Jana Richards

Guest Post, Excerpt and Contest by Jana Richards

Dating at Work

Eight years after he leaves her at the altar, fate throws Tony back together with Olivia when they find themselves working at the same museum. In my humorous contemporary romantic novel, “There Goes the Groom”, working together ends happily for Tony and Olivia, but in real life, is dating at the workplace a good idea? As Careercast.com asks, is it more likely to lead to marriage or unemployment? 

You probably know of people in your workplace who have dated, sometimes happily, but sometimes with disastrous results. After all, if you date a ‘civilian’ and you decide after a few dates that you can’t stand the sight of him, you can just break up. But if he works in the same office as you, you’re going to have maintain a professional relationship with him, which may be difficult if you now want to gouge his eyes out.

If workplace romances are fraught with peril, including potential unemployment, why do so many people take the plunge? According to Psychology Today, anywhere from 40 to 47% of employees have engaged in a workplace romance, with another 20% indicating that they would be open to having a romance at work. Psychology Today identifies four main reasons these romances are so prevalent: 

Time. As individuals spend more time at work, it’s natural that they develop relationships. As one participant of the Psychology Today study says “That’s who you spend your time with [so] that’s the person you’re going to share the more intimate details of your life.” 

Ease of Opportunity. The workplace fosters close working relationships. One participant of the study said: “I think because it’s convenient, honestly. You meet people and if you’re working in the same environment, you have common interests in terms of what you believe in.” 

Similarity. People who enjoy the same kind of work naturally have things in common. Participants in the study “believed people engage in workplace romances because of the similarities they uncover by being with coworkers in a comfortable environment.” 

The Hookup. Some workplace romances are driven by the desire to have a physical relationship. A participant described: “One three letter word: sex.” 

It turns out that who you date at the office makes a difference as to how the rest of the staff treats you. Psychology Today reported that employees perceived coworkers dating superiors to be less credible than those dating peers. Also, employees indicated they would trust coworkers dating superiors less, feel less close to those coworkers, and lie to those coworkers more than colleagues dating peers.

If you decide to date a co-worker, even though you know the potential risks, here’s a few tips from Glamour.com to (hopefully) keep your hookup from turning into a disaster (read all the tips here):

If One of You Manages The Other, Just Don’t Date, Period. Don’t date or sleep with your boss or subordinate. It puts both of you in an awkward (and fireable) position. If you really think this might be the love of your life, consider leaving your job before you start a relationship. If it’s just a fling you’re after, don’t do it.

Once It’s a Relationship, Go Public (to the necessary parties) ASAP. If you and a co-worker actually start dating, and plan on being a couple for a while, stop keeping it a secret. Tell your bosses/HR Representatives/whoever needs to know, and assure them that you’ll continue to keep your work life as professional as possible.

Your Career Comes First. If you’re wondering what behaviors are and aren’t okay when dating a co-worker, remember that your career comes first. Anything that might make you look unprofessional should be avoided, so never engage in public displays of affection, and don’t let your relationship become the center of office gossip. 

Have you ever had an office romance? How did it end?

Her Best Man 
Left at the Altar Series 
Book One
Jana Richards

Genre: Humorous contemporary romance

Publisher: Uncial Press 

ISBN: 978-1-60174-019-9
ASIN: B004I6E4ZY

Number of pages: 166
Word Count: 55,000

Cover Artist: Judith B. Glad

Uncial Press ARe Amazon BN 

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Book Description:

Sarah Stevens experiences a bride's worst nightmare; being dumped at the altar. When she goes on the Caribbean cruise meant to be her honeymoon in order to lick her wounds, she discovers her ex-fiancé has sent his brother, Will Marshall, the former best man, on the cruise as well. Everyone on board thinks they're newlyweds, and Sarah is too embarrassed to set them straight. How is she supposed to share a tiny cabin with a man she barely knows? Even worse, how is she supposed to pretend that she and Will are on their honeymoon? Sarah discovers the best man for her really is the best man. 

There Goes the Groom
Left at the Altar Series
Book Two
Jana Richards

Genre: Humorous romantic comedy

Publisher: Uncial Press 

ISBN: 978-1-60174-159-2
ASIN: B00CUQR7RG

Number of pages: 157
Word Count: 52,500

Cover Artist: Judith B. Glad

Uncial Press ARe Amazon BN 
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Book Description: 

Eight years ago Tony left Olivia at the altar. He was sure she didn't really want to marry him. Now he's back, and they're forced to work together.

Coming home isn't easy for Tony, because his father wanted him to work at a trade instead of going off to college. Their relationship is still unsteady. Even before Tony's return, Olivia began questioning the depth of her love for her fiancé, a man she chose because he was safe and reliable. Yet the last thing she wants is a loveless, faithless marriage like the one her parents suffered through.

When Tony, who never stopped loving her, insists her fiancé is the wrong man for her, Olivia sets out to prove him wrong. But the sexual chemistry between them is still strong, and so are her feelings for him. Even so, how can she break her engagement, hurt her fiancé as she was once hurt? And how can she trust Tony not to abandon her as he did before?

If anyone does the jilting this time, she will.

Always a Bridesmaid
Left at the Altar series
Book Three
Jana Richards

Genre: Humorous contemporary romance
Publisher: Uncial Press

Number of pages: 201

Word Count: 61,000

Cover Artist: Judith B. Glad

Unical Press ARe Amazon BN
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Book Description:

Dani Dipietro has always considered herself an ugly duckling in a family of swans. She's the bridesmaid her friends count on, but never the woman any man wants for his bride. So she plays the funny girl and guards her emotions, and her secrets, closely.

