Promo: Romantic Tales : Bedtime Stories: Episode 1

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories Episode 1 by Tigris Eden (Goodreads Author), Ty Langston (Goodreads Author), and Riley Ross, edited by  Alicia Pates 

Romantic Tales: Bedtime Stories has a little of everything. From your everyday Contemporary Romance (The Getaway) To your Hot and Heavy Rockers turned Werewolves (Crave) and your Sci-Fi/Paranormal with Erotic overtones…. (The Genesis Project) Each Episode will entice its readers, draw them in. A quick Bedtime story before they dream, keeping them pleasantly satisfied while peaking their interests for next month’s installment. All for 99 cents. During the interim there will be previews of next month’s Episode…

By Author Ty Langston: CRAVE 

As a reporter for the Wakefield Post, Harper Erkstine has seen everything. From murders to robberies, all of her recent stories have ended with tragic consequences so great, that she began to question if she made the right career choice for herself.

 While all of her friends were dating, or going to clubs, she was winning journalism awards for covering the latest drive-by shooting or a home invasion that cost someone she knew, their lives.

 She loved her job, it was rewarding to be a crime solver and get to the truth of the matter. As much as she loved her job, but the hours of a Metro beat reporter began to descend her into burn out mode.

 She craved balance. A break, a welcome distraction every now and then. She forgot what it was like to have fun, to take a breath, smell the roses. Was it wrong to want a great career and to have some kind of a personal life? She couldn’t remember the last time she had a date or danced with someone from the opposite sex.

 In the middle of working on a missing person’s story that has rocked her town to the core, Harper decides as a favor to her friend and colleague to do a feature on local an up and coming rock band, called ‘Crave.’

 It was a break from her routine, but Harper soon discovers that this band may have ties to the missing person, not only does she question why, but she also finds there is more to this band than just their music.

By Author Riley Ross:The Getaway

The Getaway isn’t your typical romance woman meets man of her dreams, loses him and then they get their happily ever after. It’s a romance story with hints of drama and plenty of comedy. Mike and Juliet have been dating for about four months. Juliet is madly in love with him but has never shared her feelings.

 Mike hasn’t said those three magical words so she doesn’t even know if they are on the same page when it comes to their relationship. Mike takes Juliet on a two week vacation, so she can escape her family drama and stresses from her job. He has romantic surprises planned and there are several unexpected surprises for them both. How well do Mike and Juliet really know each other especially when an explosive secret from his past is revealed? Will their relationship survive a visit from his family and his ex-girlfriend? Will the secret destroy them or make them stronger as a couple? His mother has made it clear to everyone that she wants Mike back with his vile ex-girlfriend?

 Will his mother sabotage her son’s relationship with Juliet? Juliet does have an ally in Mike’s father. Will Juliet fight for her love? Or will she let him go without exposing his mother for her dastardly schemes? How far will his mom go to ensure she gets what she wants for her son?

By Author Tigris Eden: The Genesis Project

Old earth has been deemed unsuitable for life, New Earth is home. With the Uni-War over, races have joined together in order to sustain their way of life. All life was deemed worth saving, but only one race failed to submit. Humans. 

Now extinct, humans are a thing of the past, or at least their way of life. The people of New Earth won’t acknowledge their hand in the human’s eradication, but they have benefited from it. Dr. Vaggo Blackmore has found the answer, he’s restored his races way of life- sustenance through farming. The one thing that will give them back their long lives….. Blood: human blood. 

Biologically engineered in a lab, Genesis Blackmore has always been different. Her father has told her it’s due to her enhancements, the Federated Council sees her as a genetic mutation; and her fellow peers see her as the shiny new toy. Gen has had better days. 

Everyone on New Earth has milky white skin, platinum blonde hair, and electric blue eyes. It’s the norm. Genesis’ glossy, black hair, ice blue eyes ringed by gold, would have almost made her socially acceptable- if it wasn’t for her honey, almond skin and blue, gold veins. In a sea of milky white she alone is the dark anomaly. 

All Pars get their life’s nourishment through blood plasma. All Pars find their match through the tasting. Gen can do neither, forbidden by her father to do so. She can neither taste, nor be tasted. Something that’s never bothered her until now.

Author Bios:

Riley Ross: 

To date I haven't published anything yet but I love to write wrestling fan fiction, romance and light erotica. I will be married for fifteen years this month to my best friend and Prince Charming all rolled into one. I am mommy to two Syberian Huskies.

Tigris Eden: 

 Author of Shadow Unit Series, 1st Book Enslaved In Shadows... I love all things books! Music and much more! I write PNR, Contemp, SCI-FI, Erotic, and HORROR..... Yes I love the gore! Currently working on Burned In Shadows... Due out sometime in January 2013. There isn't much to say about me truly... I am not that interesting... But I promise to make you laugh at least once!

Ty Langston: 

 As a child, multi-published author Ty Langston loved to read about dragons and knights so much that one day, her grandmother told her to "just write about them." So she did. From that day forward, she never left home without her pen, a notebook, and some kind of music playing in the background. Her love of reading expanded from fantasy into science fiction, and eventually into paranormal romance and erotica. She enjoys different works from George Martin, Anne McCaffrey, Stephen King, and Jackie Collins. But some of Ty's favorite writers are from the world of TV and film: namely, Tudors creator Michael Hirst, and the late John Hughes. Ty has a certificate in Broadcast Journalism along with a degree in Business Administration. She is single and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

RABT tours: The Immortality Virus by Christine Amsden: Excerpt and Review

Sci Fi

Title: The Immortality Virus

Author: Christine Amsden

Date Published: 6/15/12

Synopsis:

In the mid-21st century, the human race stopped aging. Those who know why aren't talking, and the few who are brave enough to ask questions tend to disappear. To an elite few, The Change means long life and health, but to the ever-increasing masses, it means starvation,desperation, and violence.

Four centuries after The Change, Grace Harper, a blacklisted P.I., sets off on a mission to find the man responsible for it all and solicit his help to undo The Change -- if he's still alive. To complicate matters, Grace's employer is suspected of murdering his father, and when the police learn of their connection, they give her a choice -- help them find the evidence they need to convict Matthew Stanton, or die. But if they discover Grace's true mission, they won't hesitate to kill her in order to preserve their shot at immortality.

Winner of the Epic Award for Science Fiction, the Global eBook Award for Science Fiction, and a finalist in The Next Gernation Indie Book Awards.

Excerpt:

“Check him for an ID chip,” McMillan said.

Grace checked both wrists, but didn’t find the tiny metal button that acted both as tag and as a neutral interface for portables. She also did not see any sign that such a chip had been ripped out of his skin by the same people who had stolen his clothing. This man had probably been born on the streets. “Nothing.”

“Good,” McMillan said. He subvocalized an instruction to his portable. It must have opened up a com link because a moment later he said, “Send a cleanup crew to my location beacon…no ID…10-4.”

