If you flip, it could have severe consequences.” Michael might be their tactical strategist and leader, but Simon counseled their souls. He kept them whole and on track with his unflinching logic and patience.
“You mean if I go all caveman à la Michael? No. Not likely. It didn’t bother me that you were all in the room or talking to her. I doubt that will change during the course of her work. Besides, if necessary, I can put the doc out without harming her physically or mentally. Until we know what she knows, we need to keep her healthy.” Finished with that aspect of the conversation, he inspected the supplies he’d stored. “Will Rory be able to get the FMRI thing? I know we have the rest of the pieces she asked for.” They’d converted the wine cellar of the Hamptons estate into a medical facility. They only used it periodically if an injury were too severe for their high functioning metabolisms to handle.
Which meant not often.
Simon’s brows knitted together. “Garrett…this might be more difficult for you than you realized. It could wake up a lot of dormant memories.”
“I appreciate the concern but enough with the touchy feely crap. This is a job, no different than every other job we’ve done since we got here. The chips are active. We need answers. She can provide us with answers. End of story.” His temper edged toward frost. “Clear?”
“Clear.” Simon exhaled and held his hands up. “But you call us if you need us.”
“Yes, father. I will call you if I have a booboo that needs a Band-Aid. Or maybe I’ll call Michael if I get the sudden urge to go skipping through the daisies with the doc.” He was done playing the game. The faster they got the scientist to work, the faster this would be over. It was a job.
No different than the hundred other jobs they’d performed, great and small, in the last four decades. He checked the gear one last time and shut the van up.
Absolutely no difference.
It was a job.
***
About the Author:
National bestselling author, Heather Long, likes long walks in the park, science fiction, superheroes, Marines, and men who aren’t douche bags. Her books are filled with heroes and heroines tangled in romance as hot as Texas summertime. From paranormal historical westerns to contemporary military romance, Heather might switch genres, but one thing is true in all of her stories, her characters drive the books. When she’s not wrangling her menagerie of animals, she devotes her time to family and friends she considers family. She believes if you like your heroes so real you could lick the grit off their chest, and your heroines so likable, you’re sure you’ve been friends with women just like them, you’ll enjoy her worlds as much as she does.
Website: http://heatherlong.net/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/HVLong
***
Tour giveaway
3 winners to receive ebook of Single Wicked Wolf by Heather Long.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016
Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Ambushing Malachi by Electra Gadjos
Wolvens, Eastern Province
Book One
Electra Gajdos
Genre: Paranormal Sci-Fi Romance
Publisher: Electra Gajdos
Date of Publication: December 29, 2015
ASIN: B019YRTR94
Number of pages: 118 pages
Word Count: 35,640 words
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Book Description:
An unexpected kiss starts a chain of events that will change his life…
Malachi Keen’s frustration grows as he hunts for his sister, Kiara. The search leads him to more trouble than just an irritating sibling when he finds himself in the embrace of a tantalizing stranger. What turns out to be a chance encounter will change his life forever.
Jez Baldovino owes a life debt to an influential Wolven. To pay up, she must complete what she thought would be a simple task – retrieve some stolen data. The situation quickly becomes complicated and she is forced to use a handsome, unsuspecting stranger.
Malachi realizes that not everything is what it seems; unknown enemies and a beautiful female determined to escape him was not in his plans for the day. His plans change when danger surrounds Jez. There is only one male that is allowed to hunt the woman who ambushed him with a kiss – him!
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/dY-W2L4Vlms
Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | Amazon Australia | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Goodreads
***
Excerpt:
Using the empty service hallways, he took a direct path to his sister. He was almost to the latte shop when he was caught off guard by a pair of dainty hands wrapping around his forearm and pulling him through the back door of a busy restaurant kitchen.
He only caught a glimpse of the stunning woman with long blonde curly hair before she yanked his head down. When she licked the seam of his mouth, he naturally opened for her.
Then he closed his eyes in ecstasy, tasting the sugary sweet glaze of red berries coating her lips. He didn’t care what part of her he griped, as he pulled her body to his.
She placed a hand on his hip to steady herself, and her scent of wild apple blossoms sent possessive desires through him. A new sense of joy rushed inside his soul as his inner voice chanted, Mine! Mine! Mine!
He growled with displeasure when she took her candy-flavored lips away.
Her dazzling blue gaze met his. “Thanks, Lumberjack. I so needed that.” She used the nickname of the Grizzly Mountain Wolvens, who chose to live in the woods to be closer to their ancestors, the wolves.
She needed that? He needed her…forever. Malachi was sure he’d just found his mate.
She gave him a wink and took a couple of steps back from him.
He frowned, not wanting her to leave his side.
When he reached for her to bring her back into his embrace—where she belonged—he stumbled. His legs suddenly felt like lead.
He grabbed for the nearest dish rack for support. Each time he blinked, the lids of his eyes got heavier. Then he dropped to the floor.
