February 12, 2016

Pre-Order Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway! Crossing The Barrier (The Gray Eyes Series #1) by Martine Lewis



High school student Malakai Thomas, star wide receiver of the varsity team, collides with band member Lily Morgan on his way to football practice. As days go by, Malakai cannot get the petite clarinetist out of his head. Lily Morgan can feel everyone's emotions. She loses her ability to shield herself against them the day Malakai runs into her. Now she must try to maintain her sanity in the emotional jungle that is high school, as well as deal with her growing feelings for Malakai. Can Malakai get over the social stigma and his own internal struggle to be with Lily? Is Lily's secret too big to accept, even for him? 




“I wonder what would happen if you lost your ability to shield.”

That simple question from Lily’s best friend, Sandra, almost got them killed. As Lily Morgan drove them to school for their band practice in her Mini Cooper, it took all of her limited driving skills to keep them on the narrow suburban road and not in the ditch.

“Let’s not ever mention this again!” Lily’s heart raced at the thought of it.

Sandra Jones was the best friend anybody could dream of. She was also everything Lily was not. She was outgoing, tall, and beautiful with her long, straight blond hair and blue eyes. She always wore the nicest outfits, and guys regularly asked her out on dates. She could have been part of the popular crowd had she wanted to, but she was perfectly content being in the marching band, just like Lily.

Sandra and her family, in addition to Lily’s uncle, Charlie, were the only people alive who knew what Lily could do; she had the ability to feel the emotions of the people around her. The only way for her to function and have a close to normal life was to build mental shields, which prevented the barrage of emotions from continuously assaulting her. Sandra knew how important shielding was to Lily, particularly in an emotion-infested place like high school.

“Just saying. I mean, you’ve been giving me the silent treatment since we left home. I had to find a way to make you talk.”

“Well, that’s not a good subject on a good day.”

“Then, what’s eating you?”

“My mother, again.”

“I don’t understand. Why don’t you take Charlie’s offer and move in with him?”

“It’s my house, Sandra. If anything, she should be the one moving out.”

“Not going to happen, not until the courts kick her out. You know that better than I do. She’s not going anywhere.”

Her friend was right, unfortunately.

“Can we move on to something else?”

“What did she want this time?” Sandra asked instead. “Another party to introduce you to your future husband?”

Lily nodded. She could easily imagine Sandra rolling her eyes, and if she hadn’t been driving, she was sure she would have seen her do exactly that.

“I don’t get it,” Sandra continued. “She’s not even your real mother.”

“I don’t get it either. Why does she keep throwing me at those guys?”

“Beats me,” Sandra said. “Did you say no?”

Lily remained quiet. She never said no. She still held the hope that if she did exactly what her mother requested, maybe one day she would approve of her.

Hope definitely made people stupid.

“When will you, Lily?” Sandra asked, turning toward her. “You deserve better than this.”

Lily sighed. She had tried to explain it numerous times before, but Sandra never understood. After all, Sandra’s mother loved her and was always so proud of her.

“David said football practice starts today,” Sandra said, changing the subject.

Lily felt her best friend’s eagerness at sharing the news, and she knew what was coming next.

“Malakai will be there.”

Ever since she had admitted to Sandra that she liked the star wide receiver over a year ago, Sandra brought him up every chance she had.

“Why don’t we talk about your love life for a change?” Lily suggested.

“Oh, no, we’re so not. Yours is so much more fun.”

It was Lily’s turn to roll her eyes. “So, what else did David say?”

“They should begin practice around nine this morning.”

“They have it so much easier than we do,” Lily said, turning onto the access road that led behind the school.

“You got that one right. If they practiced half as much as we did, they would wear paths in the football field.”

“That’s probably why we practice on hot, steamy asphalt,” Lily said as they arrived in the parking area.

“It sucks, really. Why don’t we get to practice their amount of hours and they, ours?”

“Because what we do is more complicated?” Lily suggested with a smile.

Sandra shrugged and glanced out the window.

“Look at it on the bright side.”

“There is one?” Sandra asked, irony coating her tone.

“No!”

They were both laughing when Lily pulled into her usual parking spot.



