Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ Enchanted Traveler ~ Gabriella Bradley & Taryn Jameson

A wish upon a star, conjures up much more than Nailah bargains for…

Nailah Guevera, an enchantress and agent for the Galactic Bureau of Investigation, will do anything to find information about her missing father, including offering herself up as bait on a sting operation to capture the linchpin of a drug and human trafficking ring.

When the mission turns sour, Nailah finds herself captive on a ship bound for Earth, her only backup the one man who sets her heart on fire—her new partner, Agent Aragon Benoit.


Together they must trap the criminals before her undercover status is blown.

Buy Now!

Excerpt ~ 

Lightning slashed through the dark clouds illuminating the lake, causing the water to look like a pool of swirling mercury. Another bolt split the darkness above and struck the surface, then spread into a big, round circle, its edges and center a spiraling mass of violet colors. Through the misty substance, a round metal ring became visible. It had glowing symbols on it. Steps appeared leading down to the beach.

It was as if a door had opened to another world, and the thought of it intrigued her. A form took shape in the center of the ring—a man. Mesmerized, Nailah couldn’t take her eyes off him as he made his way down the steps. Fuck if I didn’t enchant a version of my dream man to materialize. Really? Just because I wished upon a star? How many times throughout my life have I made a wish, and nothing ever happened…

He wore a Galactic Bureau of Investigations uniform, the black and blue bodysuit hugging his body like a second skin, showing off his well-defined abdomen and the bulging muscles of his arms and thighs. He had a handsome face with a strong chin and full lips. Her fingers itched to explore every single inch of that smooth ebony skin. She shook herself out of her stupor when she realized he carried a sword in his left hand. What the hell was a GBI agent doing here of all places? Or was he a criminal impersonating an agent?

 “Odd…my paracorder didn’t pick up any significant life signs. Just the bird.”

Nailah heard his deep voice rumble. Her heart beat a tad faster. She didn’t scare easily, but this was freaky, and she wasn’t armed. Illusion or not, she wasn’t about to let him get the better of her. She stood and braced herself for an attack. “Who are you? Where did you come from? How did you—”

 “You shouldn’t be able to see me.” He gave her a perplexed look.

Nailah brushed the hair out of her eyes. “See you? I’m not blind.”

 “No one should be able to see or hear me. If you can, something is very wrong. My invisibility shield has failed.”

 “Invisibility shield? Why? Who are you? Is that thing a portal?” She gestured to the swirling mass behind him but noticed it was beginning to fade. She lifted her arm and tapped her wrist, ready to call for backup.

The man stepped toward her and pointed his sword at her chest. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

 “And how will you stop me? Kill me?” She cocked her chin and raised a delicate brow.

 “According to my paracorder, you’re not here. I can’t kill someone who doesn’t exist.”

The blade of his sword touched her chest, then tapped her on the shoulder. Her heart thundered in her chest. For an illusion, the weapon felt very real, and she was beginning to kick herself in the ass for leaving her phaser at home. I am such an idiot.

 “Tell me who and what you are,” he ordered, the blade still hovering near her chest.

 “My name is Nailah Guevera, and it is who I am that you should be worried about.”

 “What are you doing here?”

The startled expression on his face at her name hadn’t escaped her. “I answered your question. Now you answer mine. Who are you?”

 “I am Agent Aragon Benoit, space detective. My friends call me Ara.”


This was getting better all the time. Not only was he hotter than hell, but he had just introduced himself as the detective assigned to be her new partner.

~

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ Renewed ~ Maggie Blackbird

When two former enemies fall in love, family secrets threaten to destroy their fragile union and everything they hold dear.

With their extreme ideas about traditional Ojibway life, the radical Kabatay clan have made enemies in their fight to rid the reserve of Western culture and its religion. Disowned by her family for daring to love the church deacon’s eldest son, Jude, Raven Kabatay longs to put an end to the feud started by her mother, brother, and sisters against the Matawapits…people she’s come to think of as her own since Jude changed her life.


Jude Matawapit suffered a humiliating divorce after his wife left him for another man, but with Raven, he’s created a beautiful, new sanctuary after losing his previous one, and his new haven is everything he’s ever wanted for himself and his children. Only two things could destroy his pristine bliss: the secret he holds close to his chest, and the vengeance Raven’s family wants to exact on the Matawapits. A secret and vengeance that could cost the unlikely lovers their hard-won, much longed for happily ever after.

Buy Now!