His clouded mind tried to commit all the details of his mate to memory. Her almond-shaped blue eyes were so expressive, and her upper lip was thinner than the bottom.
His gaze traveled down the length of her body, noting the indent in her waistline that fanned out to the kind of hips a male could latch onto while mating.
She knelt at his side. “Sorry, Lumberjack.”
***
Electra Gajdos is from Winnemucca, Nevada and currently lives in West Michigan. She is a wife and the mother of two beautiful genius children. (Maybe not true geniuses, but a mother is always partial to her kids.) She won’t bore you with her childhood love of all things sci-fi and the game of chess. But she will let you know she once called the police to save a man from jumping off a three-story building. What she didn’t know was the man was a mannequin and part of an advertisement. No lie! Thankfully, it gave the police officer a good laugh for the night. This is just one her many good deeds gone wonky, and she looks forward to sharing more of them with you.
Chat with Electra at www.electragajdos.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/electra.gajdos
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14816293.Electra_Gajdos
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Electra-Gajdos/e/B01A2985CS/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElectraGajdos
@ElectraGajdos
***
Tour giveaway
1 $25 Amazon Gift Card
3 copies of Ambushing Malachi
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Saturday, 5 March 2016
Multi-Author Promo - Sci-fi, Fantasy and More
http://pattyjansen.com/promo/
Over a hundred books available in this double promotion. Books you can read for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and if not, they will be reduced to 99 cents on the dates of the promo - March 5-6.
The second part is first books of a series free on Kobo. Science-fiction, horror, fantasy, paranormal and speculative fiction romances, something for everyone! Here is just a small selection below:
Science-fiction
by Patty Jansen
A collection of fifteen short stories and novellas by Patty Jansen. Includes the Writers of the Future winning story This Peaceful State Of War, as well as fiction published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact.
by Jane Killick
Waking up without his memories and hunted by Agent Cooper, Michael finds sanctuary with a group of perceivers: telepaths who sense the thoughts and emotions of others. Drawn into their battle to stay free of the cure which threatens to strip them of their powers, he searches for the person who stole his past. As the tension between perceivers and norms erupts into violence, Michael pieces together the shocking truth behind the origin of their power. To save his friends from destruction, he must face Cooper and confront the painful revelations of his forgotten secrets.
A gripping science fiction thriller set on the streets of London, Mind Secrets takes an exciting and dangerous journey into intrigue, friendship and deception.
by E.K. Baxter
Five fantasy and science fiction tales that will sweep you to other worlds.
A tired old woman is the only one who can save a city from the terrifying Pantheon. A boy walks the empty corridors of a starship with only his dog for company. A high-flying city worker learns that fairy tales really do come true. A young slave woman discovers that she carries a power that could set her free. A cyborg demon-hunter meets an angel who throws his world into chaos.
Step into the world of the circle spinner…
Dystopian & Post Apocalyptic
by Ann Christy
One hundred and twelve years after the fall, the Republic of Texas is built on two foundations: total freedom and total responsibility. A law broken means a strike against the lawbreaker. Five strikes means execution. The only hope for the law breaker is to escape Texas—to go Striker—before justice comes for them.
Sixteen-year-old Karas Quick has never had it easy. The daughter of a Striker and an alcoholic mother, she’s gotten everything she has the hard way — even the strike on her neck. Yet try as Karas might to stay above-board with the authorities, there are some things you just can’t plan for.
Like seeing the face of her long-lost father paraded through the town square in chains.
In the blink of an eye, Karas’s life changes forever. Potential strikes be damned, she has to see her father one last time. What she discovers propels her upon an unimaginable journey, one she can only hope she’ll survive.
The Tide
by Anthony J. Melchiorri
Captain Dominic Holland leads a crew of skilled covert operatives and talented scientific personnel. He’s taken them to all corners of the earth to protect the United States from biological and chemical warfare. When his CIA handler, Meredith Webb, gives him a mission to investigate a disturbing lead on a laboratory based out of an abandoned oil rig, they discover the most terrifying threat to mankind they’ve ever faced—a genetically engineered biological weapon called the Oni Agent.
Back in the United States, Meredith discovers a frightening connection between the CIA and the Oni Agent. But her investigations are short-lived when the Agent spreads and brings mankind to its knees. Cities burn as it turns humans into warped creatures hell-bent on destruction.
Dominic and Meredith vow to do everything they can to combat the Agent and find a cure. But will their efforts be enough to turn the tide—or is humanity’s fate already sealed?
Fantasy & Paranormal
by Angela Holder
Two lands, separated for a millennium by divine decree. Each holds the key to the other’s survival.
The Matriarch of Ramunna needs an heir. Only the lost healing magic of the ancient wizards can help her conceive and bear the daughter who will ensure Ramunna’s future. She sends an expedition to seek the wizards who legends say still dwell somewhere far across the uncharted ocean.