McMillan turned to Grace. “All right, let’s go.”

“W-wait! Shouldn’t we find out what happened here? Someone murdered this man.”

McMillan actually laughed, a sound that infuriated Grace. He caught a glimpse of her face and the laughter died immediately. “Just like me. I bet I said all the same things my first day. It ain’t fair, is it?”

“So you’re just going to accept it? Accept a man being murdered in the middle of a crowd of witnesses? You’re going to accept not knowing his identity and not letting his family know he’s dead?”

“The cleanup crew will take fingerprints,” McMillan said. “The census gets almost everyone’s fingerprints. If they come up with a contact, they’ll let them know.”

“And if not?” Grace asked.

“Then he’ll join the ranks of the nameless, faceless dead. C’mon, let’s go.”

Grace didn’t move.

“Look, before the day’s out we’ll handle a dozen more like this. We don’t have time to ask questions or take statements. We don’t have time to properly examine the body or the area for clues – most of which have been taken away by other unfortunates.”

It took her a moment to find her voice. When she did, her words dripped out like acid. “Would we have had time if he’d had an ID bracelet?”

“We would not have. We’d have called in the homicide team and they’d decide. Get in the car.”

This time, Grace complied, but she sat in stony silence as McMillan lifted off and began circling the area anew.

“It helps if you don’t think of them as human,” McMillan said after a while. “More than one officer has called this job pest control.”"

Author Bio:

Christine Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

When she's not writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing, usually at Savvy Authors. She also offers professional editing services. She maintains a book review blog on her website with occasional writing tips thrown in for the fun of it.

Christine lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and two children.

Contact

http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664

Buy Links:

B&N (paperback and nook) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-immortality-virus-christine-amsden/1103019090?ean=9781606190036

Amazon paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Immortality-Virus-Christine-Amsden/dp/1606190032/ref=sr_1_2?

ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308104440&sr=8-2

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Immortality-Virus-ebook/dp/B004WOY0W4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324259273&sr=8-1

Review:

The premise is one reason I decided to sign up for this tour, for me it was really unique. And I am glad I did. I have read so many books where we had immortals but never where, humans just stop aging. After reading this, I'm not sure I would would want to live forever, at least not in this world.

I enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters to the storyline. This book left me guessing, what was going to happen, how was this going to end? I honestly couldn't figure out how it was going to end. I love that!

I do have to say while I loved Grace, I didn't so much with Sam. There just was something about him I didn't like and I can't say much more without giving anything away. I highly recommend this book to all Sci Fi, Dystopian lovers out there.

Rating:

4 out 5 stars

DISCLOSURE 

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commision’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorcements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Review: Forget Me Not by Belinda Boring

File Size: 312 KB 

Print Length: 161 pages 

Publisher: Moonstruck Media (May 6, 2012) 

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc

Language: English

ASIN: B00810X57Q 

Text-to-Speech: Enabled 

 X-Ray: Not Enabled

 Lending: Enabled

Source: Received complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

Amazon

Blurb: 

Only a fool would think they could steal from a werewolf …

Anticipating a quiet night alone with the man she loves, Darcy’s world is sent into a spin with the arrival of someone from the past—Mason’s. She is further shocked by the intruder’s claim she may not even be the true mate of the Mystic Wolves Alpha. Accusations start to fly, leading to her new enemy being granted asylum, and this is just the beginning of trouble.

Relying on the reassurances of Mason and the support of her friends and Pack, Darcy soon falls under attack. Suspicions are raised, and with no other choice, she must flee with Devlin to safety where hopefully they can untangle the lies hidden behind the use of magic. Time is quickly ticking away, leading to a showdown where everything is on the line.

They need to uncover the truth before it’s too late, or once again, Darcy will need to fight to hold onto her dreams.

Review:

First time I read Belinda Boring was last year, when she debuted with her novella,  Without Mercy and I fell in love with her style of writing as well as her characters.  So when she asked me to review Forget Me Not I  accepted immediately.

So before starting Forget Me Not, I decided to read Mystic Wolves first(which is the combination of the first two novella's I read previously.) .  I quickly read it, and then moved on to Forget Me Not . Let me just say, she did it again!! I was on a roller coaster of emotions with this book.  She made me laugh, angry(that's an understatement there) and in shock .  And those kisses, let me say this book is full of hot steamy kisses.  I will also say I certainly can relate to Darcy's frustration.

Revisiting Darcy and Mason was like visiting family you haven't seen in awhile, it was pure joy.  I was also so happy to see Daniel and Devilin as well. I seriously hope she gives them each a  book because I absolutely love the both of them.  I also wouldn't mind a  book with Zane and Vivian .  I'm not asking for much am I ? Oh and I can't forget Vlad,  in the first book I wasn't sure how I felt about him but in this one we got to see more of him and his personality, he is truly a fun character  I want to read more of.

Now we are to the villain of this story, Belinda did a wonderful job with this character, because even though I knew this person was evil , she had me questioning a time or two maybe not so bad after all.   I hated this person then I was so so then back to hate.

Last but certainly not least,  the ending... Why?? Why did she have to leave it like that?  I can't say I hate cliffhangers but I can't say I love them either and this one was a big one. My jaw dropped and I practically screamed at my Kindle...  NO!

Overall, this is a fantastic continuation of this series , now I have to wait for the next book, Testing Fate. Which I think I read will be in December if all goes right.  I wish it was sooner because I don't know if I can wait that long.

If you haven't read this series, you should in fact go do it now. It will suck you in and not let you go until the very last page. Well worth the time , lack of sleep and money.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Can You Believe Summer Is Almost Over?

Where did the summer go? I can't believe it's the end of August already. My son heads back to school tomorrow (a sophomore, still having trouble wrapping my head around that one) in less than three years he will graduate.  Not sure if I want to cry or what over that thought.

So how was your summer? Did you do anything special? How much reading did you get done?

Me, I didn't do anything, just chilled read a few books, watched TV and played on Facebook.

What were your favorite books you read over the summer? Any good recommendations?

For me,  as many of you know just how much I love series books, finally was able to read The Immortalis Series by Katie Salidas.  It was amazing.  Click HERE for the review  of Immortalis Carpe Noctem,  Hunter's and Prey ,  and Pandora's Box .

I also read Time Untime by Sherrilyn Kenyon , Review HERE ,  while I liked the book, it wasn't my favorite.  Waiting not so patiently for Styxx's book which comes out next year.

That's just to highlight some of my good reads this summer.  We also added a new reviewer. It's my Sister in law (more like a sister) to help review and get her feet wet into the blogging world.  So stay tuned for more reviews by Edna in the future.

So that was basically my summer, wrapped up in this post.  What's in store for the fall here on BLH? Well let me tell you.... first of all , this look here as much as  I love it  is temporary.  I am getting a custom design and can't wait for everything to match.  I am so excited for this . So stay tuned for a brand spanking new look.

