Today’s snippet is from my book Whispered Summons in the Halloween anthology Something In The Shadows published by Midnight Tide Publishing. It releases Oct 28th and I can’t wait for you to read this story!!! I just love Cass, and maybe one day I’ll turn this novella into a full length novel.
“Iz, I made a mistake last night, but I didn’t know it.” I took a deep breath and squeezed her hands, her grip on me almost painful. “Last night, after you went to bed, I was reading through a book on demons, and I happened to murmur a spell. I didn’t think anything of it because they’re usually complex spells. Well, apparently this is one of the easiest spells, so all you have to do is recite it.”
“Meeps, what happened?”
I was avoiding the truth for as long as possible, but it was only upsetting Izzy further. Taking my hands back, I wiped my face and heaved a heavy sigh. This was it.
Meeting Izzy’s terrified face, I confessed my sin. “Last night I summoned a demon.”
Her mouth popped open. Even young Izzy knew better than to do that. It was dark magic and forbidden by our coven.
“I didn’t plan on it,” I urged, wanting my baby sister to understand what was happening. “It was a mistake. How was I supposed to know?”
“Is he going to kill us?” Izzy squeaked, her body starting to tremble with the news.
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think so. He’s not that kind of demon.”
Eyes widening further, Izzy gasped softly. “There’s more than one type of demon?”
“Apparently so, which is exactly what I was looking at last night,” I muttered. “All the spells were so incredibly complex. I just happened to pick the one that wasn’t complex to whisper.”
“What are you going to do?”
I deflated as a fist banged against the door in a solid knock that made us both squeak, and I grabbed Izzy, keeping myself between the door and her.
Oh my gosh I love Karen Tomlinson’s books and I can’t wait to read this series! It’s going to be epic!! This one is on my TBR pile because, well, shifters! And I love Karen. She’s one of the sweetest people ever. I’m sure it’s going to be just as great of a read as her other books, so I’m ecstatic!!
Redemption must be earned…or you lose your soul forever.
Does fate like to give you the finger?
I thought killing my parents would be enough for her but no, now she has plans for my new family—and me.
All I want is to live my life quietly. You know? Find my place in this crazy world. But as a wolf shifter, I must either become an agent at the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation, or try and fit into human society. Yeah, that’s not for me, neither is the SBI. Especially when Connor, the alpha my wolf has claimed as her mate, is their top operative.
Connor is the boy I grew up with, except now he is a tough, arrogant and gorgeous man, one who kisses me, rocks my entire world, and then leaves me hanging, not only that, but he disappears—completely.
The SBI say he’s dead.
I say powerful alpha wolf-shifters like him don’t die easily.
Turns out his disappearance is just the beginning.
Fate made it clear that life is fragile, but she also taught me that once you die there is another life. Or at least there is for me…
I will discover what happened to Connor. And no matter how many times I die, vengeance will always be mine.
Here’s a snippet from the last book in the string of The Diner snippets that I have to spotlight (ironically it’s first in the set). This snippet is from M.S. Murray’s book, A Hold On The Stake. Less than a week left until release!
A sharp pain radiates up my entire left side. I scrunch my face up and pant through the agony until it’s bearable again.
“I think you might have a broken rib.”
“No shit I might have a broken rib. I think you pulverised my entire rib cage when you tackled me like Frank Farmer.”
“Who?” His brow furrows.
“The Bodyguard? Whitney Houston?” He stares at me blankly. “Nevermind. Help me up.” With a loud sigh, he moves towards me. In a blink, I’m upright and slightly hunched as I begin to feel every bruise, cut and possibly broken bone. I’m pretty sure my wrist is fractured on the same side as my ribs.
Today’s craft is a new addiction for me. A few weeks ago, I was messaging a friend about crocheting, and she said she was crocheting pumpkins, and they looked so cute when she sent the picture of what they were to look like. Thankfully, the picture had the website listed, so I headed over there and searched for the pattern. I couldn’t wait to start making myself some cute pumpkins!