Tevenar hovers on the brink of disaster. Elkan, Josiah, and the rest of the Wizard’s Guild battle a virulent wheat blight, but even the Mother’s power might not be enough to prevent a deadly famine. The arrival of the Matriarch’s envoy offers both hope and danger. For in order to strike the bargain that could save both lands, they’ll have to sacrifice the isolation that has protected Tevenar for centuries.
by G.B. Wren
This is Book 2 in The Silvering Series and the second in reading order.
Loran Avileen wants nothing more than a new life in a magical land with Topen, the man who captured her heart. There's only one person who could turn her dream into a nightmare -- her brother.
The evil sorcerer, Nepsaril, left the scars of dark magic on her brother's flesh and power now dominates her sibling's mind. He seeks magical allies to help him strip the rule of his land from his twin. But the opportunistic Listurn may have found a greater purpose for him.
Can Topen and Loran stop her brother's quest in time to keep two powerful magical families from war?
by Annette Gisby
Recently released from a mental institution, Beth Gregory accepts a job as a live-in secretary/PA to the reclusive painter Josh Warrington. From the first moment he sees her, Beth’s long red hair fascinates him, and Josh wants her to be his Rapunzel for a series of fairy tale paintings on which he’s working.
Beth has two major fears: that she will be sent back to the mental hospital and that the visions which landed her there in the first place will return. They do; this time giving her glimpses of murders before they happen. Beth becomes the main suspect in the murder investigation and then she has the most disturbing vision of all: she will become the next victim…
by Megan Crewe
Cass McKenna much prefers the company of ghosts over "breathers." Ghosts are uncomplicated and dependable, and they know the dirt on everybody... and Cass loves dirt. She's on a mission to expose the lies and backstabbing between her fellow students.
But when the vice president of the student council discovers her secret, Cass's whole scheme hangs in the balance. Tim wants her to help him contact his recently deceased mother, and Cass reluctantly agrees.
As Cass becomes increasingly entwined in Tim's life, she's surprised to realize he's not so bad—and he needs help more desperately than anyone else suspects. Maybe it's time to give the living another chance...
To see all the books available, please visit the promo page here:
http://pattyjansen.com/promo/
Friday, 30 October 2015
Series Spotlight & Giveaway: The Warriors of Hir by Willow Danes
Captured
Warriors of Hir
Book One
Willow Danes
Genre: Science Fiction Romance/Paranormal Erotica
Publisher: Here Be Dragons
Date of Publication: August 8, 2014
ISBN: 0692271813
ISBN: 978-0692271810
ASIN: B00MH65BDG
Number of pages: 218
Word Count: 55,000
Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone
Book Description:
Jenna McNally is tending to the heartrending task of clearing out her grandfather’s cabin when she’s knocked off her feet by the impact of a nearby plane crash. She races into the snowy North Carolina woods to help and discovers that this is no plane that’s crashed.
Ra’kur’s people have been brought to the brink of extinction by war. After years spent searching for a compatible mate to bond with, an enemy attack lands him on a backward, primitive planet and right to the very female he has been seeking. And a Hir warrior’s first task in claiming a mate is to capture her . . .
Available at Amazon
***
Excerpt Captured
The screaming came from overhead, like metal ripping through the sky.
In the next instant Jenna stumbled, falling onto her hands and knees as the cabin itself seemed to be lifted up a bit before being slammed back down in a puff of dust, the books and boxes and Pap’s many doohickeys rattling around her.
She was gasping, her ears still ringing as the cabin settled into quiet again. Shaking, Jenna eased back onto her haunches, her hand going to the little golden bird charm that hung on a chain around her neck.
Earthquake?
Quakes were rare in this part of North Carolina, and besides, she’d felt that tremble, that rumbling, beneath her feet a few times out west and this was nothing like that.
Jenna’s glance darted about the room—the half-packed boxes, the groupings she’d made as she sorted her grandfather’s things into piles of stuff to keep or give away or throw out. Through the cabin’s front window, she caught sight of a far-off spray of snow thrown high into the air and now falling rapidly to the ground.
When she’d fallen, she’d dropped the framed photo of her and Pap standing in front of The Sweet Tooth on opening day. Thankfully it hadn’t broken, but the faded oval rag rug had done little to protect her knees from the fall and her palms felt raw and scraped.
Shakily Jenna placed the picture on the coffee table, put a hand on the worn red and black plaid sofa, and, wincing, got to her feet. Her right knee was likely going to sport a nasty bruise tomorrow but the couple steps across the living room to the window assured her that would be the worst of it. She frowned out at the sunny, snow-covered landscape, her breath fogging up the windowpane.
Plane crash, maybe?
There was a tiny airport not far from here. Recently built and meant for small craft—a few of the new, wealthy residents of Brittle Bridge used it when they didn’t want to go to Six Oaks—it was little more than a runway and a couple hangars.