Excerpt ~ 

By eleven o’clock this evening, Jude would learn whether his brother-in-law or a man who despised his family and aimed to rework the reserve into a dictatorship would become chief of Ottertail Lake. Although the rich scent of coffee beckoned him to pick his mug off the desk and sip, the tightness in his gut forced him to rise from the high-back chair.

He slid his hands into his pants pockets and stood at the window. Snow covered the school parking lot. Winter was refusing to call it a day and let spring take over.

The office door opened. Jude didn’t have to turn around to see who’d bypassed his secretary—his brother-in-law.

“Did you go to the community center and put an X by my name yet?” A hint of concern lurked in Darryl’s question.

“Not yet.” Jude leaned against the windowsill.

Carrying a mug full of coffee he’d readied at the side bar, Darryl plopped in the chair facing Jude’s desk. “How’s Raven doing?”

“Good, but I think she’s a little lonely.” Jude pushed off the windowsill and sat at his desk.

“Y’mean Clayton still hasn’t tried to talk to her?” Darryl asked in disbelief.

Jude shook his head.

“I thought he might’ve come around when he backed off at the forum.”

“She hasn’t heard anything from them. None of her family’s been around.”

“Then I guess they’re still on the warpath.” The expression on Darryl’s face was a man experiencing a migraine headache. “If I don’t make chief—”

“You’ll win.” Jude crossed his fingers beneath the desk, since he couldn’t sign the cross as all Catholics did. Doing so might unnerve Darryl, and as his campaign manager, Jude’s job was to keep his brother-in-law as relaxed as possible today.

“I dunno, man. Clayton’s change in attitude at the forum really impressed everyone.” Darryl drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair.

“His new face didn’t fool me. He only agreed with you about if a leader can’t take care of his own family, he’s not fit to lead so clan Kabatay wouldn’t come across as jerks for disowning one of their own.” Jude made no attempt to hide his pfft of disgust.

“A lot of people said he seemed sincere.”

“He’s not any more sincere than a crocodile shedding tears after downing a live meal.”

“Welp, I told Em he has to vote for himself. Did you know he wasn’t gonna?” Darryl finally cracked a half a smile. “I mean, yeah, he’s voting for me for chief and band councilor, but not voting for himself? Geez.”

“Uh…that’s Emery for you.” Leave it to Jude’s too-modest little brother to put an X beside everyone else’s name on the electoral roster but his own. “Sometimes he takes fairness too far.”

“I reminded him each vote counts. I said if Clayton gets in, we’re in for a fight. We should get over to the diner. I need to feel everyone out.”

“I imagine it’s busier than the four-o-one during rush hour.”

Darryl set aside his mug. “You wouldn’t catch me driving that highway. Way too busy.”

“Where’s your zoo?” Jude stood and wandered to the coat tree.

“Outside somewhere. They came down with us in the truck.” Darryl stood, not having to bundle up because he’d yet to remove his coat or mukluks. “Em’s in the adult ed. wing. He has a lecture to listen to first. I told him to meet us there.”

Jude tugged on his thigh-length black leather commuter jacket, the one he’d worn last year when he’d still resided in Thunder Bay. The stylish coat was overdressed for the reserve, but just because he lived in the bush didn’t mean he had to resort to plaid and toques like ninety-five percent of the men around here.

“Walking over?” Jude ambled to the door. The school and diner were downtown, what everyone referred to as the main part of the reserve.

“Sure. It’ll do me good to stretch my legs.”

In a few moments, they exited the school. The three dogs converged on them, local strays Emery and Darryl had adopted.

“Hey, Bandit. How ya doing?” Jude petted her black-and-white patched coat while peeking at Darryl. “Have a good smudge when you got up?”

Darryl’s lips straightened to a line of trepidation. “All I can do is leave today in Creator’s hands. I did the best I could. So did you. You’re a great campaign manager.”

“And you’re gonna make a great chief.”

“We’ll find out tonight when the last ballot’s counted.”

Minutes later, they were at the diner and entered to the scent of frying bacon, diesel fuel, and fresh coffee. As predicted, every booth and chair was occupied. The rest of the customers stood, holding their mugs.

“I don’t think we’ll find a place to sit.” Darryl glanced around.

“It’s the chief,” someone called out.

“The chief!” another hollered.

“Laugh it up, you guys. But we won’t know until tonight.” Darryl wormed his way through the mob.

Jude followed.

Raven was at the congested main counter, pouring refills into mugs, a pink apron wrapped her tiny waist. Leggings hugged her slim thighs.