When Zach Morrison was dumped at his wedding, Dani was there to help him through the humiliation. A year later they meet again and once more Zach needs her help. To fend off the unwanted attentions of his former fiancé, he asks Dani to pretend to be his girlfriend. They play their roles a little too well, and make believe turns into reality. But their relationship comes crashing down around them when Zach's trust issues cause him to accuse Dani of cheating. Telling the truth means Dani will betray a friend, something she will never do. But keeping her secrets means she may be destined to remain a bridesmaid forever.

About the Author:

When Jana Richards read her first romance novel, she immediately knew two things: she had to commit the stories running through her head to paper, and they had to end with a happily ever after. She also knew she’d found what she was meant to do. Since then she’s never met a romance genre she didn’t like. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and historical romance set in World War Two, in lengths ranging from short story to full length novel. Just for fun, she throws in generous helpings of humor, and the occasional dash of the paranormal. Her paranormal romantic suspense “Seeing Things” was a 2008 EPPIE finalist.

In her life away from writing, Jana is an accountant/admin assistant, a mother to two grown daughters, and a wife to her husband Warren. She enjoys golf, yoga, movies, concerts, travel and reading, not necessarily in that order. She and her husband live in Winnipeg with their Pug/Terrier cross Lou and several unnamed goldfish. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.janarichards.com

Website: http://www.janarichards.com

Blog: http://janarichards.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Newsletter signup: http://www.eepurl.com/m3UnT

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2892274Jana_Richards

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Minnie Lahongrais

Divergent Lives by Minnie Lahongrais

Divergent Lives, by Minnie Lahongrais, is a 5 out of 5 Stars kind of read that may make us think about the people in our lives differently. Take a look at my review of this Thriller - I loved it!. I didn't find this story filled with typos, miss-placed words, or other editing issues either. I didn't need to read anything more than once to understand what the author was saying - awesome!. This book should be on your shelf.

I should let you know, however, that after reading this book I stopped giving everyone my blind trust, LOL! I look at everyone differently because I have a sociopath in my personal circle of friends - and things can get creepy and scary at times. Divergent Lives just reminds me of the reasons why I should always be on guard until I get to know more about my friends and acquaintances, then and only then I will be able to give them the keys to my house or a place to rest - I am such a sucker, haha. We may even think differently about other people in our lives like a co-worker who is a friend at work but may be doing really weird things after dark. Or that crazy co-worker who makes us feel a bit afraid every-time the two of us are alone may have a very good reason for us to feel that way but until we dig deeper into his or her life we may never know what it is. Social sites like Facebook, Myspace, Instagram, Twitter, and Reddit gives us a close and personal glimpse into the minds of our friends, family, and associates but we may still miss the very signs that are there to tell us to run away from a particular person before it's too late. Divergent Lives shows us, with a very good story, why we should never let our guards down.

The story world of Divergent Lives spans from New York to Pennsylvania then back to New York and the characters are average people. The characters could be anyone in our lives, an uncle, a co-worker, a cousin, neighbor, boss, friend, or even the pastor of our church. Everyone has a reason for doing the things that they do in life - even if they have the best intentions in mind - and sometimes it's just wrong!

Rhys John Preston (RJ) and Adina Rosario Cruz are brother and sister who grew up in different homes with different family values and ended up with very different lives and both are sociopaths. Tommy Ortiz is the perfect boyfriend. Tommy is hot, sexy, a good man, with a good job and is in love with Adina but Tommy is also accused of murdering the love of his life - Adina. Detective Mason Jones and his wife Claudia are Tommy's best friends and Claudia has Tommy's back. She gets angry if someone treats Tommy wrong, check-out the conversation where Claudia is discussing Adina and Tommy's relationship with her best friend Andrea. Little do they both know about sweet bitch Adina is that she is a Dominatrix and, BDSM: Things People Do For Pleasure, Adina loves the lifestyle. And sometimes Detective Mason Jones just can't disconnect from work at the end of the day so Claudia carries the extra weight of the family because she is a good wife. Mason is investigating the gruesome murder that kids stumbled upon while playing hide and seek, but sometimes he just can't turn off his brain at the end of the day and may have dreams every now and then.

When Minnie is not writing she is working a day job just like most of us. She is a very nice person and is passionate about giving us a good book to escape with. Read my interview with Minnie and check-out the spotlight showing her first book Sinner's Ride and Divergent Lives then read Divergent Lives, you will not be disappointed.

DIVERGENT LIVES is a fictional tale, yet it titillates the imagination far more than truth.

What a ride...

You have got to read this one!...

Many thrills and unanticipated twists...

Book Description

Psych Thriller Adds Deviant Twists to Sociopath Theme

RJ and Adina enter the world as fraternal twins, one raised by old-world, controlling immigrants in El Barrio, the other sold into a religious home filled with lies and scorn. Both are sociopaths.

Turns out, RJ’s got a secret that enrages him with the flip of a switch. Adina uses her sexual power to dominate every man in her life. They are on a mysterious trajectory to cross paths in New York City, where the end of their lives culminates in an apex of horror and carnage.

