It’s Snippet Saturday again! That week rolled by pretty quick. Today’s snippet comes from the upcoming Christmas book, Snowbound Christmas. Here we have Flint meeting some of the North Pole’s occupants! Cider is one of my new faves.
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It’s That Time of Year Again! #Christmasbook
If you’ve followed me for any length of time on social media, it’s probable that you already know this, but I’m a Christmas fanatic. Yes, I’m one of those people who not only has their tree up (Since Nov 2) but my apartment is also fully decorated for the season. We’ll skip the argument of whether this is skipping Thanksgiving and move on to the subject of this blog post: This year’s book is up for pre-order!!
If you haven’t read any of the other books in the Collection (this is #4), that’s perfectly all right. They’re written in a way that you don’t have to read them in any order. I try to do a good job of explaining who everyone is as they enter the new books. This was the first written in a guy’s point of view, and it was interesting. I’ve written in male POV’s before, but this one was just different. Maybe it’s because I’m so used to a Christmas fanatic as the leads for the Christmas books, and Flint is not. He likes Christmas, but he’s sooooo not on the elf level of Christmas loving.
So, why a Christmas book every year? Well, it started with wanting to write a Christmas book (Cause, you know, I like Christmas), and then I realized there was so much to this world that I couldn’t NOT explore it. Then readers began requesting certain elves’ stories (Holly and Jolly) so I wrote those. I’m loving these characters and what they have to offer. Plus, these books make me happy. I love the world they throw me into and to see what happens next. While not my most successful series, I’m never going to stop writing these Christmas books. They are too much a part of who I am at heart. So, with that being said, here’s more about SNOWBOUND CHRISTMAS!
What’s worse than being friend zoned by your ultimate crush? To Flint, not much, especially now that his Alpha brother has found love for the second time. If that wasn’t hard enough to deal with, Santa wants a polar bear ambassador to join him in Christmas Village, and he’s requested Flint by name. Leaving another new home once again, and this time his pack as well, Flint’s only consolation is that he’ll know one person in Christmas Village.
Even the dragon clan in Christmas Village doesn’t know much about Lizzette. Being a private person, she only has a few close friends, and her newest one is a polar bear shifter. Once they land in Christmas Village, pounding snowstorms land with them, raging through the North Pole one after another. With Christmas already on the line, can this unlikely pair find a way to help the elves dig out while discovering the relationship neither had anticipated?
#Snippet Saturday: Nov 2
First Blood is still free through tomorrow night, so of course today’s snipped comes from that book! It’s also perfect that it’s time for Daylight Savings in the USA so you have an extra hour to read tonight!
“Can I ask a personal question?” I asked Shannon, who turned in her seat to stare at me. The wind blew her hair around her face, so she tucked it behind her ear. From the driver’s seat, I could see Luella’s eyes flicker to keep tabs on the conversation.
“Sure, ask away.”
I looked between Shannon and Jackson. “What exactly is your relationship?”
Jackson snorted. “I’m leaving this one to you, Shan.” With that, he turned away from me to curl his body into as much of a ball as he could with the seat belt restraining him. I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to fall asleep, but once he stopped moving, he didn’t move again.
“Well, it’s complicated,” Shannon giggled, answering my question once Jackson was asleep. “We’ve known each other since high school, and he’s been at my side ever since. We were seniors in college when he bonded himself to me as my familiar. Now he can belong to no one else. Me, I’m still free as a bird, but I can’t do that to him. He’s my best friend, and maybe someday more than that. Until then, he’s bound to protect me and assist with my needs.”
“Gotcha.”
“Speaking of men,” Luella crooned. “What about you and Raven? He sure has mellowed out since you drank his blood.”
“Maybe to you,” I grumbled, remembering Raven’s less than stellar mood this morning, “but to me he’s still the same old Raven.”
“Uh huh. That’s why he can’t keep his eyes off you whenever you aren’t looking.”
He did what?
“He likes my eye color.” My floundering retort only served to give Luella another case of the giggles. Even Shannon snickered.
“I hate to say it, Koda, but Luella has a point. He may have been grumpy this morning, but Raven was more mellow this morning than he has been in the years I’ve known him. What happened between you two yesterday?”
#Freebook Alert!!
Happy Halloween!!