More reviews, guest posts , blog tours as well as The Halloween Spooktacular, cohosted with Danielle @ Romance Book Junkies. We have tons of fun planned as well as 2 grand prizes.

Now I want to thank each and everyone of you who have followed BLH for almost 2 years now.  Without you BLH wouldn't be what it is now. So a BIG Thank you!!

Review: The Darkest Seduction By Gena Showalter

File Size: 715 KB

Print Length: 508 pages

Page Numbers

Source ISBN: 0373776578

Publisher: HQN Books;

Original edition (February 28, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc

Language: English

ASIN: B006QADQ5Y

Text-to-Speech:

Enabled X-Ray: Enabled

Source: My own copy

Blurb:

At long last, New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter unveils the story of Paris, the darkest and most tormented Lord of the Underworld….

Possessed by the demon of Promiscuity, immortal warrior Paris is irresistibly seductive—but his potent allure comes at a terrible price. Every night he must bed someone new, or weaken and die. And the woman he craves above all others is the one woman he'd thought was forever beyond his reach…until now.

Newly possessed by the demon of Wrath, Sienna Blackstone is racked by a ruthless need to punish those around her. Yet in Paris's arms, the vulnerable beauty finds soul-searing passion and incredible peace. Until a blood feud between ancient enemies heats up.

Will the battle against gods, angels and creatures of the night bind them eternally—or tear them apart?

Review:

I waited so long to read Paris's book. I hated the road he was going down. From the beginning of the book a whole new world opened up for him. Gena really put her heart and soul into Paris's book. Sienna surprised me of how she felt about Paris from the very beginning of the book.

The obstacles Paris had to over come to get to Sienna kept you on the edge of your seat. I don't want to give to much of the book away. The ending was unexpected, for those who have read it know what I'm talking about. And the ones who have not read it, hurry and read it. All the Lords of the Underworld are very hot, I loved each one. I would love to read a 100 more.

Rating:

5 out 5 Stars

Please Welcome BLH's Newest reviewer

Edna

  Hi believe it or not I was not a reader till last Feb,2011. My first series was Sherrilyn Kenyon the Dark Hunters. I fell in love with the series. I was so hooked I could not put it down just loved it. Every since then I've picked up more series like JR Ward and much more.

I've never reviewed books before but my sister encouraged me to put down my thoughts of how I feel about the books I read. I want to get my own blog but I wanted to start slow. So please bare with me and Thank You.

FMB Tours: Trouble at the Hotel Baba Ghanoush by T.C. Archer, Promo and Giveaway

Title: Trouble at the Hotel Baba Ghanoush

Author: T. C. Archer

Genre: Science fiction, Erotica

Publisher: Loose Id

Ebook

Words: 35,000

Purchase:

ARe | Amazon | Fictionwise | B&N (Nook)

Book Description

"Enforcer Fontana Marks is on vacation undercover until she has to testify against the Track Cartel for crimes against the Galactic Coalition. But the cartel is hiding something, and Fontana intends to find out what--then make them pay for murdering Jenny, the young scientist Fontana failed to protect on a previous assignment.

The last thing Fontana intends to do while vacationing incognito on the fantasy resort Sagitariun is follow the advice of her superior. "Rest, recuperate, and find a man."

But how can a woman resist a blond, blue-eyed, chisel-jawed, great-assed man streaking naked in public when he's obviously running from someone? And why can't she to get rid of the damned trench coat she stole to rescue him?"

Excerpt:(18+)

Fontana spotted trouble when the man first burst into Spacer Jack’s Bar and Grill. It wasn’t his chiseled jaw and blond hair or the way he scanned the joint with his intense blue eyes. No, the trouble was—he was naked. The towel wrapped around his slim hips had snagged on the swinging bar door when he entered, and he didn’t look back in his sprint toward the kitchen. He shot past where Fontana sat at the bar, his muscular ass bunching with the effort of his long strides.

Her pulse jumped. If that's trouble, I want some.

The naked man disappeared through the kitchen doors. A collision of bodies sounded. Fontana straightened. How was a woman to mind her own business when a nude man was in trouble? She shoved off the corner stool and dashed after the naked man, swiping a man’s trench coat off the coatrack standing beside the kitchen door. She pushed through the swinging door and halted centimeters from where the naked man lay sprawled on top of a waiter. A tray of pasta entrées hovered on its anti-grav suspension, where the waiter would have been holding it in his upturned hand before the man rammed into him.

In all her years of undercover work, she had never come across a situation quite like this. And probably wouldn’t again.

Fontana seized the naked man’s arm, hauled him to his feet, and threw the coat over his shoulders as she bolted with him toward the rear exit. She dragged him through the back door, and they practically fell into the back alley by the dumpsters. A furry rodent skittered from nearby tin cans and disappeared behind a stack of pallets. She couldn’t help a smile. The alley was a replica of mid-twentieth-century Earth, complete with robo-rats and all.

She grasped the man’s shoulders and shoved him against the restaurant wall. Her pulse sped up when the steely muscles beneath her fingers tensed. How was it possible for his hard body to get any harder? She’d seen Aslothian gladiators with less muscle. His blue-eyed gaze locked on to hers.

Fontana ignored the tremor that rippled through her, pressed her body against his solid two meter frame, and demanded, “What the hell is going on?”

His cock pulsed against her abdomen and began to thicken. This diversion was exactly what her superior, Colonel Stephaney Lyons, had ordered. “Find a man and reaffirm life. Let him fuck your brains out.” The colonel wasn’t usually one for getting quite so personal or so crude, but she knew how angry Fontana was about Jenny’s death and the failure of the mission on Rigil IV.

The naked man grasped her shoulders and drew her closer. “Who are you?” His drawl belied the intensity of his stare.

Well, well, a man who knew how to pace himself. Fontana slipped a hand between them and wrapped her fingers around his erection. Her mouth went dry.

He was hard as a rock. She squeezed the thick rod. He hardened even more beneath her fingers.

“I’m asking the questions.” Damn if she didn’t sound like Detective Friday from the twentieth-century series Dragnet. Dragnet’s brand of law was before the Criminal Rights Act of 2141.

The naked man gave a low laugh. “Oh, tough girl.”

“Who are you running from?”

“Maybe I should be running from you.”

“Not while I have hold of this.” She yanked his cock with just enough force to keep his attention.

He sucked in a breath. Now she had him. “I can play yanky-panky all night.”

His shaft throbbed, and his warm hands slid down her arms, stopping to rest on her hips. Long fingers flexed against her carbon-fiber parachute pants.

That and the halter she wore were a woman’s standard garb in Spacers. She released him when he rolled her mound against his rod. Fontana grasped his arms and angled her hips so that the steely length slid along her clit. He groaned, and the sound sent butterflies skittering across the inside of her stomach.