Just a few days after that conversation, my grandpa died on a Saturday morning. It wasn’t a surprise. We’d been waiting for it as he grew worse and worse. However, all of the waiting, sadness, and stress that goes along with it wore me out emotionally making writing nearly impossible. There just wasn’t anything left to give. But I still needed something to keep my mind busy and my creative side fresh.
So, I started to crochet. The first project was a few snowflake ornaments, and I was going to move on to another project altogether (no crocheting) when I remembered this pumpkin pattern. That was it. I was going to start making my pumpkins.
I picked out my yarn, a darker, multi-colored yarn that I was sure had enough yardage left in the skein to complete the project. Well, it did, but barely, and it made an awfully short, yet wide, pumpkin, and I find it just darling! That was Saturday’s project.
Sunday found me making yet another pumpkin because it was so much fun to create the first! This time I chose a full skein with bright fall colors rather than the dark ones. Instead of a brown stem, I gave it a dark green one. My family loved them when I texted them all pictures and my youngest sister and Mom both said they wanted one just like the light one. I instantly began the pumpkin for my sister and told Mom that she could have the light one I’d finished since there wasn’t enough yarn for another. The next day after work, I finished my younger sister’s pumpkin. It’s the one with the brown stem.
One of the reasons I love crocheting so much is that it allows me to be creative when my mind can’t handle anything else, like creating worlds. It’s great for when I’m tired, yet let’s me build something with my hands, and it’s a different avenue for my creativity to show itself.
I learned how to crochet about eleven years ago. Me and my sisters were learning together from a friend and I was terrible! Just the worst. I could’ve given up right then, and some days I wonder why I didn’t, but I not only persevered but I far surpassed my sisters in the ability to crochet, and as far as I’m aware, I’m the only one who still crochets.
Moral of the story: if at first you don’t succeed, keep practicing and you will. I practiced for hours and hours. I’ve made more mistakes than I can count. Yet, I’ve learned something new with each project, which makes each project a new adventure.
It’s another book that I haven’t read! I think that’s going to be the trend, but that’s okay! It’s exciting to learn of new books. This one looks like it’ll be an interesting read.
Mitrick Black is no hero. The vampire and gun-for-hire is old enough to know better than to take a bad contract for the wrong side. Except he did. Brutally injured, he has a single chance to survive: become a double agent for the werewolf who spared his life. But reclaiming his position at his evil employer’s side forces Mitrick to do something truly desperate: taking a human blood-servant—one whose fierce spirit makes him want to protect her at any cost.
Laine O’Callaghan is determined to reclaim her family’s heirlooms before the world sends her into an early grave with the rest of the O’Callaghans. But after chasing the thief to New Orleans, the Irishwoman’s entire tour bus is captured by vampires. Monsters are real, and they have her at their mercy. Except something tells her that the vampire who claims her is just as trapped, and she can’t deny the fire that consumes her at his every touch. Mitrick is everything she should hate, yet she finds the man beneath the fangs to be so much more than a bloodthirsty predator.
In the magic tunnels beneath New Orleans, unexpected love is their greatest strength—and their greatest weakness. When Laine’s quest for answers lands them both in the crosshairs, can they survive a curse in the dark?
Today’s snippet comes from K.J. Lavalee’s book Revealing The Truth inside the shared world box set, The Diner. Just a few more weeks until release so pre-order your copy now! You don’t want to miss this box set if you love all things paranormal, fantasy, and romance!
Maverick
I bolt up in bed. Panic fills me. Not from me, but she’s panicked. Something isn’t right. But she’s also resigned.
The emotion subsides and I relax. She probably had a bad dream and is worrying about her life now, and then thinking of her uncle, mother and father.
I get up and start putting my shit back into my duffle when a sharp pain pierces my gut. Not mine, Ella’s.
I must have made a pained noise, because Gellevel is at my side in an instant. “What is it?”