Martine Lewis is a forty something who was born and raised in the French speaking province of Quebec, Canada. She spent her childhood looking forward to her summer vacations at the farm, which were a nice escape from the suburbs where she lived. Her first written endeavor was a 200-page handwritten Duran Duran bandfiction which she wrote when she was eleven years old. Of all her written work, this is the only one she no longer has. All throughout high school, Martine wrote more bandfictions and some original work, then she went to write fanfictions in the Star Wars, Buffy and Harry Potter universes. Her fanficiton in the Potterverse are mostly centered on characters of her own creation and can be found on fanfiction.net. Following her viewing of Roswell on Netflix in 2012, Martine wrote book two and three of the Gray Eyes Series, then went on to create the Gray Eyes Series universe in which she has been playing ever since. She writes contemporary coming-of-age romance fiction (young adult/new adult) with a twist. Martine is an avid reader and rollerskater. She loves sushi, hot chocolate on a cold day, and the beach. But what she loves above all else is to curl on her chair with her computer and write more stories for her readers. Martine currently lives in Houston TX with her two cats.

~ Song Release~ Listen to Me, Fusion #1 by Kristen Proby


Kristen Proby is known for writing heartfelt characters with deep connections and sizzling passion. This April, she will seduce readers’ senses with a brand new series, Fusion, from William Morrow Paperbacks, in which five best friends open a hot new restaurant together. Today, we are thrilled to bring you a song written exclusively for LISTEN TO ME, the first book in the Fusion Series releasing April 12, 2016. LISTEN TO ME finds a hot former rock star looking for a steady gig at the restaurant, but he’ll have to convince the prickly front-of-house manager to take a chance on him—with her business and her heart. Don’t miss what Kristen has to say about the beautiful ballad, If I Had Never Met You, and then grab your copy of the song and preorder the novel today!


A Message from Kristen about If I Had Never Met You: From the minute song writer Jake Keller lays eyes on Addison Wade, a tune sets up residence in his head. As he gets to know her, the tune becomes a song. Their song. Addie's song. The stakes are the highest they've ever been for him when he finally sings it to her, but will it be enough to keep her? ​ I can't thank​ Brad Yunek and Dan Keseloff enough for writing this beautiful song to accompany Jake and Addie's story. I hope you love it as much as I do!
If I Had Never Met You is now available on iTunes, Google Play, and Amazon for just $.99!


In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kristen Proby’s brand new series, five best friends open a hot new restaurant, but one of them gets much more than she bargained for when a sexy former rock star walks through the doors—and into her heart. Seduction is quickly becoming the hottest new restaurant in Portland, and Addison Wade is proud to claim 1/5 of the credit. She’s determined to make it a success and can’t think of a better way to bring in new customers than live music. But when former rock star Jake Keller swaggers through the doors to apply for the weekend gig, she knows she’s in trouble. Addie instantly recognizes him—his posters were plastered all over her bedroom walls in high school—he’s all bad boy...exactly her type and exactly what she doesn’t need. Jake Keller walked away from the limelight five years ago and yearns to return to what’s always driven him: the music. If he gets to work for a smart-mouthed, funny-as-hell bombshell, all the better. But talking Addie into giving him the job is far easier than persuading her that he wants more than a romp in her bed. Just when she begins to drop her walls, Jake’s past finally catches up with him. Will Addie be torn apart once again or will Jake be able to convince her to drown out her doubts and listen to her heart?




About Kristen Proby: New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Kristen Proby is the author of the popular With Me in Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type—fiercely protective and a bit bossy—and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves. Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate, and sunshine. And naps. Visit her at KristenProby.com.
 

 

Excerpt & Giveaway! Midnight Rodeo: Belonging, Midnight Rodeo #2 by B.A. Tortuga ~ Julia Talbot ~ Kiernan Kelly




What happens when rodeos start to get too tough for humans to compete in? Midnight Rodeo, of course, where supernatural creatures like shifters and vampires work for the prize money, and for the awe of their audience. 