About the Author:

T. C. Archer is comprised of award winning authors Evan Trevane and Shawn M. Casey. They live in the Northeast.

Evan puts his Ph.D. to good use by writing about alternate realities, and Shawn channels the mythology and philosophy she studied during her wasted youth into writing about exotic places and times.

Find the Author:

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook |

To follow the rest of the tour click HERE

Giveaway:

The giveaway is a 1 eBook copy tour wide

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Addicted to My Sugar Daddy by Mack Collins

File Size: 210 KB

Print Length: 88 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Publisher: Make Profits Easy LLC (July 14, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B008LOJGF2

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Not Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Source: Received complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

Amazon

Blurb:

Juggling, school, rent and bills seems like all too much for Liz. Her dream car is just that, a DREAM! Why did her life have to be so, so hard? Her job on campus does not help the situation much either. What is she to do?

Should she find herself a man who provides money or other favors in exchange for sexual relations to ease her burdens? Should she go get herself a Sugar Daddy that will spoil her rotten?

Review:

Anyone ever wonder what it would be like if they had a sugar daddy, well here you go. I don't know about you but I thought about it a time or two(not seriously though). Here we have Liz, struggling to make ends meet while going to college. Her friend, Suzie suggests she try a sugar daddy then her all her troubles will just go away.

That's where all her troubles begin, she ends up juggling three guys. My first impression of these three guys were that I didn't like Joey at first, I liked Mike and Alec, to be honest wasn't in the book long enough to make an impression.

This book was a quick, hot, read. I enjoyed this book, for all its hotness as well as its storyline. Even though I was surprised at the ending, the author tied up the story pretty neatly.

Warning, if you don't like a lot of sexual situations in your books then this isn't for you. But if you are looking for just a hot read with a good story behind it then give this a book a try.

Rating:

4 out 5 stars

Review: Bloodstone by Barbra Annino

File Size: 359 KB

Print Length: 332 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1470192209

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B005TOXKWC

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Source: My Own Copy

Amazon

Blurb:

Book Two of the Stacy Justice Series has more magic, more mystery and more twists and turns than your average amusement park.

A long-lost sister.
A missing mother.
And murder.

All Stacy Justice wants to do is recover from the bizarre couple of weeks she's had--a whirlwind kicked off by the arson attack on her cousin's bar, the Black Opal. But just when life should be settling down, a fourteen-year-old girl named Ivy appears on Stacy's doorstep, claiming to be her sister. Ivy says their mother's life is in danger and insists that the family's magic is crucial to saving her. Sure, Ivy has Stacy's fiery red hair and green eyes--but is she really her sister? And can the secretive teen be trusted with magic?

Then a man is found dead at Stacy's grandmother's bed-and-breakfast, and she has no choice but to see where Ivy's story leads. Strange warnings appear at every turn, including the disappearance of the family's Blessed Book, and it seems someone is out to kill Stacy--again.

Picking up where Opal Fire left off, the second book in the spellbinding Stacy Justice series dazzles with even more magic, mystery, and mayhem--revealing the dark secrets of the Geraghty clan.

Author's Note: It is highly recommended that you read the first book in the series, OPAL FIRE before reading BLOODSTONE.

OPAL FIRE, Stacy Justice Book One. How far would you go to keep a secret?
BLOODSTONE, Stacy Justice Book Two. What if your whole life was a lie?
TIGER'S EYE, Stacy Justice Book Three. This time, it's personal. December 2012

Review:

I just knew when I finished the first book I knew I would love this one just as much as the first. And I was right. It was action packed from the get go and where we were left hanging at the end of book 1, those questions were answered, though we had a wild, crazy ride to get there. I have to be honest I was a bit disappointed with one of the answers. But I still loved this book anyway.

As for the characters, well you all know I just love Stacy, I think even more so in this book, she is so much fun, sarcastic, and knows how to kick butt when needed. But I have to say the winning character this time is Ivy, she is hilarious, typical(okay maybe not so typical)teenager, who shows up at Stacy's door claiming to be her sister. Then there is the rest of the characters, Monique, still the same bitchy self though, I have to admit I did feel a bit sorry for her in this book. You also get to see more of Chance (YAY). Can you tell he was my favorite from book 1. Leo, not as much but it is always funny when you see him and Chance together.

Enough on the characters I might be here all night and you might get bored with this review if I keep rambling on. Overall, this book was incredible though it did end in another cliffhanger.Which leaves me frustrated  because this time I got to wait til December to find out what happens. I am not sure I can wait that long for Tiger's Eye.

If you haven't read this series, please do! You don't know what you're missing.

Rating:

5 out 5 stars

And The Winner is.......

http://glitterimage.info

Thank you to all that have entered in this giveaway, stay tuned for more to come, 2 giveaway hops as well as the month long event in October, Halloween Spooktacular....

Time to announce the winner.....

Fiery Na

Congrats, I will be sending your information on to Enchanted Book Tours, keep a look out for an email from me and the author. Please check your spam!

Book Blogger Hop - Happy Friday! #3

This meme is hosted by Crazy for Books

Q:What is the one genre you will NEVER read?

A: Actually I will try anything once, but my least favorite would have to be certain nonfiction. I tried to read John F Kennedy's book once because I am fascinated about him but it was so boring I couldn't get through to the 3rd chapter. But in my defense I was still a teen then, doing a book report.

Review: Opal Fire by Barbra Annino

File Size: 390 KB

Print Length: 313 pages

Page Numbers Source ISBN: 1463609337

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Publisher: Dane House; 4 edition (March 2, 2011)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B004QGYHFI

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Source: Own copy

Amazon

Blurb:

Stacy Justice is just your average green-eyed, redheaded, twenty-something witch who would rather focus on her job as a reporter than practice the crazy magic her grandmother and great-aunts are into. She's perfectly content to spend her free time hanging with her cop boyfriend and her gassy Great Dane and helping her cousin Cinnamon run the Black Opal bar. But when the Opal goes up in flames, Stacy may need that magic after all.

The blaze was arson--and Cinnamon is the prime suspect. Determined to clear her cousin's name, Stacy digs deep into the crime and makes a shocking discovery amid the rubble. It's clear someone wants her dead--and she'll have to dodge everything from angry motorists to exploding chickens to survive. It's time to dust off her so-called magic skills. But will they be there when she needs them?

With its strong, sexy heroine and her razor-sharp wit, and its collection of eccentric small-town characters, Opal Fire introduces a bewitching new mystery series.

OPAL FIRE, Stacy Justice Book One. How far would you go to keep a secret?
BLOODSTONE, Stacy Justice Book Two. What if your whole life was a lie?
TIGER'S EYE, Stacy Justice Book Three. This time, it's personal. December 2012

Review:

This book is one of many reasons why I love my Kindle. I had been eyeing this book for awhile, so when it was free I snagged it and now I am so glad I did. Where to begin, I loved this book so much. I just finished it tonight, reading it in one sitting.