“Hey, I’ll catch up with you.” Screw waiting around for Darryl’s answer, not when Raven was in the vicinity.

Jude snuck around the counter and crept up behind her. A laugh sat in his chest. He placed his hands on her waist and leaned in, whispering, “Need any help, gorgeous?”

Raven jumped. The tail of her black braid hit Jude’s face. “You scared me. I could’ve poured coffee all over George’s lap.” She motioned at the man seated at the counter responsible for the stench of diesel fuel and sans his false teeth.

“Hey, George.” Jude nodded. He squeezed Raven’s waist. “I know what I’m doing, beautiful. I made sure you were done pouring.”


“Just for that, you can start refilling the tables.” She fluttered her false lashes and shoved the pot between his still-gloved hands.

~



Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ The Merry Widow ~ Adriana Kraft

The millennium arrived with such promise—will it deliver for recently widowed Merry Delaney?

So much for all the anticipation about the new millennium. Merry Delaney’s life is still in a rut and shows no signs of changing. Sex? A fading memory, gone long before her husband actually died. Excitement? Hardly the hallmark of an accountant’s life. At forty-two, what can she look forward to?

Until her best friend takes Merry’s predicament into her practiced hands. One passionate kiss unleashes possibilities Merry never dreamed of—and she wants to sample them all. Men? Women? Young? Old? Ménage? Toys? Yes, to all, to pleasure, to making up for lost time.

Enter Chicago Detective Jim Barnes, who solicits Merry’s help with a mob funds-skimming case. Can the scorching passion that soon smolders between Merry and Jim survive the escalating mob threats of exposure? Having discovered a zest for sex, will Merry ever again be satisfied with one man?

Buy Now!

Excerpt ~ 

The lips pressing against hers were soft and pliant. They tasted of peaches. The tip of a tongue slipped out to trace the contour of her mouth, wetting her lips. Merry Delaney leaned in toward that kiss.

It had been far too long. With eyes shut tight, she parted her lips slightly, responding in kind. A gentle sweep of passion filled her with warmth.

The peachy lips became more eager, more insistent. A hand settled over Merry’s breast, and she focused her entire awareness on the nearly forgotten tingling sensation of her pebbling nipple. Good God, she’d missed that so.

Practiced fingers wove their way underneath her top and inside her bra until they cupped a breast. Merry frowned. The kiss intensified, and she redirected her attention to tasting those lips.

An arm gathered her close. Breasts crushed against breasts.

Merry’s eyes blinked and then opened wide. She jerked out of the embrace and moved a foot or so down the length of the couch, away from her lifelong friend, Camille St. Jermaine. “What are you doing?” Merry felt her face flush with embarrassment.

Camille patted her thigh.

Merry shrank away.

“Come on, Merry. It wasn’t just me. You were reveling in that kiss. I could feel it. So why did you stop?”

Merry shook her head. Her shoulder length hair failed to provide an adequate screen for hiding. “You’re right. I was enjoying it. But we’ve known each other since grade school.”

“And for over thirty years I haven’t hit on you. I figured it was about time.” Camille blew raven bangs off her forehead. “Damn it, Merry, you can’t stay wrapped up in your self-made cocoon forever. Dan’s been gone for over a year. I know for a fact you didn’t have sex for five years before that. M.S. killed Dan, Merry. Don’t let it kill you, too. You stood by your husband. You sacrificed. You put your life on hold. Now it’s time to let go—try some new things. Take some risks. Live the life you’ve got left.”

“You’ve said all of that to me ad nauseum since before Dan died.” Merry licked her lips. “But you’ve never kissed me—never tried to seduce me before.”

“Maybe I got tired of talking.” Camille traced a pattern on the couch between her thigh and Merry’s. “You’ve known I’m bi for years. You never seemed to have a problem with that.”

“Of course not. You’re my best friend.” Merry’s voice caught in her throat. “That’ll never change. But—” Her eyes widened.

“But you never thought of me in that way.”

Merry shook her head.

“You never thought of yourself with another woman.”

“Not really.”

“But you’re not repulsed by the thought of it?”

Merry shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

Camille chuckled and placed a hand on Merry’s thigh.

Merry did not move.

“I know you pretty well, girl. Sometimes maybe better than you do. You need to take that pretty blonde accountant head of yours and go and figure things out. That’s fine with me. You know where I am.”