Light a Rocket by Julia Talbot

Rocket is probably the worst rider in Darque and Knight rodeo troupe. This cheetah shifter is fast as the wind, but he only has so many lives in his cat body, and he spends more time injured than not. Raven Walkingman is the number one cowboy in the Midnight Rodeo, at the top of his game. The two seem an unlikely match, but Raven enjoys doing things no one expects him to, including Rocket.

Raven likes his relationships casual, though, and when Rocket starts talking mates as shifters are wont to do, Raven pulls up the stakes. He has his animal spirit guides, his good friends, and his fancy trailer. He doesn't need a ragtag cheetah falling in love with him. His spirit guides know better. They adore Rocket and are more than happy to support him, and abandon Raven, until the stubborn fool does the right thing.

Tails and Whiskers by BA Tortuga

Tiger shifter Dmitri loves the rodeo. Darque and Knight has become his home, and he adores all of his new friends. Still, his past as a circus animal causes him to hate injustice, so when he meets a trick rider and fox shifter, Dmitri is appalled to find that the hot little kit isn't allowed inside the rodeo ground except when he works. In fact, none of the entertainers are allowed in, all being contractors and thus bound to a different boss, who happens to be a greedy goblin.

As Dmitri and Isaac learn to love one another, they find growing dissatisfaction with the status quo, and they go to their friends for support in forcing a policy change. Too bad there's a certain goblin who doesn't want to give up control of his workers. Can Dmitri and Isaac find a way to be together, and to make a change for the better of everyone at D&K?

Freaked Out by Kiernan Kelly

Gargoyle-shifter Killian has spent his life living and working with all different sorts of supernatural folk, but because he had three forms instead of two like most other shapeshifters, he’s always felt like a freak. His habit of keeping to himself and minding his own business has been his shield against being hurt, and to aid in that endeavor, he’s adopted a stony personality. 

When a troupe of sideshow performers are hired by Darque and Knight to augment the rodeo, he’s forced to redefine his ideas of what constitutes beauty and what defines a freak. Meanwhile, the hard, protective shell he’s erected around his heart threatens to crack wide open under the tender touch of Micah, the sideshow’s hideous Snake Man.



Excerpt from Tails and Whiskers by BA Tortuga

Someone was singing about having a tiger by the tail. Loudly.

Honestly, Dmitri loved to sing. He loved other people’s enthusiastic music. This morning, though, he was not so pleased. His head felt very large.

He blamed Brax. The head of the kitty cavalcade loved to get everyone full of green smoke.

Dmitri lifted his throbbing head that was, at least, five sizes bigger than it had been, and peered out of the window. Oh. His dear friend Denver was calling for him.

With fried sweet things.

For that he would crawl out of his happy bed, which still smelled like Denver since he’d bought his friend’s old trailer, and put on—shorts? Something.

“Open up, pussycat. I brought doughnuts.” Denver was a good friend, especially for a wolf. Blaine must have thrown him out this morning for being too perky. Denver’s little wolf partner was not a morning person.

Dmitri opened the door to his trailer. “Welcome, friend Denver.”

“Good morning, fuzzy.” Denver walked up and rubbed cheeks with him, sharing scent. The bullfighter knew the rules, knew how to be pride as well as pack. That made him more valuable than gold.

“What did you bring for breakfast?” Dmitri asked.

“Apple fritters. Fresh from the fryer.”

“I love apples!” His head began to clear pretty quickly. “Tell me what is the news.”

“We got a big crowd tonight. Seems tell people are revved. Bulls are spitting fire. That weird little group of trick riders are pulling the first break, to give Kurt a breather. He’s burning up.”

Yes, it was warm in Texas for a panda. Dmitri understood. His inner Siberian tiger longed for Colorado. Maybe Canada.

“There’s a lake close by. We should go, the bunch of us,” Denver suggested.

“Oh.” Swimming. His tiger surged, close the surface, wanting out of his human body. “Yes. Apple things first.”

“You bet. Come sit with me.”

Dmitri followed Denver out into the sun and sat at a picnic table. The heat pressed at him, but he did love the light.

Denver had an entire box of the pastries and they ate eagerly, wolfing the doughnuts at first, then ending with lazy nibbles. Oh. Better. So much better.

Sugar left his tiger cold, but his human side loved it, and the crispy-fried part? Perfect.