I love Stacy and her cousin, Cinnamon they are such a great pair. Her whole family I loved especially her grandmother and aunts they were such fun and unique characters. Mario not quite sure how I feel about him. The men in Stacey's life, I think I am kind of leaning towards Chance, though by the end Leo warmed up to me more.

The story was such fun to read, I didn't miss the romance that I am usually craving in the books I read. I seriously thought I figured it out and the author threw another twist at me I did not expect.

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it, you don't know what your missing if you don't. In fact, I am reading the second book just as soon as I finish with this review because she left me hanging and that can't happen. I just have to know what happens next.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars

Review: Skolthan by Damaris West

File Size: 336 KB

Print Length: 202 pages

Publisher: Any Subject Books (March 14, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B007KOI5AQ

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Not Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Source: Received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Amazon

Blurb:

Skolthan: Witches, magic and mystery

Be prepared for a terrifying tale of evil and witchcraft.

From the primitive cottage where she lives a hermit-like existence, Hilda can reach a tidal island which gives her access to a beautiful world, a fragment of the one-time Garden of Eden.

She is almost unique in possessing the gift to pass through to this other world, but her gift puts her in danger from sinister forces that wish to use the island’s power to secure their own domination.

In a bid to rescue a mother and her unborn child, the intended victims of a horrific ritual with cosmic implications, Hilda and her friends must outwit a charismatic warlock (Hilda’s former husband) and the arch-witch Alice, embodiment of evil, who masquerades as a midwife.

Their mission culminates in an act which threatens to tip them over the edge into the same evil world which they are so anxious to destroy. Nonetheless, good prevails, but at a terrible price …

Review:

This premise had me intrigued, after all, its about witches. I love witches, though I have to admit I haven't read that many books with them as the main characters. That being said, I wanted to like this book, but I struggled with it.

The book is written in first person and I know how hard it is to write in that POV. But I just didn't seem to connect with Hilda, like I should have. It lacked emotional attachment, maybe that is what it was supposed to be. I am not sure. But all the characters felt a little stiff to me.

The story-line started off slow then picked up a little bit about midway through the book. And though I didn't seem to connect with the characters, the story moved pretty decent after that which is what kept me reading.

What I liked, was once Hilda turned for help, the group banned together to fight or help against the evil. And the fact she still remained a champion for Camila.

I do think this book has potential. I may not have cared for it as much as I would have liked too, but that doesn't mean this won't be for you. So if you love Witches, magic and all the rituals that go with it then this book is for you.

Rating:

2 out 5 stars

Bayou Myth by Mary Ann Loesch: Review, Guest Post and Giveaway

Please give a warm welcome to Mary Ann Loesch, Author of Bayou Myth.

The Voodoo Terms of Bayou Myth

I have a strange fascination for Louisiana.

I think it's because they have such a melting pot of cultures going on there. You may have heard of the word Creole. That means a language that blends from many influences. It's an accurate word for Louisiana!

My young adult novel, Bayou Myth, takes place in the bayous of Louisiana and also deals with the subject of voodoo. A lot of readers have asked me what certain terms in the book mean and so that's the nature of today's blog post.

My main character, Joan, is a sixteen year old voodoo priestess in the making. She has mixed feelings about it and often gets frustrated when her grandmother pushes the subject on her. Of course, it doesn't help that her grandmother has been dead for over a hundred years! She was the legendary and infamous, Marie Laveau.

A voodoo priestess is someone who practices and guides others in voodoo rituals. And yes, you there are many voodoo priestesses practicing today--not just in Louisiana either! Marie Laveau happens to be one of the most famous though, and the stories about what she did for her followers are wild and crazy!

Sometimes Joan refers to a gris gris bag. This is pronounced gree gree. It's a little bag that has items in it meant to bring luck for certain things like getting more money, staying healthy, and of course, love.

A veve is a type of drawing that can be found on the wall above an altar or in a gris gris bag. These symbols represent the different loas (spirits) in voodoo. They are often intricate designs, and I've even seen a few on T-shirts in New Orleans. Joan's favorite is the one that represents her own grandmother, Marie Laveau.

The crossroads are powerful location for magic in voodoo. In Bayou Myth, a local dancehall sits in the middle of where a crossroads once used to be and Joan believes it to be a spot full of spiritual energy. One of my favorite voodoo tales is that of the musician Robert Johnson who wanted to be the best blues player ever. He went to the crossroads, made his petition to the spirit there, and was granted his wish.

Some people think it's the devil at the crossroads, but voodoo lore says that isn't true. It's actually Papa Legba, a powerful loa who grants favors--with conditions!

In writing Bayou Myth, I've tried to keep the flavor of Creole alive and well! I hope you enjoy the book! Here is the synopsis:

Amazon

As a sixteen year old voodoo queen in the making, Joan Renault just wants to be like all the other girls in the small town of Monte Parish, Louisiana—obsessed with boys and swamped with social lives. If the other kids would quit calling her “hoodoo hag,” she might have a small shot at normality. It would also help if Joan’s weekend outings with her secret crush,

Dave, weren’t always being interrupted by her dead Grandmere, the legendary Marie Laveau. After all, it’s hard to make out with your best friend when your grandmother is watching! But when you come from a long line of voodoo priestesses with dried gator heads decorating the wall of their huts, normal doesn’t come easily.

When Joan witnesses the brutal sacrifice of a child to a tree Druid, she learns her Grandmere’s scandalous past has come back to haunt those living in the present. Hera, a vengeful voodoo priestess is determined to use the residual energy of Pandora’s Box to revive a sleeping voodoo god and declare war on the descendants of Marie Laveau, especially Joan. Suddenly, Greek myths are being re-enacted all over town, and Joan has her hands full trying to sort it all out. With the approach of Samedi’s Day—the voodoo day
of resurrection—Joan must learn to accept her destiny in order to stop the approaching threat to her family and friends.

Excerpt:

A teenage girl stood in the hazy glow. Unlike the other spirits, her form held solid. I got the sense that she drew energy from the surrounding spirits. Her lowered head made it so I couldn't see her face, but the style of dress she wore dated back at least a century. Not surprising, really. Monte Parish could trash its roots to the late 1700’s.

The ghost lifted her head. Her eyes were empty sockets and rotted flesh hung from her face revealing bone. She watched me, and the hatred pumping from her aura sucked my breath away. Her head moved as if she were looking at Dave. A sly smile formed on what remained of her lips, and the hatred crawling in the air multiplied. She moved towards us with an unsteady gait. The closer she got, the sicker to my stomach I felt. She meant to harm Dave. But not because he’d done anything to her. It was because he belonged to me. Though she never said a word, her intentions spilt off her and my psychic conduit picked it up.

“Let’s go. We need to leave right now.”

“What’s wrong?” Dave asked, but he complied with my request and closed up the tailgate.

The girl continued our direction. She raised a hand, and the sleeve of her dress slid back. Even from the distance we were at, the long white scar on her arm could be seen clearly in the moonlight. She pointed a finger at me.