Jenna scanned the woods, looking for smoke, but even the snow had settled now and the mountain seemed peaceful as ever. It took her a moment to realize that the TV that she’d had on to keep her company while she tended to the heartrending task of packing up Pap’s things had gone dark. A quick look at the blinking red light showed the Wi-Fi was out too.
No satellite, no Internet.
“Great,” she muttered, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. Thinking she could get by fine with just her cell she’d made the mistake of having the landline cut off last week before she realized her fancy—and expensive—new phone didn’t work inside the cabin. Outside, sure. Go twenty feet or sit in the SUV and the damned thing worked perfectly.
Jenna chewed the inside of her cheek. She hadn’t seen anything except the now-resettled spray of snow but if it were a downed plane then someone could be hurt out there. It got dark around five this time of year so there were a few hours of daylight left at least and she knew these woods better than anyone—excepting her grandfather, of course.
She grabbed her cell off the coffee table and in a few moments had her white down jacket zipped, the hood yanked up, and her gloves on. She was already wearing her sheepskin boots; the cabin floor sometimes felt cold to her even in the summer and now in January it was bitterly so.
Jenna drew in the bracing smell of snow and pine as she stepped onto the porch and shut the front door behind her. She was careful going down the cabin’s front steps; she’d slipped often enough on them over the years to remember to hold the handrail in winter. The soft powdery snow crunched under her boots as she walked and, as expected, three steps past her SUV the cell had reception again.
She scrolled through the numbers to the right one and hit “Dial” as she headed in the direction where she’d seen the snow spray.
“Sheriff’s Department.”
“Sarah Jane? It’s Jenna McNally.”
“Hey there, Jenna, you okay?” Sarah Jane had once been a model, or so Pap had said. Got her heart broke by a famous artist in New York and fled to Brittle Bridge to escape it all.
But then again, he’d made up stories about everyone with Jenna—the mayor was in the witness protection program, her teacher was a secret agent. She’d been labeled a “sensitive child” by the social worker who had handled the transfer of custody to him. Of course to Pap “sensitive” meant “creative” so he’d gone all out in encouraging her in all of it—the arts and music, crafting, baking—anything she wanted to try, and he was proud as punch to let her.
But if Sarah Jane had been a model, it was thirty-five years ago or more now and twenty since she joined the sheriff’s department. “You up at Pap’s still?”
Her grandfather’s name was William James McNally. But it had probably been since before Sarah Jane’s supposed model-artist affair days that he had been called anything other than “Pap” in the vicinity of Brittle Bridge—at least never in the twenty-six years Jenna had known him.
Well, excepting that social worker.
“Yeah, I’ll be here for a couple more days,” Jenna said, already past the clearing around the house and into the forest. “Listen, I think a plane crashed up here on our”—she swallowed hard—“my land.”
“A plane?” Sarah Jane’s voice went from neighborly to official. “Where did it come down?”
“Not sure.” Jenna ducked under a branch as she headed deeper into the woods. “I heard something real loud and then it was like ‘bam,’ something hitting the ground hard. Shook the whole place.”
“Can you see smoke from where you are now?”
“No,” Jenna admitted, trotting along as fast as the snow would allow her. Some of the drifts were deep and she had to mind where she stepped. She wouldn’t be doing anyone any good if she broke her ankle. “I’m heading out to take a look now.”
“But you saw the plane go down?”
“Uh, no.” Sarah Jane’s too-patient tone was starting to make her feel a little embarrassed for calling when she hadn’t actually seen anything. Maybe it was something else: a really big tree falling or a damn meteorite or something.
“Huh,” Sarah Jane said. “Lemme call around and see if anybody’s gone missing. But you call me straight off if you find anything, ’kay?”
“Sure thing.” Jenna ended the call and slipped the phone into her jacket pocket. Whatever crashed couldn’t be far from where she’d seen the snow spray up.
Forced by the lack of schools and friends for his young granddaughter, Pap had kept the house in Asheville, but they’d come to Brittle Bridge at every opportunity. Pap’s heart was here and she’d happily spent the summer days running barefooted in these woods clad in overalls, her chestnut hair in pigtails at first, then tied back in a ponytail as she got older.
Her stride faltered and she steadied herself against a pine, the rough trunk pulling on her knitted glove. Pap’s beloved woods were quiet and bright around her but Jenna suddenly had a strong urge to run back to the cabin.
She set her jaw and pressed on. Pap hadn’t raised her to be a coward and this was her land now. He’d left her five hundred acres and anyone on it without her say-so was trespassing, even if it was about to go up for sale.
Still, she wished she’d thought to grab Pap’s revolver or rifle or even his hunting knife before she’d come racing down here.
I’ll go as far as the creek and if I don’t find anything I’ll head on back.
But all was quiet at the creek too, the crystal clear water moving placidly between the banks—
Jenna stopped short. There was tang to the air, a burned smell that wrinkled her nose. It reminded her a little bit of the inside of a mechanic’s garage, out of place in such pristine woods.