He bounced, rocking the table. “Swim now?”

“Let me grab the others. You’ll invite the pride?”

“I will.” He grabbed a trash can lid and a piece of wood and began banging. “Wake up, kitties! We are going to the lake!”

He got half cheers, half people throwing things at him. Blaine walked over with an apple fritter in hand, the other bullfighters Caul and Carter followed along with Potts. That only left one bullfighter and Terrance was notoriously slow.

Brax appeared, his naked, tanned form lean and pretty. “What are you caterwauling about?”

“Swimming! Friend Denver says there is a lake.”

Brax wrinkled his nose, stretched slowly, all golden skin and muscle. Yum. “I’ll pass.”

“Coward,” Denver teased. “You can come tan. Show off all that pretty skin. Maybe you’ll get laid.”

Dmitri wished he would have that, not Brax. No one wanted to be broken, Brax told him, afraid of Dmitri’s size and… enthusiasm.

“Yeah?” Brax came over, scented Denver and Blaine, then nodded. “Okay, sure. Let me grab some oil.”

“And some shorts,” Potts called. “A shame to damage yer pecker, eh?”

“Mine is so big I can cast my own shade.” Brax winked and headed off.

Potts growled, but the sound was more happy than ugly. Dmitri looked between them, then raised a brow at Denny.

Denver just shrugged, eyes twinkling. “What will be, will be, huh?”

“It will.” He was happy if his friends were happy.

“Lake. Water. Swimming.”

“Dog paddling,” Dmitri teased.

“You know it. Terry is a champion paddler.” Denver clapped Terrance on the back when he went by.

They clomped the half mile to the lake, the water glinting under the sun, the grass on the way green and thick. Dmitri whooped as soon as he saw the water, breaking into a run.

Blaine followed with him, the little wolf losing shirt and flip-flops with a happy howl.

He laughed, splashing in and leaving his clothes on the bank. He popped water at Blaine, roaring with delight.

Blaine tackled him, totally unafraid and eager to play.

Dmitri chortled, and soon he was surrounded, five puppies and kittens flying in all directions when he shrugged hard. Denver was floating on his back, watching with deceptively hooded eyes. Denny saw all.

Oh, Dmitri loved his life.


BA Tortuga:

Texan to the bone and an unrepentant Daddy's Girl, BA Tortuga spends her days with her basset hounds, getting tattooed, texting her sisters, and eating Mexican food. When she's not doing that, she's writing. She spends her days off watching rodeo, knitting and surfing porn sites in the name of research. BA's personal saviors include her wife (still amazing to say that), Julia Talbot, her best friend, Sean Michael, and coffee. Lots of coffee. Really good coffee.
Having written everything from fist-fighting rednecks to hard-core cowboys to werewolves, BA does her damnedest to tell the stories of her heart, which was raised in Northeast Texas, but has gone to the high desert mountains and fallen in love. With books ranging from hard-hitting GLBT romance, to fiery menages, to the most traditional of love stories, BA refuses to be pigeon-holed by anyone but the voices in her head.


Julia Talbot:

Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Torquere Press, Dreamspinner and Changeling Press. She believes that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter, or at www.juliatalbot.com.


Kiernan Kelly:

Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking colorful tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.
All right, the truth is that she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental Macintosh, drinking coffee, and dreaming of thong-clad cabana boys.
Sigh.
To date, Kiernan has seven novels in print, a plethora of short stories in e-format...and still no cabana boy of her own, although her husband may beg to differ.


Excerpt & Giveaway! Wrecked, Axle Alley Vipers #3 by Sherilee Gray




He’s driving her crazy… Piper West is finally on her own, and it’s time to get crazy. Except that her overprotective big bro has enlisted his ex-cop best friend to keep an eye on his baby sister. With every move monitored and reported back, Piper’s life has gone from “going crazy” to “being driven crazy.” But a searing-hot kiss with her sexy and scarred watchdog is just the game-changer she needs… Cole Black owes Piper’s brother big-time, but there’s nothing easy about his new assignment. Piper is all feisty sexiness and curves meant to tempt a man beyond reason, and Cole can’t stop himself. Now he’s caught up in a hunger like nothing he’s ever known, and he can’t get enough… Even if Piper’s the one girl he’s not allowed to have.