Worldwide purchase links:

Germany/Deutschland

France

Spain/Espana

Italy/Italia

Japan/Nippon

Canada

Brazil/Brasil

About the author:

Native New Yorker, Minnie Lahongrais unwittingly kick-started her second career when she began writing an urban fantasy tale intended to help her cope with the death of her father. November of that year, she set that story aside to immerse herself in the annual madness of NaNoWriMo, meeting the challenge head on. Her first novel, “Sinner’s Ride” was published Spring of 2011. That summer, she found herself obsessed with the story idea for “Divergent Lives.”

Next on her agenda is the urban fantasy she began at the outset of her journey. She now plans to write that story as a trilogy.

Ms. Lahongrais currently lives in New York City. She finds time to write every day and spends her free time with her family.

Contact Minnie:

Website: www.minnielahongrais.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Lahongrais

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

Maureen Willett

Guest Post, Excerpt, and Contest by Maureen Willett

WHY VAMPIRES DROOL AND ZOMBIE KILLERS RULE

By Maureen Willett

Why is that we love bad boys with a heart of gold more than the obvious hero? And, when I say "we," I mean women and men alike. I think it goes back to our childhood when we wanted to be cool but were afraid of getting in trouble with our parents. We wanted to be bad, but just couldn't quite pull it off.

Then, there was the bad boy or girl, who was troubled, acted tough on the outside, got into trouble, but secretly still slept with stuffed animals well into adolescence. These kids weren't the bullies, druggies, or mean kids, but they might have hung out with that crowd. But, push come to shove, they'd stick up for the nerds who were getting beaten up for their lunch money on the way to school. They looked rough and cool, but inside they were marshmallows.

Modern literature, film, and television are filled with them, especially lately as more and more paranormal stories become popular. These characters are naughty, sexy, fearless, filled with attitude, arrogant, and fall hard and deep when they're in love. Men want to be them, and women want to tame them.

So here's my current Top Five paranormal bad boys:

5. ERIC NORTHMAN, Sookie Stackhouse novels

Although I love the character in HBO's True Blood series, I'm a bigger fan of the character in Charlaine Harris' funny and sexy series of paranormal novels. Eric's love for Sookie doesn't waiver, he's always there to save her when she's in trouble, and he looks great while doing it. His hair is long and blond, which is fitting for an ancient Viking vampire, and he's tall and broad-shouldered. What's not to like?

Eric can be ruthless, but mostly it's in his pursuit of Sookie. Somehow, she manages to put off falling head over heels for him for a few books. This is a great mystery to me, because I'm pretty sure I'd be hooked within minutes of meeting him.

I do have to say, here and now, that I’m getting bored with vampires. They’re just a bit overdone. I like the danger they present to mere mortals, but there are other types of magical predators. Read on, please.

4. DAMON SALVATORE, The Vampire Diaries, The CW television

I have to admit that I'm over my once-beloved TV show, and if it weren't for Damon, I'd be long gone. I still watch every week, though, to hear his snarky one-liners and see what trouble he creates. He's a bit spiteful and careless with human lives, but he loves deeply. And, Damon is almost blindly loyal to those he loves. He stands up to older, more powerful vampires without flinching, and is always ready for a fight.

And, it doesn't hurt that he's played by Ian Somerhalder, a man with amazing features. He does look like an ethereal being without even trying: raven black hair, flawless white skin, and crystal clear blue eyes.

3. DARYL DIXON, The Walking Dead, AMC television

Is this any surprise? The thing that's so great about Daryl is he's human and not all that young anymore. He doesn't have supernatural powers, but his expertise with a crossbow is quite fantastic.

It takes time, but Daryl really grows on you, especially when you see him cradling a baby in his arms, or defending strangers against zombies. He's fearless, smart, shy, and rocks a poncho and crossbow on a motorcycle as no one else could. His face is a bit wrinkled, and his eyes usually look worn, but that makes him all the more special. He's real. And he's hot!

And his voice is to die for: husky and sweet.

Of course, Daryl wouldn't be so hot, if he weren't played by Norman Reedus, an actor who seems to get better with age. I hope he keeps going in The Walking Dead, because the most interesting characters have a tendency to get killed by zombies. Not sure it would be my favorite show without him.

All of these characters are worthy of our fantasies. They jump into bad situations without blinking an eye, and somehow always save the day. They have morals, although sometimes well hidden, they're courageous, sexy, and a bit dangerous. As an author, my aim is to create a bad boy in every novel who is as compelling and memorable. And for my top two choices, I believe I have created such characters in my novel The Soul Stealer. And, neither is a vampire.

2. ANDREW LE FEY, The Soul Stealer

Andrew is pure guilty pleasure on every level. He’s magical, a rock star, snarky, generous, seductive, bisexual, and beautiful. He’s also not bad with a sword when he has to be. Andrew is an ancient fae masquerading as a rock star in contemporary Los Angeles. He owns an exclusive night club where the famous gather, and he toys with the ones who interest him.

His powers are extraordinary, especially when it comes to seduction. Humans can’t resist him. Although Andrew amuses himself by toying with the very rich and powerful, behind his beautiful, sarcastic exterior, he does have a heart and a purpose for his games.

1. HUNTER BLACKTHORNE, The Soul Stealer

My number one bad boy is confused and tortured by his past. He has a conscience, but doesn’t always listen to it. He’s a gorgeous, half-human, half magical being who has never let his heart be touched. When he does finally fall in love, he wants to do the right thing and be honest with her, but he just can’t do it. Honesty has never been a big part of his life. Instead, he’s learned to be a master manipulator. So, Hunter weaves a web of lies, all in the guise of trying to protect his lady love. And if he makes the wrong move, he could get himself and his love both killed by assassins.