It smelled wrong. Not only that…
There’s no snow here.
There was snow all around, covering the ground, hanging heavy in the tree limbs above, but here there was just a long patch of mud and broken sticks.
The sudden sick feeling of being watched raised the tiny hairs on the back of her neck. With a shock of awareness she realized just how very vulnerable she was out here, alone and unarmed.
Pap hadn’t raised her to be an idiot either. With trembling fingers she pulled her phone out and hit redial to the Sheriff’s office.
In horrified disbelief she watched the screen flash “Connection failed.”
She took a step back and searched the silent, still forest.
All I have to do is make it back up to the house. I can get the gun, get my car keys, call for help, get the hell out of here!
Her quickened breath was visible as she headed uphill back toward the cabin, the drifts and her fear slowing her down. She couldn’t remember if the ammunition was still in the kitchen cabinet or if she’d moved it to—
Something off to her right gave a soft, deep growl . . .
***
Warriors of Hir
Book Two
Willow Danes
Genre: Science Fiction Romance /
Paranormal Erotica
Publisher: Here Be Dragons
Date of Publication: February 1, 2015
ISBN-10: 0692377735
ISBN-13: 978-0692377734
ASIN: B00T0VFO8S
Number of pages: 271
Word Count: 69,000
Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone
Book Description:
Hope MacGowan is a city girl but reeling from a break-up on top of a layoff has her determined to have a weekend away in the North Carolina mountains—even if all her friends have bailed at the last minute. Hope’s life is one big train-wreck and getting kidnapped by a tall, blond alien—even a gorgeous one—sure isn’t helping.
R’har crossed the galaxy to seek a mate on this newly discovered world and this delicate red-haired female is everything he’s dreamed of—except happy to find herself mated to him. R’har knows in his heart he’s her true mate, even if he’s not human. But taking her doesn’t mean he can keep her and somehow he has to convince Hope to choose him before time runs out . . .
Available at Amazon
***
Excerpt Taken:
Coldness snaked through Hope’s belly as Keri’s silence dragged on.
“Did you know?” Hope asked again. Her cell pressed hard to her ear, her heart in her throat as she waited for her friend’s answer, she had a sudden urge to open the car window and hurl the damned thing into the road before Keri could reply. “Did you know about Brian and Megan?”
Through the phone she heard Keri sigh and Hope’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, the center diamond of her engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight.
Parked in front of the diner where she was to pick up the rental’s keys, Hope blinked out at Brittle Bridge, North Carolina’s quaint Main Street. Outside her car, people strolled about on their Friday morning errands, enjoying the May sunshine and the sweet mountain air, chatting and laughing.
Inside the car, Hope’s breath had the quick shallow pant of an animal caught in a trap.
“Look,” Keri began, a little impatiently. “It wasn’t my job to tell you. Megan—Brian really—should have.”
“You’re my friend. You went with me to look at venues, at wedding gowns. You bought a bridesmaid’s dress.” Hope’s throat tightened. “Megan bought a maid of honor dress!”
“I didn’t actually buy the dress,” Keri mumbled. “I called the boutique after we left and asked them to cancel my order.”
But that was back in March!
“How long?” Hope asked, her voice high and tight. “How long has it been going on? How long have you known?”
Keri sighed again. “I went to Gable’s with some people from work back in January and I saw Brian and Megan in a booth in the back and they were—It’s probably been going on longer though.”
“January? But—” Hope began, her tone pleading now as if she could argue this away, as if to point out the faulty logic of it would cast a spell and make everything right again. “But we got engaged on Valentine’s Day! He asked me to marry him on Valentine’s Day. If he and Megan were—” Her eyes stung. “He broke our engagement by text, you know. He sent me a text today to tell me that he and Megan were together and how very, very sorry he was. Megan texted to say she’s sorry too—Oh, and since she’s not coming for the weekend she’s not going to pay her third for the rental.”
“Oh, that is shitty,” Keri said.
Shitty as letting me plan a wedding when you knew all along Megan was fucking my fiancé?
But the great burden of red hair was everyone expected you to have a bad temper and a sharp tongue. Hope had spent most of her twenty-seven years showing the world how even-keeled she was, how she could handle anything with a cool head, not raging or weeping even in the face of heartbreak and grief, not letting anyone know how bad she hurt.
Those walls went up when she was eight and were so thick now that nothing—not the death of her parents, not the humiliation of her fiancé screwing her maid of honor—was going to bring them down.
“Yeah, it is,” Hope said instead. “So when were you going to get around to telling me that you aren’t coming for the weekend either?”
“Look, I just thought if you and Megan were alone—maybe the truth would finally come out. Being with the two of you and pretending I didn’t know sucked.”
“Wow.” Hope nodded even though Keri couldn’t see her. Even a determined redhead had her limits. “That must have been really rough on you.”
Keri went silent again.