Cole moved to his kitchen window and froze, hands gripping the edge of the bench hard enough to make the Formica groan. Piper stood in her yard, garden hose turned on, aiming the jet of water at herself.

But if you want me, for anything, you know where I am. “Shit.” Had she really meant what he thought she did? Or was she thinking more along the lines of a neighborly cup of sugar? Fuck. He couldn’t allow himself to believe it. Believe that shy, sexy, little Piper West—the woman of his dreams—had just invited him into her bed. His head might actually explode if he did.

He swallowed hard, gaze following the water’s trajectory. The way it sluiced over her neck and shoulders, her arms, soaking into her shirt and shorts, gathering at the apex of her thighs and down her legs, making her skin glisten.

Not just my goddamn head.

Groaning, he licked his lips, like he already had her salty, sweet taste on his tongue.

Jesus.

Was she doing it on purpose? Was she trying to kill him? Because that’s what it felt like. His heart smacked around in his chest so damn fast, so hard, the possibility of having a heart attack wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. And his dick…shit. He’d never been so hard.

Was that…

Motherfucker.

Even from this distance, he could see her nipples pebbled and hard, straining against her tank as the cool water ran over her. He wanted to peel her wet clothes off, lick every inch of her smooth skin. See if she was wet anywhere else. See more than the tops of those succulent little nipples.

Finally, she turned off the hose and dropped it to the ground. Gripping the front of her shirt she wrung out the excess water, giving him an enticing glimpse of her smooth, rounded belly. She was walking back to the front of her house when she turned toward him, eyes locking with his.

“Goddammit.” He needed to move away from the window, now, but he couldn’t tear his gaze from her. He stayed where he was, watching until she disappeared into her house.




Sherilee Gray writes sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance. Stories full of heat and high emotion, following stubborn characters as they fight against the odds… and their happily ever after. She’s a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful NZ with her husband and their two children. When not writing or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other. 


February 11, 2016

Excerpt & Giveaway! Ink & Lies by S.L. Jennings




From International Best Selling Romance Novelist, Hope Hughes, comes a gripping, heartfelt tale of two lovers, fighting for the freedom to…

No. Scratch that. Too cheesy.

…two people, torn apart by the tumultuous tides of life, only to discover refuge in…

WTF? What does that even mean? DELETE.

…two people, confused as shit as to where they should be and who they should love and none of this means a damn thing because it’s all lies!

Lies.

I’m not Hope Hughes. I’m not some fierce woman romance machine. Hell, I’m not even a woman. 

I’m a liar. 

And while I refuse to believe my own BS, deceit masked in heartfelt phrases of love and devotion, I want to make her believe them. Because maybe—just maybe—if she can find the soul within my words, she’ll also be able to find the truth scribbled on my heart. 

You see, I once lived for the perfect plot twist.

I just never expected to actually live it.

This is my story. Well, maybe her story. I just wish I could make it our story.

The one I’m still writing.




“Yeah, but…” Her eyes grow wide and glossy as she tries to sift through all the reasons why that theory shouldn’t apply to her. In the end, she relies on her heart. “You said I wasn’t like those other women…that those other women weren’t me.”

I should tell her she’s right. I should put her out of her misery and reassure her that the last ten years were as real and meaningful to me as they were for her. That even though I may sling gift-wrapped bullshit for the general public, only she knows the true, honest parts of my heart. But with my tongue possessed by the taste of her rejection, I play the petty card, and do just the opposite.

“I guess I was wrong, especially considering yesterday’s events. Maybe you’re no different from them. And maybe you were right about me…that I do sabotage with sex to keep people at arm’s length. Because in the end, that’s all I want anyway, right?”

“You don’t mean that.”

I nod. “Yeah. I do.”

“So what are you saying?” The hurt is so thick in her throat that I can barely hear the words.

I suck in a breath, and scrub a hand over my forehead. “You were right about me. About us. We shouldn’t have done…what we did. And we can’t move on and pretend that it didn’t change us. What’s done is done.”