Camille rose to her feet and reached back toward Merry, who let Camille pull her up from the couch. Camille kept both of Merry’s hands in hers. “You need to know I’ve wanted you for years. I’m not just coming after you to get you to open up, although I hope that happens. I’m coming after you because I love you and always will.” She shook her head. “I’m not seeking a permanent relationship—we already have that. I want to taste you and let you taste me. I want to show you how a woman can love a woman—totally and completely. I even want to help you find a man.”

Merry scowled.

“Don’t look so horrified. I’m not trying to keep you for myself. I’m just trying to coax you out of that cocoon of yours, and maybe have a little fun along the way.” Camille’s dark eyes lit up. “I don’t know if I ever recall you speechless. Come. Let’s send you on your way.”

Camille led Merry to the front door, hand in hand.

Merry turned to face her friend, struggling with what to say. How could she make an exit that wouldn’t insult her best friend?

Camille leaned forward, brushing her lips across Merry’s.

Marshalling all of her strength, Merry resisted returning that kiss.

“Go, girl,” Camille insisted, “before I do something I’ll regret. Let me know when you’re ready or want to talk.”

Merry nodded and opened the door.

Camille patted her on the rear as she stepped outside.

~

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ American Honey ~ Caitlin Ricci

All Dillon wants to do is flirt with his crush. Too bad his family keeps getting in the way.

It’s Saturday night and nineteen-year-old beekeeper Dillon should be at home enjoying game night with his big family, but he can’t resist another trip to the strip club. It’s the only night he gets to see Cal, who stars in all Dillon’s fantasies and has no idea he’s been using a fake ID to get in to see him.


But making fantasy a reality? That’s difficult, especially when Dillon’s family can’t see him as an adult, let alone someone capable of dating a man twice his age. And that’s only the beginning of the complications that seem determined to keep Dillon and Cal apart.


Buy Now!

Excerpt ~ 

Dillon


There were probably a million things I should have been doing instead of going back to Gents to watch the guys dance. It was a Saturday night. In my family that meant game night. We’d get together at my cousin Gavin’s house and sit around and play Risk or Clue or Ticket to Ride or something. They were probably wondering where I was now, though no one had started texting me yet. My two older brothers would be there, along with my three cousins and Gavin’s ex-wife, Cindy, and his kid, Kyle.

But I’d be missing game night this Saturday, just as I’d missed it last Saturday too. I couldn’t play it off like I’d forgotten what day it was or anything like that either. We all had the reminders on our phones. I should have been there with my family.

Instead I was at Gents, because Saturday nights were the only night, as far as I could tell anyway, that Callum worked. He was probably at least thirty and his reddish blond hair was curly and hopefully naturally that color. I’d seen him almost completely naked over my last few months of coming here so I was pretty sure he didn’t do a thing to change the color of his hair. I was really glad about that.

In my fantasies, of which I’d had plenty featuring him already, he spoke with a deep Irish accent. He also wore a kilt though, and a sash, and sometimes even a dagger. He never took any of it off. I hadn’t gotten that far in my daydreams of him yet, but I’d been undressed by him plenty.

Callum came on the stage, accompanied by some song I didn’t know. It had a fast beat with a high-pitched female voice screaming out. I tuned the song out as much as possible. I wasn’t next to the stage, two tables away from it actually. I didn’t want to be caught staring, even though I was. I looked at my hands on top of the table often. Pretty much every time Callum looked at me, I glanced down at my hands. I couldn’t handle his smile that seemed like it was only meant for me. I couldn’t look at him and find him looking back at me. I was trying to be invisible, while still being there. I didn’t want to be off in a corner somewhere where I couldn’t see him at all. I’d paid the cover and I’d already ordered my two beers for the two-drink minimum. I’d probably only have one of them. That’s what I did most of the time at least.

My phone vibrated and as much as I didn’t want to see it, I pulled it out anyway. I wasn’t surprised to see a text from my cousin’s ex-wife. Cindy was Kyle’s mom and she and Gavin got along most of the time. Better than I did with any of my exes anyway, but then again, I didn’t have kids with my exes and Gavin was over a decade older than me.

You’re not here. Are you sick?

I sighed. If I said I was sick, someone would have driven by my house to check on me. If I said I was busy, someone would have offered to help so that I could get done faster and get to game night. I didn’t know what to say but I knew I had to lie.

Had something else to do tonight.

Liar.