“Ella. She’s hurting.” I groan. “It’s like, torture.” I don’t have anything else to compare it to. I was tortured before. This is like that. Like being stabbed in the gut repeatedly to see what you can withstand.
“Did you see where she was?”
“No,” I say through gritted teeth. “When I… spoke to her… she didn’t want… me to find her.” I take a deep breath. “She wants to keep me safe.”
My brother growls. “You’re the warrior. You don’t need protection.”
The pain stops, I can feel her relief for a brief moment, then white light shoots through me.
Gellevel drops to the floor, and rolls away. Afraid the light is going to hurt him. It very well might have.
Several minutes pass when the light finally fades. I pat my body making sure I’m okay. That’s not my magic, and elves magic is green. Not white. That’s Ella’s.
“I think the block has been removed.”
Gel grunts. “You think? I can’t imagine the destruction she can wreak if that much power came through you. You’re her mate, and you lit up like a fucking bonfire.”
“She is a Bennet witch,” I say, as if it’s obvious.
“So I saw. Guess she’ll be needing to learn how to control that magic.”
Breathing as if I just ran a marathon, I flip him off. “Obviously. She hasn’t had her magic since she was a little girl. She isn’t going to be able to control it without extensive training.”
Even as I say the words, pride fills me. My mate, she’ll be a formidable foe. And she’s mine.
“What do we do now?”
“We continue searching. But this time, we look online. Someone had to have reported that surge of light. We can narrow it down that way,” I tell him. I dig my laptop out of my duffle, and load it up. I will find you, Ella. And I will help protect you, whether you like it or not.
I haven’t done one of these in a while, and I really need to because I’ve come across so many interesting creatures while researching for my First Blood series. There are so many creatures of folklore and mythology out there that I’ve never heard of or that I forget about since it’s not as commonplace. So, let’s have some fun learning about these different creatures! I’ll also throw in how I used them or changed them.
Today’s creature is: the Freybug.
Come again? The what?? What about a bug???
Would you believe me if I told you that this is actually a very large black dog? That’s right. In folklore and myth, it was known to travel along roads and scare travelers! Wouldn’t that be fun? For the Freybug anyway.
Not an actual depiction.
The Freybug is actually from English folklore according to Wikipedia, so I’m sure it has a different pronunciation than how I’d say it. Still, I find the name hilarious. So, how do I use this creature?
Well, it hangs around a road scaring people, right? So that’s exactly how I use it. You’ll just have to read Third House to find out more of the juicy details!
Let’s see, today we have a new release by McKenzie Rogue! This is her debut novel, and it sounds pretty interesting. Hmm time to find out what happens…
Click picture to go to Amazon
As future king, Ash’s destiny has always been to mate with a female dragon and rule over the clan But fate has a funny way of screwing things up After Ash’s parents are murdered and their kingdom is destroyed Ash doesn’t care about the throne; all he wants is revenge
Then he finds her. His mate. But she’s human, which threatens any right Ash has to the throne. Not to mention completely against the rules. Finley and all her desirable curves make him and his dragon drool, and despite his best efforts, nothing can keep him away
The Craze is threatening Ash’s mind. If it takes over, it’ll mean death for the prince The only cure is claiming his mate But he’s got more important things to think about Like revenge and keeping his family safe
As Finley gets sucked right into the middle of his plot for revenge, Ash and Finley must battle not just against the dragon shifter prince who destroyed his life, but against the laws that have dictated dragons for centuries.
Today’s snippet comes from another book in The Diner: Of Fishes And Wishes! This story is by Melanie Gilbert and the shared world box set releases Oct 23rd! We can’t wait for you to read it!
Going out to dinner tonight had been a treat to myself. Now, I regretted my choice. I should have waited for a different night. One with less people. The girls at work teased me for being antisocial, but they didn’t realize the extent I would go to be antisocial if it were possible. I needed a place to live, food, and utilities. Those wouldn’t pay for themselves. I hadn’t yet found a job where I could work from home. When I did, I’d be home. All the time.