“I agree,” she nods, with a tinge of hope in her voice.

“So, maybe we should just see this for what it is—the end. You’re starting your life with Joshua and moving away, and I’m going on with mine.”

“Wait, August. No, that’s not—”

“You didn’t actually think we’d be able to keep this up, did you? What, you thought we’d turn out to be the modern day Cathy and Heathcliff? I’m not some swoony, literary hero, Fi. I’m not here to rescue you from your shitty love life that stems from your shitty childhood.”

“I never said you were—”

I’m rambling, spewing verbal diarrhea all over her blue cashmere, but I can’t stop. I can’t shut off the bile that has been choking me since this morning when she disclosed her impending nuptials. “You have Joshua. He’s the one you chose. He’s the one you want. You made that perfectly clear. So what the fuck do you need with me?”

“I thought we were friends, August. I thought you and me were—”

“Well, I guess you were wrong. Friends don’t fuck each other and then five minutes later get engaged. And why would you want to be friends with some empty, misogynistic prick like me anyway?”

“I-I didn’t mean,” her voice cracks, and the first tear escapes. She quickly dashes it away, refusing to let me play witness to her weakness. But I’ve already seen it. I share that very same weakness that has her bottom lip trembling. I’m just too much of a coward to show it.

“Look, I’m sorry. I think we just need a break.”

“A break. Yes,” she nods, dashing away tears. “You’re right. We both said things we shouldn’t have. Let’s just take a few days to…”

“No. A break from this,” I clarify, gesturing between us. “From us. This isn’t working anymore.”

“You’re being melodramatic, August. We’ve had fights before. We’ve said things we didn’t mean, and we always were able to work it out.”

I shake my head and look away, refusing to acknowledge the dejection on her face. “But I meant everything I said.”




S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.


Excerpt, Character Interview & Giveaway! The Promise, Sirius Wolves #4 by Victoria Sue




The time of Anubis is at hand. Working together against him, the goddess Sirius and the god Orion have helped mankind prepare by uniting Blaze, Conner, Darric, and Aden to fight the evil in the world. But in the war to come, the werewolves will need more allies, and this will extend beyond werewolf kind.

Marcus, an ex-Marine who’d lost both his legs in a landmine accident, is now Human Liaison Officer for Blaze's pack. Having lost his lover too when the man couldn’t bear to live with a cripple, the last thing he expected was that he'd fall in love again, let alone with the werewolf Kellan who seemed to be universally hated by the pack.

The Winter Circle is moving, and a psychopathic pastor has abducted Nate, one of the wolves from Hunter's pack. For once the wolves cannot rescue him — it has to be a human — and now Marcus must save the wolves from their biggest threat: one of their own.

If Marcus succeeds, he will bring in a new era in mankind’s battle against the power of evil, starting with a simple promise and ultimately mending four broken hearts.



Marcus inhaled appreciatively as he eventually made it to the top of the steps. He loved Aden’s pack house. The upstairs floor was Aden’s and his mates’ living quarters. He was incredibly lucky to be here, and one of the only humans who had been trusted to live with werewolves. Not just any werewolves, thought Marcus with a grin at his own joke. Blaze, Conner, and Darric were the Supreme Alpha triad who had been blessed by the goddess Sirius when they were born over seven hundred years ago. Marcus grinned to himself — didn’t that just roll off the tongue! It was one of those things that even when he’d seen it with his own eyes — first with his buddy in the army, and then here — it was still a truly fucking incredible thing. Werewolves. Thinking of every film in the movies, none of them came even close to how amazing it was, and how goddam lucky he was to be here.

It had only been because of his dad’s friend, Bud Mason, that he’d gotten this gig in the first place. Marcus was a newly washed up Marine with two bum legs. Career finished. Then Bud — Senator Mason — had called him. He knew Marcus was aware of werewolves. Marcus and his unit had been out on patrol, eyes on a swivel as always, but it had been quiet for days. Craig was scouting up front where he liked to be and a sniper had taken him out first. 

Marcus had thought he was done for, until the most incredible thing Marcus had ever seen happened in front of his eyes. Craig shifted into a wolf as he lay on the ground.