You saw…the words hissed across the cemetery, raising goose bumps on my arms.

Review:

As many of you know I am a huge fan of Mythology, so I couldn't wait to dive into this book. Not only does this book have Greek Mythology but it mixes it with Voodoo and it blew me away. I totally became engrossed in this storyline, so much so I didn't want to take time to eat and prayed my Kindle's battery would hold out so I could finish it. I read this none stop and I still want more.

Joan is a typical sixteen year old for the exception that her Grandmere is none other than Marie Laveau. Which I found totally fascinating. I have heard the myth's regarding Marie Laveau but never read a book with her in it and I just couldn't get enough. Even when the author mixed Greek and Voodoo, I thought I might have gotten lost but I didn't. She did a fantastic job weaving the myths together.

The characters were well written and the story flowed well. There was a lot of twists and turns in this book as well, which is another thing I love when I am reading a book. I can't figure what is going to happen next.

I have nothing bad to say about this book, I loved every minute of it just wish it didn't end. I will definitely read more from this author. I hope maybe we might see more of Joan, Dave and the rest of the characters in the future.

Rating:

5 out of 5 stars(honestly if I could rate it higher I would)

Free this week , get it while you can !!

Author bio:

Mary Ann Loesch is an award winning fiction writer from Texas. Her urban fantasy, Nephilim, was published in July 2011 by Lyrical Press Inc.

An avid blogger for All ThingsWriting(http://www.allthingswriting.blogspot.com)
(http://www.allthingswriting.blogspot.com) and Loesch’s Muse (http://
www.loeschsmuse.blogspot.com),

Mary Ann has also contributed stories in the horror anthology, All Things Dark and Dastardly. Her latest book, Bayou Myth, was released in June 2012. While she loves dirty martinis and cuddling with her dachshund, she loves fan mail even more! Contact her through her website at www.maryannloesch.com.

Giveaway

Both E-book (1 per stop) and Print book 5 (signed by author) USA ONLY

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Book Trailer: Nightingale Way by Emily March

Release Date: August 28th!

Pre-order from Amazon here.
http://www.amazon.com/Nightingale-Way-Eternity-Springs-ebook/dp/B007GZIIMY/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1344968930&sr=1-1

Pre-order from B&N here.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/nightingale-way-emily-march/1108022940?ean=9780345536006

Pre-order from iBooks here.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/nightingale-way/id507896236?mt=11

I need your help! Rating System and Heat Factor Ideas

I am treating myself to a custom design for my blog, and I need some ideas for rating systems and heat factor. Can you help me? I can tell you the design is leaning towards Paranormal, so any ideas would be of great help to me?

Book Review: The Vampire Relationship Guide III by Evelyn LaFont

File Size: 304 KB

Print Length: 98 pages

Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited

Publisher: Helios Media, Inc. (June 25, 2012)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Language: English

ASIN: B008EZ6EEO

Text-to-Speech: Enabled

X-Ray: Not Enabled

Lending: Enabled

Amazon

Blurb:

It’s the holiday season and Josie is definitely feeling the strain. From unexpected (and not necessarily welcome) house guests to the demanding clients of her new wedding consultancy, her plate isn’t just full—it’s overflowing.

Adding to the pressure is the tension between the vampire government, Weres and her pointy-toothed love, Walker. Will a string of suspicious teen murders and disturbing secrets from Walker’s past conspire to ruin their love? Or will Josie and Walker rise above such petty concerns and keep fighting, together?

Review:

It's been awhile since I read the first two in this fun series, but it didn't take me long to fall back into Josie's life with this book. I thought briefly that I might have to reread the first two so I could remember everything, but I am happy to say I didn't have too. Though I might do it just to read more of this great series.

This book is such a quick fun read, I am not sure what else I could say about it Other than I loved it. Okay I will give it a try starting with  Josie, oh how I missed her. She is so much fun and so funny. In this installment, she has gotten her Wedding planning service up and running, and the clients she has to deal with lets just say I am so glad I'm not her. But while she is busy trying to get a client's wedding planned, she finds out that she get's to meet Walker's parents plus to add to the craziness her own mother wants to visit for the holidays. What a crazy mess poor Josie has to deal with.

All my favorite characters are back, Walker(did I mention just how much I love him), Grady(please I hope he gets his own book), Shep, Harry and Sandy. As well as three new characters, Ned, Grace and Betty.

This book was a crazy bunch of goodness wrapped in a short story. There were twists which I hadn't expected as well as the cliffhanger, well a slight one anyway. Enough to drive me nuts with what is going to happen.

If you are looking for a dark read then this book isn't for you but if you like a quick fun light read then I urge you to check this series out.

Rating:

5 out 5 stars

Enchanted Book Promotions: Forever Man by January Bain : Book Excerpt and Giveaway

Title: Forever Man

Author: January Bain

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Champagne Books

Amazon

What if you had been given the gift of healing and could save those you loved? And furthermore, discovered you could save the one you love from a vampire’s kiss. There is a catch; of course, the cost of such a healing could mean your own death…

Ellie Hightower is discovering such gifts in the novel, Forever Man by January Bain. She is telepathic, young and bright and has been running from these new found gifts all the way to Nome, Alaska where she encounters the man of her dreams, Mike Stone and an ancient evil force out to take him away from her. Will having goodness and light on her side be enough to save them from Katrianna, a newly resurrected vampire that looks to enslave Mike in her nefarious web?

To find out the truth you will need to read, Forever Man, the first in the FOREVER SERIES by January Bain.

Book Excerpt:

While I waited for her to return I looked out the window, admiring the view of snow-peaked mountains when I heard the screeching of brakes and a thud, then realized someone had hit a dog with a half ton truck right in front of the restaurant. The driver, a young woman in obvious distress, jumped out and cradled the animal’s head in her lap. In an instant I turned and rushed for the stairs, taking them two at a time.

As I reached the woman she looked up at me with stark pleading in her eyes. “I didn’t see him! Please, I need help!”

Crouching down beside them, I carefully laid my hands on the whimpering dog. It looked like a husky, probably a sled dog. He or she was still breathing, but it was labored and loud. I could also see blood on its soft white fur. My heart instantly melted and reached out to the poor creature with its pain-filled, whiskey-brown eyes that seemed to beg me to do something. Despite the gut-wrenching plea, I felt helpless, sheer happenstance had brought this poor animal to this end and I had no power to save it from its fate.

Hesitantly, I reached my hands out and laid them on the poor dog’s head and its eyes seemed to tell me that it knew its fate. Tears flowed and the image of the dog blurred. I felt its pain as my own as I closed my eyes in sheer anguish.

Please God, let this beautiful creature be okay. Suddenly, something came alive inside me like a dam bursting its banks, and a great tidal wave of energy flowed through me from my very core. It was so strong it made me shake and my legs, cramping in the crouch, almost gave way.