I pursed my lips and put my phone away. I wasn’t lying. I did have something else to do. Staring at Callum’s ass was at the top of that list. He had on a green thong and black chaps. I didn’t know if they were real leather or fake from here but I wanted to know. He’d worn them last week, too, and I’d wanted to know then as well.

Trying not to stare at him was getting me nowhere. I simply wanted him too much. A man I didn’t know anything about, or even if Callum was his real name. I couldn’t stop tipping him either. It was a good thing that my honey harvest had been so good last fall because I wasn’t used to blowing through money like I was.

I was going to do even more tonight. I’d turned him down for a private dance before, but tonight I was ready. I’d paid off my bills for the month and I knew how much I could afford. I wasn’t cheap, but I wasn’t rich either and I didn’t want him to think that I didn’t know what he was worth. I wanted him. Badly.

When his set ended and he came around this time, he stopped at my table just as before.

“Having fun?” he asked me.

I nodded. His accent was there, though only slight, and it could have been completely my imagination. “Can I have a dance tonight?” My voice wasn’t nearly as strong as his was, but I was just glad that I’d managed to get the words out at all really. I was nervous, and maybe even a little worried that he’d reject me, but I was mostly excited, especially when he smiled at me and offered me his hand.

“I was going to ask you if you wanted one,” he said when I slipped my fingers over his palm.


His skin was softer than mine. I used long gloves whenever I worked with the hives, but I still had callouses. I loved the work though. Even down to the sanding of the hives when I finished building them. I didn’t use an electric sander. I liked the feel of the paper under my fingers.

~

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday ~ Phantom Master ~ Crawford Rhine

Nic had entered The Service to find the love of a lifetime, but when that didn’t materialize, he threw himself into opening a sex theater which was haunted by just the man he was dreaming about.


Nic had completed his years of Service and was now a wealthy independent marked man.  He had grand plans to re-invent the take The Service had on delivering sex to non-marked men.  He bought an old theater in Nashville and refurbished it into a sex club with live shows and Master-Servant experiences.  It became apparent quickly that the theater was haunted and dangerous, but Nic felt safer there than anywhere.  The day before the Grand Opening, Nic appealed to the ghost for a safe performance.  He received a reply, but wasn’t sure if his deal was accepted or not.  The opening goes off without a hitch.  He begins to feel a pull towards the Phantom that was unlike any he had ever felt before.  Together they seek answers to questions that are only found when Nic gives up total control to the Phantom.

Buy Now!

Excerpt ~

Part of a text string between Nic Netus and his former Master, Robert Ballentyne that took place on the night of April 20, 2018.


Robert, I just wanted to remind you that I’m flying out tonight

Where are you going again?

Nashville

Oh, that’s right. Going to go see about buying a theater there?

Yes. How’s your leg? Did you go back to see the doctor again?

Don’t fuss over me. You make me feel old…

How is it?!?!

It’s fine. Doesn’t hardly hurt.

Nonsense

I don’t want you thinking of your former Master as a feeble old man.

I don’t. I think of you as a powerful man with an incredible set of connections that has paved the way to making my future plans possible! And one of my best friends…

Hmmm…that’s better than old and feeble.

Haha!

Be careful. I worry about your safety.

Don’t worry. I’ve already hired a body guard to protect me while I am there.

You better let him fuck you once you arrive. He will want to protect you even more if he knows what you have to offer!

Not a bad idea…

* * * *

I had given up on sex.

I mean, I still had sex—quite a lot of it actually, but I had given up on the idea of it. Now, in my head it was just what it was—an extremely pleasurable act between two consenting adults. But I no longer thought of it as this momentous, life-changing act that could make me fall in love with the man sticking it in me.

It was the thrill of the chase that turned me on, almost as much as the sex did. A lot of times, I found myself disappointed with the man whom I had pursued, once I had his clothes off. But, fortunately for me, there were a lot of men out there to choose from, and the very next one would soon take his place.

I was a marked man in a world full of non-marked men. In our world, men who received a blue mark on their faces at the age of thirteen were labeled as men who were sexually attracted to other men. Our world contained no women, so I had a very unfair advantage attracting NOMARs, like shooting fish in a barrel. Being marked was very rare, while being non-marked, or NOMAR, was extremely common, so I had no problem at all in finding man after man who wanted to fuck me.

I had put all of my hopes on falling in love when I entered The Service. They almost immediately called me to Service. They had found a rich NOMAR to be my Master and I wanted him to be the lover I had always dreamed about. Robert turned out to be more of a friend than the love of my life. I enjoyed his company, learned a whole lot from him, and made a lot of money from him, but I did not love him.