Hunter is something of a predator, definitely dangerous for women much in the way vampires are, but he has a bit more depth. His struggles with his human side make him more real. He wants to be good, he just doesn’t know how.

Excerpt

THE SOUL STEALER BY MAUREEN WILLETT

CHAPTER ONE

Hunter Blackthorne had seen the face of death on others and now wondered how it might look on him. The journey through the abyss to another reality proved more difficult than before. Loud, torturous screams filled the silence as he churned around and around. It didn’t matter if he closed his eyes or not, because the bleak darkness made it impossible to see. Maybe the screams belonged to him. Hunter wasn’t sure. He was in an often-used wormhole and anyone could be in there.

The journey ended with a gut-wrenching fall as he dropped through layers of atmosphere to reach the portal—the one place where the wormhole was soft enough to get through. Wind whipped around and penetrated his body with sharp force. Then, light increased and the ground pulled at him, getting closer and closer, until he could no longer refuse his destination. The twirling before his eyes stopped just in time to gain control and ease the point of impact.

As he touched down, he gulped in warm, moist air, but he was too dizzy to maintain footing and fell flat on his back. Life-ending pain seeped into his pores like poison, but he was pretty sure he hadn’t died.

He never landed in the same place on the island but, even so, he felt more disoriented than usual. The soothing coconut tree palms swaying in the breeze overhead were not an unexpected sight but much too serene for the way he felt. Even the scent of gardenias couldn’t ease the pounding in his head. Souls cried out in anguish all around him.

The toxins of the abyss mixed with the pollution of this reality were already affecting his ability to focus. He needed to purify in a quiet place; gather his thoughts and feelings in meditation. Whenever he traveled here, Hunter marveled at how much the humans in this reality had snuffed out their ability to live harmoniously, even in the most remote place on the planet, one heralded as “paradise.”

Hawaii was one of the few places that was still forming, spitting fire and rocks from the belly of volcanoes. And with that new life came all sorts of mystical creatures, attracted to the power and magic of the heart of Earth. The strong magnetic field around the active volcanoes pulled the portal out of the clouds and toward the land, but the unsuspecting people inhabiting the islands had no idea that all sorts--good and bad--came through the funnel from inner space.

Hunter had been to Hawaii many times and had seen it disintegrate over the years--an unfortunate thing, for soon the portal between the two realities would be clogged with all the crap they let seep into their air, and no one would be able to get through. It was of the utmost importance he capture her this time, because he might not have access to this world in the future.

That would heartbreaking; he liked it here despite all the flaws. It was so easy to fool everyone into believing he was human. In this tarnished, stale world, unlike that of his own reality, no one believed in magic anymore. It was quite freeing. No one got suspicious of him the way they did at home.

Hunter got to his knees and brushed off the dust from his clothes but then looked around to make sure no one was there to see the glittery sparkles flying all around a man who had just fallen from the sky. It was then he noticed all the broken and faded headstones with barely discernible engravings. Some were written in Chinese or Japanese characters, but most were in English. None had flowers by them. Green moss and ferns overwhelmed each plot. Hunter

smiled as he ran his fingers over the smooth headstone he had hit on the way down. This particular spirit was no longer around. Not even remnants still existed.

A crack of thunder made him look up. The air felt heavy with moisture as black clouds roiled overhead, and the pungent smell of rain hitting hot pavement somehow seemed real even though the squall wouldn’t hit for a few more minutes. As with most island storms, it would pass quickly, but the downpour would be harsh while it lasted.

The small square cemetery was enclosed with a wrought-iron, spiky fence that was discolored and mossy. Outside cars whizzed by. Indeed, no one noticed him standing there, looking as disheveled and worn as the gravestones, surrounded by death in the bustling city of Honolulu.

Another crack of thunder made Hunter grab his leather satchel and vault over the fence. He ran to the nearest awning, stumbling toward the doorway of a nearby electronics store to wait for the storm to pass. It was then he checked the front pocket of his leather bag to make sure he still had it. As his fingers grasped the cool, smooth emerald and ivory handle of the dagger, Hunter wondered if he would find her this time. He almost hoped she’d be able to resist him.

Most of the time, he hated inflicting pain, but this time there would be pleasure, too. The taste of her lips played heavily on his imagination, and he anticipated being captivated by the slanted green eyes and golden hair he had seen so many times in his visions. Yes, he would find selfish pleasure in this particular task. His father had devised the plan well, but even he didn’t understand what it truly meant to Hunter—the power it would give him to capture their enemy’s only heir.

The Soul Stealer
Maureen Willett
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Publish Green


ISBN: 978-1-62652
ASIN: B00ED1WLCW








Amazon

Book Description:

Hunter Blackthorne has almost all he needs: powerful magic and the seductive art of deception. Now, all he needs is her soul.

In the dark, twisting world of The Soul Stealer, half-human Hunter Blackthorne embarks on a quest to vanquish the heir of his father's enemy by stealing her soul. Though his father would settle for her mere death, Hunter is determined to pilfer Malia Smalls' very essence in hopes of obtaining supreme power. The Soul Stealer is a story of questioned loyalties, power struggles, and decidedly unconventional romance.

Since his target is a mere human, Hunter's mission seems laughably straightforward. However, upon meeting Malia, Hunter realizes that this task is anything but uncomplicated. Hunter starts to waver between commitment to his father's cause and an unshakable feeling of foreboding guilt over his mission. Hunter thought he knew everything there was to know about his identity and his family, but signs of a darker truth lurk below, threatening to overturn everything.