Marcus had kept his cool, and even though the firefight grew up in earnest, and had pulled Craig to safety. Craig had later explained everything — how werewolves were known about by the government, but not in the main by the general public; that he had shifted because when injured it’s a natural thing for wolf shifters to heal themselves. Marcus had been enthralled. Unfortunately, Craig had been sent home by panicked generals who didn’t realize it wasn’t Craig’s training so much as his incredibly strong shifter sense of smell that was locating the landmines and keeping their asses safe.

The next day after Craig had gone, their Humvee rolled straight over one. Three Marines lost their lives and Marcus lost his legs. The left one above the knee and the right below.

A few of the wolves glanced up smiling as Marcus limped into the café area at the front of the pack house. Friendly guys, and girls. Lilly greeted him. “Morning, Alpha.”

Marcus had wanted to die of embarrassment when she’d first called him that. Apart from the obvious fact he was a human, he was pretty sure it was against some wolf protocol or something. In fact, Ricoh was standing with Aden one of the first times last year when Lilly had called him that, and he’d seen the shock on Ricoh’s face.

Aden though had explained Lilly meant it as a mark of respect as Marcus had ended up being one of their biggest supporters, and Blaze certainly didn’t mind. Marcus supposed if it didn’t offend their Supreme Alpha, he didn’t need to get all bent out of shape about it.


Everyone, meet Kellan!

What do you find attractive in a man? “Any man or one of my men?” 

(Kellan blushes) “If I’m honest it was never about looks. I just wanted someone that would see past all the things that had gone wrong. All the mistakes I made.”

The first thing that went through your head when you saw Marcus?

“Seeing him wasn’t the first thing that registered. You’ve heard of a werewolf’s strong sense of smell? I was trying to look at the floor when we met. Trying to be as invisible as I could as usual. Then I caught a whiff of this amazing scent of honey. Like when it melts on hot bread? I told Marcus that eventually, I don’t think he thought it was manly enough for him.” (Kellan winks)

Do you think you’ll insist the author visits you again?

“She has to! We’re going to need another book – maybe another two. I mean there’s four of us and we have all sorts of issues to work through. Then there’s the terrorists. And we still have to deal with – ” (Kellan slaps his hand over his mouth) “Crap, I forgot not everyone’s read the book!”

Before you met Marcus, what was your ideal man?

“Honestly? I didn’t have one. I’d been so far in the closet, Lilly thought I was trying to find Narnia. (She told me she read that on facebook – she thinks she’s funny)” *rolls eyes*

You’re going out for dinner. What’s your favorite food?

“Anything Marcus wants to feed me. And by feed me, I mean feed me with his fingers. There’s this scene in the next book…whoops, sorry – I’m sworn to secrecy.”


Victoria Sue has loved books for as long as she can remember. Books were always what pocket money went on and what usually Father Christmas brought. When she ran out of her kids' adventure stories, she would go raid her mom's. By the age of eight she was devouring classics like Little Women, and fell in love with love stories.

She especially loves writing gay romance because as far as she’s concerned the only thing better than one hot guy, is two of them.


Excerpt & Giveaway! The Prophecy of Shadows, Elementals #1 by Michelle Madow




Filled with magic, thrilling adventure, and sweet romance, Elementals: The Prophecy of Shadows is the first in a new series that fans of Percy Jackson and The Secret Circle will love!

When Nicole Cassidy moves from sunny Georgia to gloomy New England, the last thing she expects is to learn that her homeroom is a cover for a secret coven of witches. Even more surprisingly … she’s apparently a witch herself. Despite doubts about her newfound abilities, Nicole is welcomed into this ancient circle of witches and is bedazzled by their powers—and, to her dismay, by Blake—the school’s notorious bad-boy.

Girls who get close to Blake wind up hurt. His girlfriend Danielle will do anything to keep them away, even if she must resort to using dark magic. But the chemistry between Blake and Nicole is undeniable, and despite wanting to protect Nicole from Danielle’s wrath, he finds it impossible to keep his distance.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole, Blake, Danielle, and two others in their homeroom are gifted with mysterious powers. But the comet has another effect—it opens the portal to the prison world that has contained the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes and attacks Nicole and Blake, it’s up to them and the others to follow the clues from a cryptic prophecy so that they can save their town … and possibly the world.