If you know me at all, you know I don’t love Halloween like most people do. I’d rather skip over it and move straight to Christmas. I’m not sure if it’s just because I love Christmas so much or if it’s because I really don’t care for dressing up. Either way, it’s not my favorite. However, I was determined to do something to celebrate this holiday, so I decided a sale was in order, and not just any sale, but a FREE BOOK!!
Deciding which book wasn’t difficult. First Blood is still relatively new and it has a plethora of paranormal and supernatural creatures within its pages. It’s also a newly completed series, which is even better!
There’s no shortage of Shifters, Vamlure, Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls, Undead, Skeletons, and much more that you don’t want to miss, especially at Halloween!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QDBC837
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07QDBC837
Snippet:
I didn’t ask any more questions as I climbed in behind the wheel and began adjusting the seat and mirrors. Raven took the copilot chair before reaching across me to press the garage door opener which hung on the sun visor above my head. While the door opened, I finished settling in. Once finished, I took a deep, settling breath and turned the key with a shaky hand. My heartbeat raced as the engine turned over.
“Where are we going?”
“Follow these directions.” Raven set his phone inside a clip that attached to the dashboard. The GPS was all set to go, and linked with the car’s Bluetooth, as a woman’s voice directed me to turn right when I crept the SUV toward the gated driveway exit.
“So, what are we looking at boss?” Avery laughed from the first row of seats. “It must be something fun for you to wake us up at one in the morning to go hunting.”
Raven turned in his seat to pin Lee in his stare. “Boy, what do you know about ghouls?”
My heart leapt. We’d studied ghouls this year, and never during our lessons did I ever think I’d come into contact with one. They weren’t few in number, but they tended to stay better hidden than other supernatural creatures. Like vampires and werewolves, ghouls weren’t picky about what species they killed, making them a threat to everyone, and actually landing them on the Threat list of categories. If a ghoul had been spotted, it was going on a killing spree.
Lee floundered for a response. He’d never been good at pop quizzes or tests, which was why I’d worried about him during the Interview. Either his fighting skills had been impressive or he’d finally had a good test day.
“Hurry up,” Raven barked. “Tell me what you know.”
“I’m sorry. I’m trying.”
Jackson chuckled from the last row of seats. “Need to phone a friend?”
Snippet Saturday: August 10
And it’s release day for Zero Tolerance, so of course today’s snippet must come from that book! This book excites me more than most. It’s my favorite book baby thus far. It is a standalone, even though it’s listed as Book 4. It can be read 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in the First Blood series. It can even be read as its own book and you wouldn’t even have to bother reading the other books because it’s a standalone. Anyway, it’s live today and here’s the snippet!!
The gym wasn’t large, much like Pike had told us, but it was big enough for the two of us. Avery scooted into the room before me and headed straight for a mat where he stood on one side and glared at me, his version of bossing me around and ordering me to spar with him. I didn’t have a weapon, so this could be interesting.
My eyes stung as the room’s lights brightened when they sensed our movement, and I wished I’d remembered to grab my sunglasses. Avery noticed the moisture in my eyes and grinned. I was doomed.
We both readied ourselves, him ready to pounce while I raised my hands in a defensive stance. I’d never faced off with a shifter before yesterday, so I had no idea if this was right or if I needed to handle him another way. I was about to find out.
Avery made the first move, diving at my legs instead of my face like I’d expected. I didn’t have a chance to jump out of the way, and he threw me backward, my body flying away from the mat so I landed hard on the room’s tile floor. Whoever decided to put tile in a gym instead of carpet needed their head examined.
A slow clapping announced we had company as Avery gave my face a quick lick with his rough, long tongue. I pushed him away as he chuffed a laugh, not wanting to know who’d seen me take flight, but also too curious not to know. My eyes landed on a woman who was far slender than most I’d met already who were more burly than slender, well, except for Jezzelle. This woman was much shorter, but also had a gleam in her eyes that warned she wasn’t someone I’d want to mess with.
(Available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited)
mybook.to/ZeroTolerance1
Snippet Saturday: August 3rd
It’s been a while since I posted here, but life has been crazy! So, I’m finally back, and here’s a new snippet! This is from Zero Tolerance, the prequel to the First Blood trilogy. The fun part about this prequel is that it can be read completely outside the series as a standalone novel. It wraps up the story completely. If you’ve read the series, this book gives you more insight as to past events. For most effective reading order in the series, read this before Third House.