A story of alternate realities and twisting complications set in exotic Hawaii, The Soul Stealer is a story of fantasy, magic and mysticism, but also a story about humanity and the moral and emotional conflicts that we all face. The Soul Stealer transports the reader to an exciting, dangerous, and captivating world that won't be easily forgotten.

About the Author:

Since she was in grade school, Maureen Willett has been a writer of fiction that pushes the boundaries of what is and isn’t. At that time, she twisted class writing assignments into stories about witches, tricksters in the night, and sparkling faery dust. And, participating in the art of levitation every time her family gathered at holidays made Maureen feel more than qualified to write fantastic tales. Magic had always been a secret part of her family’s legacy--toyed with but never spoken about.

But life got in the way. A successful career in automotive journalism and public relations in Los Angeles took her places in the corporate world she had dreamed of while majoring in communications in college. Climbing the corporate ladder to vice president of a prestigious public relations agency was engrossing, but did she really want to spend her days writing about cars and monster trucks, and trying to break through the thick glass ceiling of the automotive world?

Then one day, she was offered a transfer to the Honolulu, Hawaii, office of her agency. She jumped at the chance to change her predictable and stressful existence for one of soaking up the sun on a white, sandy beach. Or so she thought.

Hawaii didn’t prove to be as stress free as Maureen had hoped, but it did offer a fresh perspective. After two uncertain years of trying to blend into the foreign island culture, Maureen fell in love with Oahu and vowed never to leave. The tropical paradise held a soft yet powerful mysticism that inspired her to set pen to paper once again.

Even the office buildings in downtown Honolulu were haunted. Maureen often saw ethereal beings in the halls of the radio station where she was the manager of local and national sales. These pesky pieces of grey mist didn’t bother her, though. Maureen thought of them more as interesting topics for urban fantasy tales than scary apparitions.

Magical creatures pop off the pages of her novels, but at the core of each story are great characters in very human conflicts that anyone will find compelling. Very often, Maureen writes about angels, faeries, and even leprechauns, but they are always woven through an authentic story.

As an avid reader herself, Maureen wants a page-turner that keeps her up until the wee hours of morning. She strives to create that same experience for her own readers. Each novel is carefully crafted as an exciting, mind-bending experience that will take readers beyond their day-to-day lives.

But don’t expect to think too hard, or contemplate the meaning of life. Pure fun and page-turning entertainment is what you’ll find in a novel by Maureen Willett. It’s almost a magical experience.

Website: www.maureenwillett.com

Twitter: @maureenwillett

Facebook: www.bit.ly/soulstealerseries

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Marisa Cleveland

Excerpt by Marisa Cleveland

Excerpt

One thing was certain. Fallen angels were hot. And not the ninety-eight-point-six kind of warmth, either. Oh, no. These Fallen fit every corny pick up line she’d ever heard. Because they were exactly what they claimed to be. Created by the hands of God and in His own image.

How would she ever choose one to feed and then… They were all beautifully gorgeous. She tilted her head to the side.

Except for him.

Dried blood marred the side of his temple and stained his sharp cheekbones. A gash sliced across his left eyebrow ending at the corner of his blackened eye. His swollen lower lip also sported a crack with still-fresh blood threatening to trickle down to the divot in his chin. Naked as the day he was born – or created – his torso and thighs held an interesting pattern of scars that haphazardly healed.

He rubbed his chest with one hand, his golden eyes widening in alarm, and in that moment, Lucy knew she absolutely had to be the one to serve him. His entire demeanor differed from the others. He hesitated to join the others at the banquet table, almost like he didn’t want to partake in the feast, even though she knew he had to be starving by now. Still, he reminded her of… her. A reluctant guest.

***

An unfamiliar weight settled over Sawyer, and he recognized that for the first time in two thousand years he knew sin. How had Azas done that to him? Slapped Original Sin over his shoulders like a thousand pound straight jacket, trapping him to the mortal realm. Born into the angelic dimension of the divine, he’d heard about sin, but he’d never actually experienced it. Now, healed as one of the Fallen on earth, he knew nakedness, and hunger pains gripped his stomach so completely that he didn’t hesitate to join the others at the manifested banquet table.

Woodenly scraping a chair back from the table, he collapsed against the cushioned fabric as it scratched the back of his thighs and bare ass. While the Fallen indulged in the delicacies from every region of the earth, a parade of nude women served and danced around them. Sawyer’s body tightened in response to the naked flesh, and he groaned at his own lack of control. He shut his eyes to the visual feast. He might be a Fallen angel now, but that didn’t mean he had to indulge in whatever the demon offered. Especially if he hoped to have words with his Maker and return to the right side of the Pearly Gates.

Pushed
A Bloodlines Novella
Marisa Cleveland

Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Simeris Alliance

Date of Publication: January 20, 2014

ISBN-13: 978-1494866761
ISBN-10: 1494866765

Number of pages: 100

Word Count: 20,000




Book Description:

Time is not on everyone’s side…

Mortal mess-up Lucy Markson makes one tiny miscalculation and her soul ends up belonging to an evil demon. Forced to serve the newly fallen angels recruited by her master, she must take one of the fallen through the seven deadly sins.

Fallen angel Sawyer Succendo didn’t jump from heaven. He was pushed. And now he’s lost everything, including his halo – which contains his earthbound soul.

In a race with an evil demon to claim his lost halo, Sawyer must trust a woman designed for sin – literally. Learning the true power of free will, Sawyer just might save them both, if he can keep his mind on the plan and his hands to himself.