Hope put her hand over her eyes, blocking out the cheerful spring sunlight. “I lost my job this morning.”
“What?” Keri sounded startled for the first time during their conversation.
“They made the announcement today. They sold the company to the Hindle Group last week and they had one too many graphic designers so they let me go. They made me drive all the way to Asheville to give me the news. My fiancé ends it in a text but my company had to tell me in person.”
“Jesus . . .”
“They gave me three months’ severance. And they shook my hand too. Apparently someone in the D.C. office did me the favor of clearing out my stuff while I was driving to Asheville yesterday so I’m all packed up. They’ll have everything delivered to my apartment by the end of the day.”
“So you’re driving back to D.C. tonight?”
“What for?” Hope asked bleakly. “Brian and Megan are at his place, making the most of the romantic curtained bed I bought. I don’t have work on Monday. No fiancé, no best friend, no job. My apartment lease is up in ten days and now I won’t be moving in with Brian. Maybe I’ll just move up here to the mountains. Take up wood crafting or something.”
“Call me when you get back,” Keri urged. “I’ll take you out and get you drunk. We’ll find you someone new.”
“No. I’m cursed.” Hope shut her eyes. “No one on the planet has worse luck with men than I do.”
Keri was smart enough not to argue that point. “I really am sorry.”
“Yeah, me too,” Hope said and hung up.
She turned off the car and sat there, the cell cradled in her lap. The invitations hadn’t gone out yet so she didn’t need to work through the guest list; with her parents both dead and no siblings there was no one left to call.
No one at all.
***
Warriors of Hir
Book Three
Willow Danes
Genre: Science Fiction Romance /Paranormal Erotica
Publisher: Here Be Dragons
Date of Publication: July 28, 2015
ISBN-10: 0692500820
ISBN-13: 978-0692500828
ASIN: B012UW5YKG
Number of pages: 265
Word Count: 68,000
Cover Artist: Steven James Catizone
Book Description:
Kidnapped from Earth by an alien warrior when she visits her uncle, Summer Mills is terrified she will never be able to return home. Her alien captors are using human females as breeding stock and her only chance to return to Earth is Ke’lar, the one Hir warrior willing to stand between her and his own kind.
Returning this human female home won’t be easy and Ke’lar knows by this act of defiance he is throwing his own chances at a lifemate away. Both his family’s enemies and his own clan have pledged to reclaim the woman he has stolen, the only woman he will ever love . . .
Available at Amazon
***
Excerpt Stolen:
The alien warrior, naked beside her, gave a soft snore, his thickly muscled arm thrown over Summer, keeping her close as he slumbered.
When he had first captured her on Earth, she had only seen beast—his full mouth, his gleaming fangs, his inhuman ridged forehead and heavy brow. Now, lying beside him, his bare tan skin smooth and warm against her own, his eerie glowing amber eyes shut, she knew how very intelligent he was, this wild creature who had brought her to his planet. He, like all the males of his kind—the g’hir—was tall, powerfully built, fast as quicksilver.
Summer wet her lips. She could see the movement of his eyes behind his lids.
Dreaming.
She’d never get a better chance.
Escaping a seven-foot-tall alien warrior who’s claimed you as his mate and taken you halfway across the galaxy is impossible.
But when it’s your only chance in hell of ever seeing home again, you just tell “impossible” to fuck off.
Six days after her abduction, her heart hammering so hard she feared the sound of it would wake the warrior at her side, Summer eased out from under his heavily muscled arm and slid from his bed.
He stirred, reaching for her. She froze, crouching beside the bed, praying his vibrant eyes stayed shut, his face slack with slumber. His long, silky, red-brown hair was spread across the white pillow, his swarthy coloring a stark contrast to her own pale complexion.
When she’d first awoken to find herself captive on his ship he’d looked her over with his unnervingly brilliant alien gaze. He’d taken a lock of her pale blond hair between his large fingers, frowned at her skin, and asked if such pallor in a human meant she was sickly. Trembling before the huge warrior, thinking he’d kill her if he thought her ill, not even understanding how she was processing those growls of his as language—Summer swore she was completely healthy. He’d given a satisfied fanged smile; pleased, she knew now, that she’d be able to produce the robust, healthy offspring he wanted.
The warrior—Ar’ar—gave another soft snore and Summer straightened to standing.
Clad only in a whisper-thin nightgown, the polished tiles cold under her feet, she padded silently through his luxurious quarters. Sweet spring air drifted through the open balcony doors, the fine silk curtains fluttering in the breeze as she passed them.
The balcony of Ar’ar’s rooms—the opulent living quarters of a clanfather’s heir—overlooked his family’s vast holdings, and the three moons of his world—Hir—lit her way. The wind stirred her long hair, momentarily blocking her vision, and impatiently Summer tucked the bright strands behind her ears to keep them out of her eyes.
She had one chance at this.