A surge of pure power seemed to drive through my hands into the dog as I concentrated my thoughts on it and then all I could see and feel was hot, white light surrounding me for a few brief incredibly thrilling seconds. The light blinded me, its power as strong as the noonday sun. A sense of pure aliveness electrified me, as if I was at the pinnacle of my strength and could rise up and fill the world with goodness and healing. Then, just as suddenly, the floodgates in my mind closed and the white hot energy retreated back into my hands that began to shake violently with the excess energy.

The sensation left as abruptly as it had come and I fell back exhausted from the effort. The dog whimpered, shook itself and sat up. It looked at the two of us as if nothing had happened, its brown eyes shining and its tail wagging as if it didn’t even remember the last few minutes of its life.

The woman, her eyes huge in her round face, looked at me with complete wonder. “How could this be? One minute I thought it was dying, then you came along and now it’s up and fine? It doesn’t make any sense.” The woman shook her head, unwilling to believe her own eyes.

I knew exactly what she meant. Under the sense of complete exhaustion I was now aware of lurked the feeling that the world had slid sideways and then realigned itself in a new configuration.

Standing up, I felt immediately light-headed and woozy and stumbled forward from severe vertigo,
catching myself from falling just in time.

“I don’t know—I guess it wasn’t—as hurt as you thought—it must have just been stunned.” I tried to put a sensible spin on recent events, my tongue feeling wooden and clumsy in my mouth. My slurred words made me sound drunk or slow I realized from a muddled distance, my voice echoing in my head.

“But didn’t you see the bright light just before the dog got up?” The woman was not to be deterred from her new sense of wonder.

I knew I had to get away, but an overwhelming sense of fatigue was slowing down my reaction time and was it was like being forced to move in deep, heavy water.

“Who are you?” The woman asked, her tone blunted by suspicion now.

About The Author:

January Bain hails from Ashern, Manitoba, Canada. Married to the love of her life, her husband Don, she has combined her love of romance with her interest in the paranormal and vampires to produce the FOREVER SERIES of books. She teaches English and Computer courses during the day, and writes at night and
in very spare moment she has. She hopes to touch your heart with this first book in the series, Forever Man and would very much enjoy hearing from her readers.  www.januarybain.ca

Important Links

www.januarybain.ca

www.ChampagneBooks.com

http://thewritersvineyard.com/

http://january-bain-science-fiction-musings.blogspot.com/2012/03/planet.html

januarybain@twitter

Giveaway:

January is generously offering a ecopy of Forever Man to one winner.

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Book Tour: Book of Paul by Richard Long: Promo and Giveaway

Spice up your summer reading with an intelligent and impressive dark thriller!

The Book of Paul is a new dark thriller by author Richard Long. The book has received great reviews and is currently on sale for 99 cents on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes!
Download your copy now!

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly.

About The Book of Paul

“Never alive…and never dead…”

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure “beyond all imagining”—an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the authentic alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will…and attaining eternal life.

When a lusty, East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with a battle-hardened loner, they are overwhelmed by the intensity of their feelings. Rose and Martin soon discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book’s occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Martin and Rose fight to escape Paul’s clutches and Martin’s destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul’s sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn’t be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe—the Maelstrom.

Excerpt:

Exercises

He practiced smiling.

Looking in the mirror, Martin pulled up the corners of his mouth, trying to duplicate the expression of the blond-haired man on the TV with the big forehead. Something wasn’t right—the eyebrows? His eyes darted back and forth from the mirror to the television, posing, making adjustments here and there…lips down, more teeth…comparing…nope. After a few minutes, his face started to hurt and he gave up.

He did push-ups instead. Push-ups were easy. He did two hundred before he had to stop and change the channel. A show called The Nanny had come on and he leapt up like a cat as soon as he heard her whiny voice. He pressed the remote button with blinding speed-click, click, click, click, click-until he found an old black-and-white movie. Good. He liked those. He went back to his push-ups, his face tilted up so he wouldn’t miss a thing.

In the movie there was a woman who was worried that this man didn’t love her anymore. She didn’t know it, but the man was worried that the woman didn’t love him either. They spent all this time (he couldn’t even count how many push-ups) trying to make each other jealous, hoping that would make the other one love them again. Martin didn’t understand any of it. He looked at them laughing and smiling while they tried to trick and embarrass each other, then went to the mirror and practiced again.

It still didn’t look right.

Pretty

Birds were chirping, dogs were barking. It was a bright, bright beautiful cool crisp day in the neighborhood. Junkies were up with their crackhead cousins, prowling the lanes of Tompkins Square Park, looking for a not quite empty vial to suck on or maybe a john so they could buy one. The gentry joggers were up already, circling the park in huffy, puffy laps, their pounding hoofbeats echoing the clang-whirl-shwoop-crunch of the mob- owned garbage trucks.

Ho-hum. Rose slowly fingered the ring on her nipple and wondered why she couldn’t get back to sleep. The garbage trucks were the obvious reason. The booms and bangs down below sounded like artillery fire. Still, she usually slept like a pile of cannonballs at Gettysburg. When she went down, she stayed down. At least until noon. She worked nights at the tat- too parlor, happily infecting all the ink-crazed kids with HIV and hepatitis C (if they were lucky). She didn’t realize she was doing that. She’d been following the sterilization techniques handed down by her creepy boss. Unfortunately, they weren’t any more effective than the jar of clear blue liquid that the barbershop used to sterilize combs. In the time she’d been working, she had already been responsible for the possibly fatal infection of eleven pierced and tattooed members of the “tribal
community.”

So Rose, blissfully unaware of her crimes against humanity, lay wide awake at nine-fifteen in the morning, twisting and turning her nipple ring. She wasn’t sure why she was awake, but now that she was, she knew what she wanted to do about it. As she rubbed the two silver rings that held her clit hostage, she wondered again why she was up so early and why she felt so…horny? Hungry? What?

She knocked off a quick O like she was popping a wine cork, light and charming but nothing special. That’s when she realized it wasn’t a sex thing. So what was it? She gripped the rings on both nipples and stretched them upward as far as she could, dragging her small twin mounds along like a pair of stub- born mules. She pulled and pulled until her nipples ached, then held the rings at the Maximum Stretching Point, feeling the pain course through her, then settle back down again. She didn’t back off even a millimeter, just took some
deep slow breaths for a moment or two and tried to pull them out even farther.

She thought of a dancer doing hamstring stretches, and she figured the technique and level of pain must be fairly equivalent. After slowly yanking them out again, she thought, I’m in training, and started giggling so hard she had to let go. Thwack. Her tiny tits and sore, swollen nipples bounced back against her chest like a pair of hard rubber balls. Boing. Giggle. Ho- hum. Hmmm. So it wasn’t the sex and it wasn’t the pain or the sexpain or the painsex. So what was it? She looked out the window at the blue morn- ing sky and the green bushy trees and the squirrel tightrope-walking on the fire escape and the cling-clang of the garbage truck and…

She was happy. She was unreasonably, deliriously happy! But why? The “why” brought a tiny frown to her tiny face, but the “happy” was so much stronger that it brushed away the “why” with a single gust of cool fresh air that came blowing through her curtains.