But if he can’t find his halo and save the girl, then he’ll be grounded forever.

Buy it today at amazon

About the Author 

Marisa Cleveland loves to laugh, hates to cry, and does both often. As a writer, she writes. Every day. If she couldn’t express herself through writing, music, and dance, she would die. She believes romance novels are the perfect “how to” books, because no matter the obstacles, the characters keep working toward their happily ever after. She loves to connect with writers and readers through social media.

Web: http://www.marisacleveland.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/marisacleveland00

Facebook: http://facebook.com/hotwipssassychicks

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Israel Parker

Excerpt by Israel Parker and Giveaway

GREEN VALLEY Excerpt

Milton ignored the man’s advice and pulled on the door handle, but his door wouldn’t come all the way open. He shoved his shoulder against it until it popped free. Tasting blood, he tongued a split in his lip and felt blood also coming from his nose. He climbed out of the car with awkward steps and was glad when the guy at his window put an arm around his back and under his arm to help support his weight.

“Easy, man.”

Milton looked back at his car. It was intertwined with two others, the silver one and a red one.

“Is . . . everybody okay?” Milton asked.

“I don’t know.”

Milton heard the sirens in the distance and saw the shadow from the drone circling overhead. Then he heard someone scream, “It’s him!”

Still dazed, Milton looked around and tried to focus his blurred vision. More screams rang out, then the bearded man grabbed Milton’s arm and tried to get him to sit down. His vision finally cleared, and that was when he saw Clarence Jasper.

“It’s that guy from the news!” the bearded man said.

It’s the guy from my dream.

Panic filled Milton as he pulled away from the man helping him. He watched Clarence Jasper stumble out of the red car, his face bloody from the accident, then make his way over to the silver car. The woman in the driver’s seat was unconscious, and an older woman was at the window trying to revive her. When she saw Jasper approaching with a pistol in his hand, she ran away in terror.

“Somebody do something!” a bystander yelled just as the UEP drone pulled into a low orbit over the scene. It was closer than Milton had ever been to one of circular drones that patrolled the skies over Green Valley. He saw Jasper look up at the drone for a moment before returning his attention to the silver car and the blonde woman inside. No one did anything except record the incident with their FONEs.

“CITIZEN!” a mechanical voice boomed from the drone. “PUT DOWN YOUR WEAPON! You are under arrest!”

Jasper was just short of the silver car’s window and started to kneel on the ground. At first it looked as if he were going to comply with the drone’s order, then he sprang up and reached the silver car in two steps. Pointing the gun in the window, he fired several point-blank rounds into the unconscious woman’s head.

The drone responded by shooting a tranquilizer dart into Jasper’s arm, one of the UEP’s widely used non-lethal tactics for taking down criminals. Instead of collapsing from the dart, Jasper turned and began slowly walking away from the silver car, but he stopped when he made eye contact with Milton.

Terrified, Milton took one unbalanced step backward just as another dart zipped though the air and hit Jasper in the neck. He wobbled one way then the other as he tried to start walking again, then he finally hit the ground.

“Thank God for the UEP,” the man next to Milton said.

GREEN VALLEY

A serial killer is on the loose in Green Valley, but what if he's the good guy?

The year is 2036 and the United States is pulling out of an economic crisis, thanks to new industries and technologies that thrive in Green Valley, Ohio. Regarded as "America's Hope," the city also boasts being named the safest city in America for five years running. But now Green Valley, one of only a handful of cities protected by the still-experimental Unified Enforcement Police, struggles to catch a new-era murderer who continues to kill and elude capture. As the elite federal police close in on the killer, they discover that something darker has infiltrated their perfect city.

Happily bumbling through his predictable life, Milton Simon comes face-to-face with murderer Clarence Jasper and is surprised to find that the killer has a message for him: JOIN ME. Milton soon learns that not only is Green Valley not the safe haven everyone perceives it to be; it’s Hell on Earth.

Green Valley: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

About Israel Parker

Israel Parker is a former Coast Guard Helicopter Rescue Swimmer, Coast Guard Officer, and author of widely successful YA book, The Anne Marie.

In 2004, Israel was stationed at Air Station New Orleans, one of the Coast Guard’s busiest air, search and rescue units. One year later, Hurricane Katrina nearly destroyed the Crescent City. He participated in countless daring rescues. These experiences fueled his desire to tell his stories.

Israel currently is stationed in Barboursville, West Virginia with his wife Melanie, their two children and their faithful Basset Hound, Roxanne. He remains on active duty, serving his country as a Coast Guard Officer.

Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodread

Giveaway Details

One grand prize winner will receive a Kindle Paperwhite, and 2 winners will receive a signed copy of GREEN VALLEY. (US only)

***Any contestant that uses dummy or contest only accounts to enter will be disqualified.***

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Tour page: http://jenhalliganpr.com/tour/green-valley-blog-tour/

Alex Kimmell

A Chorus of Wolves

by Alex Kimmell

190 Pages

Published by Booktrope Editions, October 7, 2013

Genre: Horror, Short Stories

Reviewed by Albert Garcia

In an uncertain world, we cling to familiar things to make us feel secure: Baseball, a local watering hole, a friendly town sheriff, man’s best friend, a nicely landscaped backyard, love…

What happens when these safe havens become unsafe? When the familiar turns outlandish and incomprehensible? Come join the choir of surreal dark melodies that lurk in the wilderness of Alex Kimmell’s imagination. Six unforgettable tales plus the mind altering first chapters of the upcoming new novel Down the Sunday Hole where a young boy finds himself shoved beyond the borders of perception.