I was still young, good-looking and now, thanks to multiple years in The Service, I was also very rich. My life was a blank canvas spread out in front of me just waiting to be painted. And that canvas today was in Nashville, Tennessee, where I had decided to open up my new business.

The car in which I found myself riding through Nashville, pulled over to the curb in front of an old stately theater. I looked out of the car window up at the building and looked up and down the street in each direction. The edifice was unique and spectacular. The neighborhood was not so regal, but it definitely had potential.

Once satisfied, I turned to my companion riding in the back seat with me. “Looks safe enough.”

“It’s not a bad neighborhood,” the big man beside me answered. “It’s just fallen on hard times.”

“Well, let’s see what we can do to help them out.” I watched as a skinny marked man exited a Mercedes sedan in front of us and walked back to stand by my car door. He waved at us through the windows of our rented car. He was wearing an expensive suit that fit him well and I really liked his Italian loafers.

I opened the door, squeezed my six-foot-three-inch frame out of the door, and straightened out until I was standing at my tallest on the sidewalk. Taking great enjoyment from the widening of the skinny guy’s eyes, I held out my hand to him.

“Alexander?” I asked as I closed the gap between us with my hand still raised.

He took my hand and said, “Yes, that’s me. And you must be Mr. Nicolea Netus. It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Netus.”

“Please call me Nic.” I could tell from his voice that he was excited. As all marked men do when we so rarely run into another one of our own, we each took a few seconds to study the other’s mark. Marks always appeared on the faces of each marked man on the exact moment of his thirteenth birthday. Each mark was as unique as a fingerprint.

Alexander’s mark was light and thin, just like him―a muted blue line that ran from the bottom of his left earlobe almost to his jaw. It stood in sharp contrast to mine. Having studied mine so many times in the mirror, I knew it to be electric blue in color, thick with jagged lines resembling flames, and running from my left earlobe all the way to the middle of my chin.

My riding companion had exited the car and was now standing beside me. “This is Bobby, my bodyguard for the day.”


Alexander shook hands with the big man beside me and said, “And this is the Madsen Theater.” He presented it with a half-turn and a raised arm like he was a model on The Price Is Right.

~


Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday - The Wolf and the Butterfly ~ Kim Allred

Sometimes the best way to gain control of your life is to simply let go.

Childhood crushes, like childhood toys, are meant to be left behind with the arrival of adulthood. So why is it that Josie Collins finds herself still attracted to her childhood crush, her brother’s friend Simon London, even after eight years?

Eight years which have turned Simon from cute to incredibly well-built and sexy. Josie already has enough issues of her own, including a recent breakup which has somersaulted her onto a path of self-destruction. She doesn’t need a complication like Simon to add to her problems.

Simon London has returned to Portland after an eight-year absence, now a successful architect who can write his own ticket. When he reconnects with the family who accepted and cared for him during a rough time in his life, the last thing he wants or expects is to develop feelings for his friend’s younger sister, Josie. When he overhears disturbing information about what Josie has been through, his protective nature takes over, and he's determined to find a way to protect Josie. So how does one get into the Masquerade Club?

Josie’s friend Emmie suggests the Masquerade Club to Josie as a way to safely blow off steam and redirect her self-destructive tendencies. When Josie agrees to the plan, she doesn’t count on meeting the sexy Wolf. She finds herself thinking about him, even when she’s at work at the gym she owns in downtown Portland. But she also has Simon on her mind far more than she would like. To make matters worse, her ex refuses to take no for an answer.


What’s a girl to do? How do you choose between the unknown and the forbidden?

Buy Now!

Excerpt ~

Portland High School. Friday, noon, September twentieth. Fries and salad for lunch. Standard carb intake.


Like life, my senior school year turned out to be different than how I’d imagined it would go.

At first glance, a person would think I was normal, your average, nondescript, middle-class high school senior. I had a caring mother, and a lovely girlfriend, Melanie Sarkosian. Not too much different than anyone else.

As for my classes, I’d studied hard, crammed on every subject, and my grades showed marked improvement. On the surface, things were looking up. University seemed to be a reality, after all. My teachers had given me my props, and the feedback boosted my ego.

Scratch the surface, though, dig a little deeper, and the reality didn’t quite fit the picture of your average high school scholar wannabe…

“Nate, what are you thinking about?”