Avery and I set our bags down against the wall near the door and headed toward the mat. While I stopped at the mat’s edge, he continued walking onto it until he faced the gorilla shifter, who gave him a wicked grin. Both took defensive stances, and I held my breath.
“Give me all you’ve got, and don’t worry about hurting me,” Smith warned. “I can take it.”
I was positive he could, but I wasn’t so sure about Avery. Without warning, my friend shifted and dove at Smith like he’d done to me yesterday morning, only Smith shifted just as fast, grabbed Avery right before his teeth could latch on, picked him up, and tossed him across the mat. Okay, tossed wasn’t the right word. Chucked was more like it.
The snow leopard hit the ground hard, stunned, and took too long to recover, giving Smith the upper hand, allowing Avery to be chucked to the other side of the mat. That blow sparked something in Avery I hadn’t seen yet, and he stood, turning bared teeth toward Smith. For the next ten minutes, the two exchanged blows. Avery was a much better fighter than I’d given him credit for during our Interview. I was likely our weakest link that day and he’d been making up my slack.
When he was satisfied, Smith shifted to his human self, a very naked human self, and ordered Avery to stand down. Both shifters’ clothes had shredded upon shifting, which was another good reason for Avery to bring a second set. He limped over to his bag, but Smith stopped him halfway to it.
“Don’t bother, kid. You’ll be shifting again. In fact, I want you to work with Fennel and Cage for the next hour. Bobcats, don’t kill him. We need him alive and learning.”
The two cats were already shifted and now eyed the bigger cat approaching them. I would’ve guessed that Avery could take them since they were smaller, but the wicked grins they gave him didn’t bode well for Avery’s future. Neither did the wicked grin cast my way from Smith.
“Now, you’re the one who interests me,” he drawled. “I’ve never fought beside or against your kind, but I’ve heard stories.”
I shrugged. “Sometimes stories are just that.”
“We’ll see. On the mat.”
Snippet Saturday: June 8
One week until release of First Blood! Okay, I’m a bit biased, but Raven is one of my all-time favorite male leads, just saying. Hope you enjoy him too!
By the time I’d set my suitcase on the bed, I was exhausted and ready to call it a day. Staring at the clothes and items inside made my already tired muscles and brain feel fried. It was time to hit the sack. There was no doubt in my mind Raven started his day early, which meant I was likely to join him. He’d probably want to torture me more before breakfast.
“Pajamas. Of course I’d forget pajamas,” I moaned, throwing a pair of jeans onto the bed as I rifled through the suitcase to find my sleep clothes. Yes, I’d packed comfortable clothes and sweats, but I was pretty sure I’d need all of those for training. There was no way I would risk running out of clean workout clothes so I could sleep in them, and I wasn’t going to bed in my birthday suit, especially with Raven living down here with me. Jeans and a hoodie it was going to be until I could find a way to purchase something more comfortable.
Raven cleared his throat, and I turned to find him standing in my open doorway. Apparently closed doors didn’t mean much down here. “Don’t you know how to knock?” I almost shrieked. “I could’ve been half naked.”
He shrugged. “I heard you say you forgot something to sleep in. Will this work?”
I eyed the clothes he held up and narrowed my gaze at him. “You just so happened to hear me or were you eavesdropping?”
“I was walking past your room, and I have excellent hearing. You will too when you finally mature. Now, do you want these or not?”
“What is it?” I held out my hands and he handed over a large t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts that would be way too big on me around the waist. But they were better than nothing. “Yeah, these will work. Thank you.”
“Get some sleep, and be up by five. Training starts no later than six.” With that, he was gone, closing the door behind him. Of course there was no lock on the door handle. Privacy appeared to be a thing of the past.
#Indiebooklist Monday: Week 20
Week 20: Karen Tomlinson
Book: A Bond Of Venom And Magic
I don’t remember how I “met” Karen, but it was on Facebook somewhere. Maybe a release party, or something like that. All I know is that I’m glad it happened! She is one of the sweetest, most supportive people I’ve ever met. And hard working. I don’t know how she juggles so much in her life, but she makes it happen. Karen is definitely on my list of authors that I want to meet in my life! And not only is she a spectacular person, but oh my gosh, if you love romantic epic fantasy, look no further than this read. You guys, Hugo is most definitely on my Top Ten Book Boyfriends list. Pretty sure he’s never going to slip off of it either. Diamond is amazing, don’t get me wrong, but Hugo…well, if you like the dark, broody males, he’s right up your alley! This book (and the rest of the series) are not books that you’ll be able to pick up and just set down. Trust me. Actually, it’s about time I reread this series!