If they caught her she’d be watched constantly no matter what concessions Ar’ar—her new alien “mate”—made to his female’s pleas. He was confident enough, and proud enough, that he had dismissed the honor guards his father, Mirak, tried to attach to her. Ar’ar gave a huffing, indulgent laugh as he’d waved them off at her request. After all, compared to him, Summer, even at five foot nine, was just a slip of thing.
A weak, harmless, helpless human female . . .
Using the building to help her balance, she climbed up to stand on the balcony’s wall.
Eight stories above the ground of an alien world.
Summer swallowed hard. There was a reason she always insisted on having a room on the first floor of a hotel. Just glancing out the glass-wall window of her high-rise office back home left her woozy.
But there was only one way out into the hallway—and ultimately to Earth—that wouldn’t wake the glowing-eyed fanged warrior snoozing back there. She had to get from these quarters over to the unoccupied rooms beside them. That door she could open without fear of waking him, then get the hell out of this monstrously large building they called a clanhall and run for freedom.
It wasn’t even very far over. Twelve feet, maybe.
All she had to do was get to the next balcony.
Never mind that the only way there was a small decorative outcropping on the side of the building barely as wide as her foot . . .
***
About the Author:
Willow Danes is the pen name of author Ariel MacArran, creator of the Tellaran Series. She is an Amazon bestselling author, currently at work on book four of the Tellaran Series, The Princess.
www.willowdanes.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8433496.Willow_Danes
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Willow-Danes/1452738648390350
***
Tour giveaway
2 $15 gift cards to Amazon
1 Grand Prize One $25 gift card to Amazon and Jenna’s 14K Gold Necklace with 18” chain
Jenna's Necklace from the novel "Captured"
This special piece was used as the model for the necklace in the novel "Captured."
A precious little bird dangling from 14k gold filled chain. The petite 14k gold dipped charm is beautifully detailed, and finished with a soft matte finish. The pendant slides freely from side to side on chain.
A lovely and minimal piece made of high quality material suitable for everyday wear. Looks great on it's own and layers well with other delicate pieces.
• Pendant: 14K Gold Dipped
• Chain: 14K Gold Filled
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tuesday, 18 August 2015
Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Hybrid by Christine Murphy
The Hybrid
The Wild Clan Sagas
Novel 2
Christine Murphy
Genre: Futuristic Romance
Publisher: KnightFall Publishing
Date of Publication: August 1, 2015
BN: 9781311085313
ASIN: B00Z8QXLXO
Number of pages: 200
Word Count: 139,328
Cover Artist: Christine Murphy
Description:
Sara, a hidden Hybrid disguised as a BioGen Monitor, will find an enslaved Justin being experimented on. She will help him gain his freedom and in the process will gain her own. Trust will grow between them and from that trust will blossom a love which will give them the power to escape BioGen.
Book Video - http://youtu.be/Mji5bytVyBU
Buy from: Amazon | BN | Smashwords
***
Excerpt:
Hands touched her skin and she tried to push them away because the heat was burning her up. Justin’s voice came from so far away as he called out, “Victor, I’ve got some medical supplies, but no intravenous. Do you still have the emergency kit?”
Sara didn’t make out the answer and Justin’s following words became a garbled mess of jumbled syllables. His hands still lingered on her touching her skin and she was tormented. Part of her wanted him to keep touching her but part of her tried to escape while cascading waves of heat reacted to the contact. Continuing to fade in and out she wasn’t sure what was real or what was her fever-induced imagination. She felt the prick of a needle in her arm, a cooling wash of fluid, another round of heat which crescendoed into a blistering inferno until she cried out. Her own whimpers seemed far off but the gentle feel of a cool cloth on her skin was crystal clear.
A caress calmed her and she tried to follow the strong hand that delivered it struggling against the blankets which cocooned her. A heavy weight held her down when she struggled, but a warm murmur eased her until she stilled again. Her eyes flickered open and awareness surfaced enough to know it was Justin who held her in his arms. His handsome face was a picture of worry as he stroked his fingers through her hair and continued to murmur words to her.
Her hearing cleared for a moment and Justin’s broken words reached her when he whispered, “Just a couple more hours, my little flame. The sun will be up soon and you’ll feel much better. Just, please, hold on for me.”
His little flame. Her mind captured those precious words and held on to them just like she held on to her life. Her insides were on fire while the infection from the damage the Monitors and guards had inflicted on her tried to defeat her. Through it all Justin held her, whispered to her, and demanded she stay with him. Did he mean it? Did he want to keep her? Were the words of her being his a truth that he meant, or just a passing moment to help give her strength? Yes, by the Fates she did wish to be his, but the odds were so against them, especially with her Hybrid abilities.
Lost again in her agony all she could think of was the possibility she could kill him. She couldn’t take it if she harmed him with the strange fires that burned within her. In her injured state she was surprised he had not already been harmed. Again she struggled not wanting to hurt him but he held her down, brushed his fingers through her hair, and gently touched her cheeks. He was trying to calm her but she was so lost until the feel of his lips against her temple had every cell in her body focused in on the one moment.