    

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A Chorus of Wolves by Alex Kimmell is a collection of short tales, vignettes of life not as we know, but how we hope it will not be. These are not sweet bed time stories to sooth the restless night. No in fact they are exactly the opposite. In A Chorus of Wolves, Kimmell has put together short stories and excerpts from novels to come of that world that exists on the periphery of our mind. The world where darkness creeps just a little closer to the light and in response the light retreats. 

There is Pall. Death. Who in his duties and travels finds the one thing worse than himself. Love. Kodi the faithful dog that protects those he loves in the only way he can. Lowell and Danika and the torrid nights they share in hopes of saving a dying species. Love means being strapped to bed but not in ways most of today's novels explore. Will Danika survive until the next full moon begins to wane? 

There are old women in this book. Women who shed the maternal grandmother stereo type. Women to beware. The old drunk woman at the corner of the bar. Don't buy her a drink and don't let her buy you one. Or the old spinster down the street in the small town you grew up in. The old lady who's massive trees always seem to be bending in the wrong direction, as if somehow they were following you. 

The stories in this book are appetizers. Teases of a larger tale to come. And perhaps that is the one lone fault with A Chorus of Wolves. Each story, though it stands on its own, leaves you wanting for more. The rest of the tale. The sense that something must come next. That they are just a glimpse of a much bigger story. 

But that is always the thing with a good short story. It leaves you wanting more. Like a stolen kiss in the back seat of your dad's car. Enjoyable but the mystery of what is yet to come lingers. Each tale in A Chorus of Wolves is not a full meal but instead a well-crafted and paced series of tapas delivered to your table for you to try. So pour a nice glass of wine and enjoy. It may not fill you, but you leave satisfied.

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About the Reviewer:

I am a sometime poet and writer and a gluttonous reader. I love to read and am grudgingly accepting ebooks as part of the medium but with fingernails dragging trenches through the concrete as I am pulled into the 21st century. But I read almost everything. Horror, SciFi, Mystery, Historical novels and occasionally will threaten my man card with a good romance. As long as there is a dead body somewhere in there.

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Jacqueline Paige

Guest Post and Excerpt by Jacqueline Paige

There’s a little psychic in all of us…

I don’t think I’ve met a single person in my life (yet) that can’t say they haven’t had a moment where something they saw in a dream (awake or asleep) didn’t ring true at some point.

Ever walk in some place that you’ve never been but there’s that thing you can’t explain that makes it feel familiar? You’re doing something that you’ve never done, but you know exactly what to do? You see someone that you’ve never met but there’s something familiar about them? That nagging feeling that something is wrong but you can’t define it?

I’m not an expert on dreams or how the mind works, but I believe dreams are there for a reason. Yes sometimes it’s just a little too much stimulant (sugar, caffeine) before bed that has you reliving that moment in the movie you watched before going to bed. Or you bit you tongue all day long when you wanted to tell that co-worker off so it was still weighing heavily in your mine when you finally fell asleep – and then fed them through the paper shredder in your dream, or had them as your groveling gopher acknowledging your superior skill… the subconscious mind is an amazing thing.

With my writing I’ve explored all sorts of dream like occurrences, after all I get my best ideas for stories when I’m almost asleep, just at that point where I’m not conscious of anything going on and a few seconds from drifting off (which, by the way can be annoying if all you want it sleep and not characters popping into your head). In the second book of the Hidden Senses Trilogy , Dream Visions, I have a character that connects with others in high emotional moments while she’s in a Dream like trans. In my soon to be released Ancestor’s Enchantment Trilogy, The Witch Within, the character is seeing her ancestor’s in her dreams. So it wasn’t much of a leap to take things in a new direction with the Dream Series and have the characters actually meet in a dream.

Without giving away everything in the story, I’ll share part of the opening from Part 1 in the series - In Our Dream:

“Tell me your name.”

The unfamiliar voice was intense, yet gentle, and it resonated in all the right places inside of her. “Jennah Best.” She glanced around, trying to place where they were.

“I’m Dominic.”

His voice was so close to her ear, she jumped and looked behind her. Several inches above her face, she peered into dark, mesmerizing brown eyes. “Where are we?” She skimmed over his short, black hair and broad, shadowed jaw as she waited for an answer.

He smiled at her. “Where would you like to be?”

She laughed. “A thousand places, but that’s not the point—where are we?” She tried again to recognize something, everything seemed obscured, yet he was right in front of her and very clear. “Do I know you?”

He shook his head slowly. “No, but we are changing that.” He smiled at her again and she couldn’t help but smile back. He held out one large hand to her. “Walk with me.”

It wasn’t really a question, or an order, and she did want to know what was going on, so she put her hand in his and flushed a little when she felt the heat as his large hand close around hers. She had almost been thinking she was dreaming this. “I don’t mean to sound repetitive, but where are we, Dominic?”

He walked slowly beside her for a few moments and then stopped and gazed down at her again. “It’s difficult to explain, but we’re in a place where few can go.”

That wasn’t exactly the answer she wanted. She peered around him and almost sighed in relief when she saw a window seat in the old library. What she was doing in the library’s reading room with a strange man, she didn’t know. At least she knew where she was now. A place where few can go? The library?

“Shall we sit?”