Website: https://karentomlinson.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ktomlinson.author/
Magic awakens. Darkness stirs. The Wraith Lord hunts.
The war raging in the South seems a remote danger for seventeen-year-old Diamond Gillon until her home is brutally attacked.
Catapulted into a terrifying new existence where legendary beasts arise, magic is condemned, and half-blood fae like her have no rights, Diamond is inexplicably drawn to Commander Hugo Casimir. But he is a ruthless elite guard owned by a cruel, immortal fae queen who murders her own people for magic.
A prisoner in Hugo’s world, Diamond’s circumstances become ever more perilous; for the Queen covets more than just magic. Diamond must escape—before her fate, and that of The Eight Kingdoms, is sealed in shadow and chaos.
When her life hangs in the balance, will Hugo prove to be her friend and ally, or an enemy unworthy of her trust?
A Bond Of Venom And Magic: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01J92LEAE/
#Indiebooklist Monday: Week 19
Week 19: Kelly Oram
Book: Chameleon
I first found Kelly Oram’s books on Facebook, and this was the first book of hers that I read. It’s a must. I loved it! You keep getting more and more clues, but it’s not until it all comes together that you see the full picture, and I love books like that! Plus, let’s face it, her powers are awesome!
Website: https://kellyoram.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkellyoram/
For small-town rebel Dani Webber magic and monsters are no more real than the Easter Bunny… until the day she accidentally stops time. Dani quickly discovers that not only do supernaturals exist, but she herself is one of them. This is great news for her life-long best friend Russ, who can finally come clean about his own supernatural status and his undying love for her. Before the two can start to enjoy the long overdue relationship, Dani is taken by a powerful council of supernaturals who believe she is the Chosen One destined to save them from extinction.
As if being kidnapped and expected to save the world isn’t bad enough, an ancient prophecy warns of the Chosen One’s dark nature: “Only the truest love will keep her an agent for good.” The council believes they know who this “true love” is and, unfortunately, that person isn’t Russ. The mysterious, powerful and devastatingly handsome Seer is the last person Dani wants in her life, but when she starts having visions of a horrific future, she has no one else to turn to for help.
Soon Dani finds herself torn between two very different boys with two very different opinions of whom she can trust. With the visions getting worse and time running out, Dani is forced to put aside her feelings and work with both the Seer and Russ before an ancient evil is unleashed upon the earth.
Chameleon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DJVQ6AU/
Snippet Saturday: May 11
Y’all, I have a new book coming out on June 15 and here’s the first snippet I’m posting for it!
FIRST BLOOD
“Hey boss,” called a light, tenor voice from the other side of the truck. “I smell a human.”
My gaze met a pair of steel grey eyes that belonged to a tall man with a wolfish grin who leaned against the hood of the truck. He winked at me, but his smile fell when Raven growled, a human snarl lifting his lips. When the other man’s eyes met Raven’s, the man stood straight and nodded his head.
“It’s not her. He’s the human,” Raven jerked his thumb in Lee’s direction. “And stop flirting, Jackson. You know I have rules against it.”
“Yes, but rules are meant to be broken,” a light, feminine voice called from the mansion’s front steps. A blonde, slender woman with more curves than I could count strode across the stone walkway to the pavement until she stood before us, her hands settled on her hips, drawing the attention of every male eye to her form. Every eye except for Raven’s. His attention remained on her face, a bored expression crossing his.
“Do not break my rules, Luella.”
Luella snorted. “You know I wouldn’t, blood drinker. I like my job, and I won’t ruin that for some male. Now that the fireworks have started, introduce us to the new recruits.”
“Not without me.” Looking back at the house, I smiled. A chestnut haired woman half my size strode across the lawn. Power oozed from her, making the skin on my arms prickle. “I’m Shannon, resident witch. Jackson, the wolf, is my familiar. If he gives you a hard time, threaten him that you’ll tell me and he should back off.”
Jackson snorted, but remained silent, watching Shannon finish her approach. Yeah, he was definitely a wolf. If that grin hadn’t given him away, the intensity in which he kept his attention on our surroundings did. It screamed predator and guard dog, though I knew better than to describe him that way out loud. At least the dog part.
Heather Karn 