That question came from Melanie—Mel—my nickname for her. Tall, green-eyed, and lovely, she and I made a somewhat improbable couple. In high school, looks ruled. The good-looking guys went for the prettiest girls and vice-versa. Those who weren’t gifted in the looks department were relegated to a second-tier.

No, that rule hadn’t been written in stone, but I saw it every single day of the week. No one could ever tell me different.

Truth be known, I got by with my average appearance. The mirror told me the story—five-nine, lean, with a mop of dark hair, gray eyes, and a nondescript, hatchet face.

That’s the way it was, and I’d come to terms with it a long time ago. Short of plastic surgery, which wasn’t an option, this was how I would look forever, and then my thoughts turned to lunch.

Mel was in the middle of tearing through a sandwich. Me, the fries I had were soggy, and the salad was tasteless, but I had to have something in my stomach, and…

“Nate?”

Her question brought me back to Earth. Daydreaming could really throw a person off-target. “Oh, uh, nothing special.”

Right, lie and hope she’ll believe it. A quick glance around the cafeteria told me the story. People were staring at us. No, not blatantly, but they were staring—and whispering.

Mel stopped eating and gazed around the room. I followed her head movement. Sure enough, those who’d been looking in our direction quickly went back to their meals and their lives.

They hadn’t been staring at Mel, pretty though she was.

They hadn’t been staring at the fall weather through the windows.

No, they’d been staring at my right hand.

It seemed that everyone had a backstory. Mine was that I’d been born without a right hand. Up until three months ago, I’d been forced to use a prosthetic, which only invited more gawking, gaping, and the aforementioned staring.

Then Ukiko Monaghan came along. She went by another name—Dividing Woman. A resident of a parallel Earth—that was a mind-bender in and of itself—she’d come here with her powers and tech, and Mel and I had helped her capture two extremely dangerous criminals.

Ukiko’s powers included exceptional strength as well as the ability to divide her body’s atoms and send copies of herself to other places nearby.

Looks-wise, call her a perfect chimera. The left half of her face was Caucasian, with a bright blue eye and short, spiky black hair.

In sharp contrast, the right side was Asian, along with a brown peeper and silky black tresses. When someone talked about being biracial—her father was Irish and her mother, Japanese—she was the perfect symbol of it.

Her appearance had freaked me out at first, but then it dawned on me that she was genuine. Due to her looks, she’d also suffered, and in a kind and wise manner, she’d helped me to realize that having a handicap was really no handicap at all, not if I let it get to me.

At any rate, in a showdown against the main criminal that she was trying to nab—his name was Astral, and he was a truly bad hombre—she’d given me something called Neural Metal.

Here came another mind-trip—Neural Metal could form itself into any shape or thing, flesh or metal that the wearer could imagine.

Initially, I’d formed a hand, a real, human hand, but quickly found another use for it. My first construct had been a plasma cannon—conceive and achieve—but for the past three months, there hadn’t been any burning need to form any weaponry, unless I went on patrol.

For the time being, I amused myself by forming a flower pot, a replica of the Enterprise, the old space shuttle, and a samurai sword.

Each construct was perfect, conceived by my mind’s eye and my imagination. The first and second-year kids thought it was cool—at least, most of them did. In contrast, the seniors looked upon me with suspicion.

In the past, they’d stared at my prosthetic hand, and the obligatory “Stumpy” or “Captain Hook” comments had come my way.

Now, though, the looks were ones of trepidation. Would I turn it against them? In a way, I couldn’t blame how they thought, and truth be known, I was tempted at times. Payback. Revenge for past slights. Kick their butts.

However, Mel kept me grounded, and I willed my hand to the form of a catcher’s mitt, and then back to normal.

Mel grinned at the sights. “You’re really having fun with that, aren’t you?”

“Well, yeah. You don’t like it?”

A thoughtful expression replaced her grin. “I’m still getting used to it, to be honest. Not that I’m not happy for you,” she added hastily. “But—”

“But what?”


She bit her lip. “It’s just that, when we were kids, I got used to you having no hand or wearing your prosthetic. Now, you’ve got some kind of alien tech I can’t understand, and…”

~

Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!

Awesome Excerpt Thursday - The View from Kamaloka ~ Gael DeRoane

The ghost of your husband has something to tell you...about your new boyfriend… After the tragic death of her husband, Dan, Amy Shaw leaves her Pennsylvania home for Vermont, accompanied by Teddy Steiner, her bestie who has just broken up with his boyfriend and hopes to find love in the north country. They plan to live in an old house Amy has inherited from her eccentric cousin. Shortly after settling in, Amy meets Eric Jordan, the man of her dreams, and falls hard for him. But when Dan's ghost appears to Amy, bearing the message that she should investigate further into her new man's character and history, complications arise. Set on the shores of Lake Champlain, The View from Kamaloka takes the reader on a journey both light and dark through the realms of romance and the supernatural.