She nodded, not wanting to say something odd again. She let him lead her over to the window where he stood waiting until she sat down. She glanced out the window to see the large snowflakes falling gently to the ground. She tried not to notice how close he sat to her, but it was hard not to when the man was so large. She tried also not to notice how wide his shoulders were. Her biggest weakness seemed to be men with broad shoulders. Even though he was dressed in dark pants and a tasteful sweater, he seemed almost dangerous, and the well controlled female inside her liked this too much.

“What do you do, Jennah?”

She looked quickly from his broad shoulders to those dark eyes. “I, ah, work for the police department here in town.”

“A detective?”

She grinned and shook her head. “No, I thought about trying it a few times, but got too old to pursue it by the time I decided.”

He grinned. “I can’t see your age being the problem. You can’t be more than twenty-eight, twenty-nine.”

She knew she grinned at him like an infatuated idiot, but couldn’t help it. “Oh, I’m afraid I’m quite a bit older than that, but I’m going to take that as a compliment.” She fought the urge to brush her long, wavy hair back off her shoulder. She didn’t want to appear like she was flirting. She smiled at him again before looking back toward the window.

“I think you’re exaggerating. So, what do you do within the department?”

She shrugged. “Mostly desk work and gopher runs.”

He nodded. “What does that involve?”

“Transports, mostly.”

“To Wyestate prison?”

“Quite often, or to the court and next counties.” Jennah watched his eyes move over her face.

“Do you have a partner?”

She shook her head. “Not often, unless it’s a high profile I’m transporting.” She glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It must need repairing. It couldn’t possibly be almost five in the morning. “Are you from here?” She gazed around when she heard an odd buzzing, but couldn’t tell where it was coming from.

“No.” He just sat there, studying her.

She tried to focus on him and then blinked. He seemed to be fading.

“I’ll see you again, Jennah.”

The buzzing grew louder.

Jennah opened her eyes. Her alarm clock was going off. She reached over and slapped a hand on the snooze button and then focused to make sure she was in her room. She blew out a breath and tried to shake the fog from her mind. That explained a few things. The dream was so real, but not at the same time. Too bad, really. That man, Dominic, her mind had invented was quite nice to look at. No more chocolate caramel popcorn for you before bed, she thought as she slowly sat up.

Excerpt

The nerve of that man! Why won’t he just accept things and go away? She paced back and forth, trying to control the frustration that was pumping through her. Every time she saw him, every hurt moment came flooding back to her and she just wanted him gone. She wanted to move on and live her own life and try her damndest to be happy!

“Jennah?”

She spun around, expecting someone to be behind her. There was no one there. Was that Dominic’s voice? Oh no, she was hallucinating now! Should she call her doctor? Maybe the stress had finally caught up to her. Was she going to end up spending her holidays alone in the psych ward?

“Jennah, why are you so upset?”

She squeezed her eyes shut. I am not hearing voices! I am not losing my mind!

She heard his deep chuckle. “No, you’re not losing your mind. This is really happening. I should have told you, but in our dream...it’s not really a dream. We’re connecting.”

Her eyes flew open. What? “What?” She stood perfectly still, waiting to see if she could hear him again.

“I can explain it better later. I just picked up on how upset you were...”

She squinted. “Picked up? How? How are you inside my head when I’m completely awake? How can we talk inside my head?”

She heard him chuckle again. “Inside mine, as well. I don’t have time right now. Are you all right?”

She laughed out loud, not knowing if he would hear it in her head too. “Clearly not! I’m talking to a man from my dream inside my head while I’m wide awake standing in the locker room at work!”

“Jennah...”

In Our Dream
Dream Series
Part 1 

Jacqueline Paige

Release date December 10 2013

She’s a small town cop. He’s an inmate undercover. They meet in a dream.

Book Description:

Jennah Best left the adrenaline packed life of being a cop on the edge for a more peaceful place. She escaped a marriage that almost destroyed her and now lives her life working for a small police station in the town of Ridge. At her age, she’s accepted that it’s too late and too much work to start all over again, until she meets a man in a dream...

While young, Dominic Palmer has always proven he can get the job done. Or at least, that was the case before he accepted a job and agreed to go undercover as an inmate. When months go by and there’s no word from his outside contact he wonders if he’s been left on the inside for good. He’s fighting to stay alive and keep his sanity, but finds himself completely distracted by a mysterious woman he met in a dream...

Previously released in Dreams anthology

Part 2 From A Dream will be released in February 2014

About the Author:

Jacqueline Paige lives in Ontario in a small town that’s part of the popular Georgian Triangle area. No one has ever heard of Stayner, so she usually tells people she lives “near Collingwood” and no, she doesn’t ski at Blue Mountain or at all, in fact she’s not even fond of snow.

She began her writing career in 2006 and since her first published works in 2009 she hasn’t stopped. Jacqueline describes her writing as “all things paranormal”, which she has proven is her niche with stories of witches, ghosts, physics and shifters now on the shelves.

When Jacqueline isn’t working at her ‘reality job’ or lost in her writing she spends time with her five children, most of whom are finally able to look after her instead of the other way around. Together they do random road trips, that usually end up with them lost, shopping trips where they push every button in the toy aisle, hiking when there’s enough time to escape and bizarre things like creating new daring recipes in the kitchen. She’s a grandmother to four (so far) and looks forward to corrupting many more in the years to come.

Jacqueline loves to hear from her readers, you can find her at www.jacqpaige.webs.com , www.jacqpaige.blogspot.ca or http://magicseasonsbooks.blogspot.ca