Habit drove my hand to tap the back pocket of my jeans. I froze mid-step as the blood drained from my face and my heart stuttered to a stop.
I patted the pocket again. Still, nothing.
“Don’t panic, Venice. Don’t panic. Just think. Relax and think.”
Why had I brought the coin with me? No one would break into my crappy apartment. I had nothing and it showed by the state of the entire building. No one with anything would live there. I didn’t even want to live there, and I had nothing.
“Go back to The Diner. Check the seat and talk with the staff. Look on the ground for it as you walk back.” Talking out loud kept me from totally losing my mind, something I was two breaths from doing. I’d been so stupid. So stupid.
My heart beat hard in my chest as I walked, my eyes searching the crowded sidewalk in frantic sweeps. I couldn’t see any glimmers off a coin, even human money, but I still kept searching as my breathing grew more ragged. I had to find it. Everything I’d worked for would be over if I didn’t. My freedom would be over.
The Diner appeared faster than I’d thought. Time and space meant nothing while I’d searched for my coin. If it wasn’t in The Diner, I’d need to scour the sidewalk again until I found it. Even if I had to stay out all night, the lack of sleep would be worth it.
A few human heads raised from their meals when I bustled into the human’s diner in a flurry of rushing limbs. The floor remained spotless as I made my way to the hallway where the tapestry was located that led to the supernatural side. I did what I could to glance beneath tables and booths as I passed them, gaining more unneeded attention, but I couldn’t help it. At this point, I was a breath from pulling my hair out in the fetal position on the floor. The humans didn’t know what I’d lost, physically and beyond.
“Aeternum ceno,” my voice squeaked out the password and I shoved the tapestry aside to walk into the supernatural’s side of The Diner. Good thing the magic knew what I’d meant to say because I could barely understand myself.
My eyes immediately darted to the booth where I’d sat on the other side of the room. Some of the tension inside faded at the empty seating. No one sat there and would be weirded out by my request to search the area. However, that had been the least of my concerns on my walk back to this spot.
“How many?” One of the staff approached me. He stood tall, a good six inches taller than my six and a half feet.
“Um, I’m not here to eat.” I scooted past him and he followed. “I left something, I think. Anyway, it’s not in my pocket. Once I find it, I’ll be out of your hair.”
“What did you leave? I can help you look.”
I wanted to say yes to the man. He was hot. Even in my frazzled state I could see that. But I shook my head. If he came across it first, I’d be in so much trouble. “It’s okay. I’ll find it.”
At the table, my hopes fell. Someone had cleared the space. Maybe they hadn’t noticed the coin if it fell in the crack at the back of the seat.
I ran my hand in the crack, cringing the entire time. The effort didn’t come up empty. I did find a few french fries and human coins, but I didn’t find my coin. Tears burned my eyes as I sat in the empty booth, staring at the white laminate covering the wood.
“Are you sure I can’t help you?”
The man now sat in the seat across from me, a grin on his face. I scowled.
“Where is it?” If he didn’t have it, I’d strangle him for laughing at me.
Whether we want to admit it or not, Christmas is coming sooner than we realize! Yes, it’s the beginning of October and therefore pumpkin and spooky season, but who doesn’t want to get their Christmas shopping finished early? And what better gift to give than books!
This year, I’m holding the cheapest sale on my paperback books ever! For only $5/book plus shipping, you can purchase any of my books from me, signed, to give yourself or others on your Christmas list! Just follow the link to the submission page and fill out the form! It’s as easy as that. The only book not available is Negative Energy as I’m still working on getting that paperback up for sale.
![Shadow Sentinels: Beginnings (A Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance) by [Karen Tomlinson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Imveb46ML.jpg)
![A Curse In The Dark: The Four Houses: Book 3 by [Dee J Holmes]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41VaxgXaRzL.jpg)
![Dragon's Honor: A Curvy Girl and Dragon Shifter Romance (Royal Dragon Shifters Book 1) by [McKenzie Rogue]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PciRGFDJL.jpg)
Heather Karn 