Her breathing caught and her heart seemed to pause in its beat. Justin froze against her and she could feel the hard hammer of his heart. Her body was completely limp, unmoving, but she managed to open her eyes. He was so close, his golden-brown hazel eyes with those brilliant flashes of green just a breath away, and within them a pain that reflected her own. And within the pain, a determination as his arms tightened around her and he rested his forehead against hers.
“Please, Saraphina. Stay with me.”
The whispered torment made her want to cry out. With a shaking hand she reached up and brushed her fingertips against his cheek. The feel of stubble tickled her because of her hyper-awareness. Slowly, with one fingertip, she inched closer to his lips needing to feel them. It was her escape from everything tormenting her, haunting her. Past, present, future combined in a growing haze until she reached her goal and the tactile feel of his firm lips became everything.
With the last of her strength she tried to lift her head, wanting, needing, to feel his lips against hers. As much as she tried she couldn’t reach him and tears of frustration filled her leaving her gasping for breath. A reflected image of grief sparked in Justin’s eyes and she hoped he didn’t think she was telling him goodbye. She was going nowhere because she knew what her future was supposed to be now. Her old caregiver had foretold it so long ago. Her future was right before her…Justin…and she wasn’t going anywhere. He was her future and she was going to protect him and his people no matter what.
***
Christine Murphy started her writing career at a young age even before she was putting words to paper. Living in the Midwest left her with plenty of time to read and develop her creative mind. Her first short story was written in grade school and was in a fantasy-type style. Later she took an online course in writing and created another story based on the adventures of a Native-American youth searching for her purpose in life and filled with lots of symbology.
Science-fiction fantasy was her main reading preference but quickly shifted to romance. In the beginning she preferred Contemporary Romance but that didn't last long when she discovered Christine Feehan and JR Ward. Paranormal Romance had infected her and she read as much of it as her voracious mind could adsorb.
Eventually Christine joined the work force, and although she continued to read, she didn't pursue her need to create her own worlds other than in her head. Her imagination continued but reality kept her busy including a successful medical based career in the military. Working as a clinical laboratory scientist she was stationed in several locations in the United States and in numerous areas of the world including England, Italy, Germany, Africa, and the Middle East. Finally her career brought her to a small town outside the Tampa Bay area in Florida. This is where she finally realized time is too short to put off those enjoyments in life especially when her husband was struck with leukemia. He successfully recovered but it made her decide she wanted to pursue writing which seemed to be put off her whole life.
Within two years she had completed an entire series - The Sphinx Warriors Series, and started the first book of The Wild Clan Sagas. Currently she continues to write from her Florida home while looking out her back lanai to a small pond where the wild-life gathers and the flowers bloom in exotic pinks and purples. This is her place of peace and freedom she has searched for all her life and where her husband and crazy African Gray Parrot, Raider, hang out with her. It’s the place where her creativity runs wild while she spins tales of adventure and passion. She captures the unique characters, civilizations, conflict, passion, and love in her writing from the fantasies which still spin in her head. She captures the strong, spirited, and powerfully attracted characters and all of their adventures and share it with others who are searching for that very thing to make their lives more exciting.
If she accomplishes nothing else in life, she hopes to share the romantically magical worlds and the lovers she sees with all of the passionate readers out there. Her next projects are continuing to work on her Wild Clan Sagas and her Midnight Riders Series as she partners with KnightFall Publishing and CK Productions.
Website: http://christinemurphybooks.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChristineMurphyBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CLMurphyBooks
Red Sage:
http://www.eredsage.com/store/MURPHY_CHRISTINE.html
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Murphy/e/B00BCA7D3O
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/christinemurphybooks
Blog: http://christinemurphybooks.com/blog/
Tumblr: http://christinemurphybooks.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/cwmurphy2016/the-sphinx-warriors-series/
GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6922300.Christine_Murphy
Freado: http://www.freado.com/users/34458/christine-murphy
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/CLMurphyBooks
The Romance Studio Author Page: http://theromancestudio.com/fm/cmurphy.htm
TheRomanceReviews Author Page: http://www.theromancereviews.com/cwmurphy2016
Manic Readers Author Page: https://www.manicreaders.com/ChristineMurphy/
Book Daily Author Profile:
http://www.bookdaily.com/author/1822640/christine-murphy
BookPulse Page: http://www.bookpulse.com/book/the_sphinx_warriors_series
***
Tour Giveaway:
5 ebook sets of The Hybrid and The Source –( first Novel in the Wild Clan Sagas)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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http://www.tabithablake.blogspot.co.uk/p/secret-santa-blog-hop.html The grand prize is a Kindle Fire HD, along with lots of books to go... -
Captured Warriors of Hir Book One Willow Danes Genre: Science Fiction Romance/Paranormal Erotica Publisher: Here Be Dragons ...