“Run!” Blake yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me off the merry-go-round. 

It spun under our weight, and I held onto the metal bars, pushing off them to leap over the edge. The cedar chips on the ground cushioned my landing. The car was behind us, which would mean running towards the monstrous hound, so I bolted for the playground, hurrying up a ladder of rubber tires that led to the closest platform. Blake followed close behind. The second he was up he took the lighter out of his pocket and aimed a blue fireball at the tires. They melted to the ground seconds before the hound reached them. 

It looked up at us and growled—a low, menacing sound that if I spoke dog I would have assumed meant “I’m going to have you for dinner”—and tried to jump onto the platform. It missed by only a few inches. 

Blake flicked on his lighter and threw a fireball at its chest, but the hound jumped to the side to get out of the way. It turned all four of its eyes up at us, one head letting out a deep roar as the other snapped its teeth together, taking bites out of the air. 

My hands shook, and I gripped one of the log posts behind me for support. “Have you learned how to fight these things in homeroom?” I asked Blake, my voice rising in panic. 

He threw another fireball, and it missed the hound again. “No,” he snapped, the flames lighting up his face. “Fighting legendary creatures isn’t on the syllabus.” 

“Maybe it should be,” I said as he launched another ball of fire, hitting the hound on its front paw. Both of its heads yelped in pain. The scorpion tail lowered between its legs, and it growled again before turning away from us and running around the side of the playground, woodchips flying behind it as it gained speed. 

My heart pounded, and I looked around to figure how to get off the platform. The exit was a slide that dropped off at the monkey bars. I could get down and run to the car, but I didn’t know where the hound was, and leaving the platform could give it the perfect opportunity to pounce. 

Then the hound growled again. I turned around, spotting it clamoring up a ladder of logs that led to a nearby platform. Only a wobbly bridge separated that platform from our own. My entire body shook, and I moved closer to Blake, grabbing his arm for support. 

The hound reached the top of the platform, and its glowing eyes narrowed, ready to attack.

Not having anywhere else to go, I launched myself down the slide and hurried to the monkey bars, climbing up the ladder and hoisting myself on top of them. Gripping the sides, I crawled to the center bar, but the ground spun beneath me, my lungs tightening as I looked down. I had to take a few deep breaths to steady myself. A six-foot fall wasn’t deadly. Now wasn’t the time to let my fear of heights get to me. 

Blake scrambled behind me, and I turned around to make sure he wasn’t hurt. Sweat dripped down the sides of his face from the flames, but other than that he looked okay. He took his lighter out again, holding it up in preparation to create another fireball. 

I looked back at the hound in time to see it run along the bridge and hurl itself towards us. It bared its teeth as it flew through the air, its arms outstretched as it came closer to the monkey bars. But it must not have had enough force behind the jump, because it fell to the ground with a loud thump. It stood and shook the woodchips off its fur, a low growl coming from somewhere deep in its throat as it turned its heads up to look at us. 

Before I could say anything to Blake about how completely screwed we were, he threw two balls of fire towards the hound, hitting both of its faces. It howled and collapsed, whimpering as it buried its snouts in its paws. The smell of burnt skin filled the air. My stomach swirled with nausea, and I lifted a hand to my nose to block out the smell.

Only a few seconds passed before it stood up again. The fur on its faces had changed into a charred grey. Its yellow eyes glowed brighter now, both snouts chomping madly in the air, strings of saliva dripping to the ground as it waited to devour whichever one of us lost our balance first.



Michelle Madow grew up in Baltimore, graduated Rollins College in Orlando, and now lives in Boca Raton, Florida. She wrote her first book in her junior year of college, and has been writing novels since. Some of her favorite things are: reading, pizza, traveling, shopping, time travel, Broadway musicals, and spending time with friends and family. Michelle has toured across America to promote her books and to encourage high school students to embrace reading and writing. Someday, she hopes to travel the world for a year on a cruise ship.
To get instant updates about Michelle's new books, subscribe to her newsletter and follow her on Amazon!