She threw the covers off the bed and let the breeze wash over her until her skin was a textured roadmap of goose bumps, pits, posts, rings and colored ink. She breathed and the ink breathed with her. She sat on the edge of the bed and jingled like Donner and Blitzen. She smiled and she looked out the window and knew something good was coming her way.

Rose stood up and stretched and took a deep breath and yawned and padded into the hallway where her yoga mat was waiting. She spent the next half hour going through her routine, a rare carryover of the training and discipline that dominated her preadolescent life as a competitive gym- nast. She could do headstands and handstands and down facing dogs like nobody’s business. In fact, it took some fairly severe contortions for her to even break a sweat, but by the final lotus pose, a slippery sheen of perspiration coated her arms and chest.

She sniffed her armpits, bowed to the altar at the end of the hall and lit three candles. The candles were nestled between a variety of crystals and minerals, some so brightly colored she often wondered how something that vibrant and wondrous could actually be growing like a plant on the walls of caves in total darkness. Or like her amethyst geode, actually growing inside a rock, like an egg hatching a million-year-old purple crystal baby. Her favorite gemstone was one her mom gave her, a brilliant red crystal she called a bloodstone. Its smooth, squarish surface was easily five inches across and three inches thick, one of the largest of its kind, she’d been told. She rubbed it for good luck like she did almost every day, then pranced into the bathroom for a very long, very hot shower.

She hummed a happy song while she soaped and scrubbed and rubbed and shaved and shaved and shaved. She wasn’t sure what the song was or where she’d heard it before. After three more humming choruses, it suddenly came to her and she could see Natalie Wood dancing in that dress shop, looking in the mirror while the other girls scolded her for being so silly. Rose looked in her defogging shower mirror, liked what she saw and sang out right along with them, “I feel pretty…oh, so pretty…”

Monsters

You tell your children not to be afraid. You tell them everything will be all right. You tell them Mommy and Daddy will always be there. You tell them lies. Paul looked out the filthy window and watched the little girl playing in the filthier street below. Hopscotch. He didn’t think kids played hop- scotch anymore. Not in this neighborhood. Hip-hopscotch, maybe.

“Hhmph! What do you think about that?”

Paul watched the little black girl toss her pebble or cigarette butt or whatever it was to square number five, then expertly hop, hop, hop her way safely to the square and back. She was dressed in a clean, fresh, red
ging- ham dress with matching red bows in her neatly braided pigtails. She looked so fresh and clean and happy that he wondered what she was doing on this shithole street.

The girl was playing all by herself. Hop, hop, hop. Hop, hop, hop. She was completely absorbed in her hopping and scotching and Paul was equally absorbed watching every skip and shuffle. No one walked by and only a single taxi ruffled the otherworldly calm.

Paul leaned closer, his keen ears straining to pick up the faint sound of her shiny leather shoes scraping against the grimy concrete. He focused even more intently and heard the even fainter lilt of her soft voice. Was she singing? He pressed his ear against the glass and listened. Sure enough, she was singing. Paul smiled and closed his eyes and let the sound pour into his ear like a rich, fragrant wine.

“One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, shut the door…”

He listened with his eyes closed. Her soft sweet voice rose higher and higher until…the singing suddenly stopped. Paul’s eyes snapped open. The girl was gone. He craned his neck quickly to the left and saw her being pulled roughly down the street. The puller was a large, light-skinned black man, tugging on her hand/arm every two seconds like he was dragging a dog by its leash. At first, he guessed that the man was her father, a commodity as rare in this part of town as a fresh-scrubbed girl playing hop- scotch. Then he wondered if he wasn’t her father after all. Maybe he was one of those kinds of men, one of those monsters that would take a sweet, pure thing to a dark, dirty place and…

And do whatever a monster like that wanted to do.

Paul pressed his face against the glass and caught a last fleeting glance of the big brown man and the tiny red-checkered girl. He watched the way he yanked on her arm, how he shook his finger, how he stooped down to slap her face and finally concluded that he was indeed her one and only Daddy dear. Who else would dare to act that way in public?

“Kids!” Paul huffed. “The kids these days!”

He laughed loud enough to rattle the windows. Then his face hard- ened by degrees as he pictured the yanking daddy and the formally happy girl. Hmmm, maybe he was one of those prowling monsters after all. Paul shuddered at the thought of what a man like that would do. He imagined the scene unfolding step by step, grunting as the vision became more and more precise. “Hhmph!” he snorted after a particularly gruesome imagining. “What kind of a bug could get inside your brain and make you do a thing like that?”

“Monsters! Monsters!” he shouted, rambling back into the wasteland of his labyrinthine apartments, twisting and turning through the maze of lightless hallways as if being led by a seeing-eye dog. He walked and turned and walked some more, comforted as always by the darkness. Finally, he came to a halt and pushed hard against a wall.

His hidden sanctuary opened like Ali Baba’s cave, glowing with the treasures it contained. He stepped inside and saw the figure resting (well, not exactly resting) between the flickering candles. At the sound of his footsteps, the body on the altar twitched frantically. Paul moved closer, rubbing a smooth fingertip across the wet, trembling skin and raised it to his lips. It tasted like fear. He gazed down at the man, his eyes moving slowly from his ashen face to the rusty nails holding him so firmly in place.

The warm, dark blood shining on the wooden altar made him think about the red-gingham bunny again.

“Monsters,” he said, more softly this time, wishing he weren’t so busy. As much as he would enjoy it, there simply wasn’t enough time to clean up this mess, prepare for his guests and track her down. Well, not her, precisely. Her angry tugging dad. Not that Paul had any trouble killing little girls, you understand. It just wasn’t his thing. Given a choice, he would much rather kill her father.

And make her watch.

About The Author:

Richard Long writes to exorcize the demons of his past and manifest the dreams of his future.

He started life in the school of hard knocks and worked to create his own rags to riches story of troubled kid turned successful advertising executive.

His debut novel, The Book of Paul, is a dark, thrilling, and psychologically rich supernatural horror/thriller that blends mythology, science and mystery into a page-turning addiction.

Richard is also writing a YA novel, The Dream Palace, primarily so that his children could read his books.

He lives in Manhattan with his wife, two amazing children and their wicked black cat, Merlin.

Connect with Richard on the following links:

Website: http://www.thebookofpaul.com


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/RichardLongNYC

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/RichardLongNYC

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6426921.Richard_Long

In addition, Richard is doing a HUGE giveaway, including a $100 gift certificate to Amazon, signed copies of his book, a Tarot Reading, and more!


Tweet, like, follow, share, blog and grab a copy of his book to enter.

Giveaway:

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