Buy NOW!

Excerpt

Standing over the sink, soaping up the last of the dinner dishes, I watched my husband back our Honda Pilot out of the driveway. He glanced toward the street, his broad shoulders turning slightly, his handsome face still aglow from our flirtations. I wondered if we would always flirt and banter, romantic even into our dotage. The Pilot crept into the street. Dan turned the wheel and was gone, and I felt in my heart the familiar momentary pang that accompanied every one of our partings, no matter how trivial. He was just going to the store. It was a seven-minute drive—we had timed it. And it was Sunday afternoon, no drunks or wild teens likely to be on the road. But ever since falling for Dan three years ago, I had gotten in the habit of believing that every goodbye would be our last. I had loved boys and men before Dan, but never with this painful twist added on.

But I suppose it was natural that the twist should be there. When you lose both your parents in a bizarre accident, it changes the way you think.

I put the last glass in the dish-drainer and turned off the water. Dan would be fine. He would return in a few minutes with ice-cream, and with other items, too, because he loved the colors and bright lights of grocery stores and was inclined to dawdle, succumbing to displays of goods that were newly minted or on sale.

My fear of losing him made sense for another reason. I found myself, at this point in my life, awash in a happiness more poignant and powerful than I had ever known. And in this world of suffering, how could such happiness last?

I dried my hands on the dishtowel and headed for the living room. The baseball game had gone dark to prevent screen burn. DVR, I knew, would keep it that way for ninety minutes.

Pride and Prejudice lay on the arm of the sofa. I had lost count of how many times I’d read it. Ten? At least. These days I dipped into its pages anywhere at all, knowing full well what would happen, but seeking immersion in the lovely sentences and the active minds of the characters.

I stretched out on the sofa, a throw-pillow behind my head, contentedly reading. Despite the heat, I had turned off the air conditioning and opened the windows, for I preferred fresh air almost always. A sudden wind came up, and I closed my eyes, hearing it rustle through the trees.

I dozed. When the book slid from my lap to the floor I reawakened. Glancing at the wall clock, I saw that my involuntary nap had encompassed almost half an hour.

Feeling thirsty, I padded in sock feet to the kitchen and extracted a bottle of water from the fridge. I gulped a third of it down before even closing the door. From afar I heard the wail of a siren.

Once more to the sofa. I picked up the book. Elizabeth Bennett was musing on the amiable appearance of Mr. Wickham. My attention wandered from the page, and my eyes fell upon the black screen of the television set. Why was Dan taking so long at the store?

A refrain entered my mind, from a song the nuns had taught me in grade school.

Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Dear, dear, what can the matter be? Oh, dear, what can the matter be? Johnny’s so long at the fair…

The phone rang, making me jump. It was the land phone, nestled on the credenza between a pile of magazines and an incense burner in the shape of a turtle.

“Hello?”

A dull hiss of a cell phone at the other end—a long pause.

 “Hello?” I repeated. I was growing annoyed.

“Amy. It’s Gwen Varrick, from the club.”

Gwen, an older woman who played tennis at the club where I sometimes gave lessons. “Hi, Gwen. What’s up?”

Another pause.

“Gwen?”

“I’m in Wegmans parking lot. I’m so sorry. I don’t know how to tell you this.”

My heart was suddenly pounding. “Just tell me.”

Gwen spoke what I already knew in my fevered, coursing blood. What I had always feared would happen.

“I’ll come down now,” I said, my voice strangely calm.

“No,” Gwen said. She paused. “He’s not here. The police…took him away. Someone will come to your home.”

I knew how this worked. It had happened to me before. The police never called you. They didn’t want you on the road in a frenzy of grief, a danger to all. An officer would arrive on your doorstep, hat in hand, his face grave. If someone called, it would be a busybody who had been at the scene by chance.

My fist held the phone so hard that it was cramping. I ended the call without saying anything more to Gwen.


Trembling all over, I sat on the sofa, staring into space, waiting for the knock on the door.



Come Find Me!

Don't have a Kindle, no problem. I've got you covered! Read eBooks on your phone, tablet and computer no Kindle Needed!