March 28, 2015

Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! Monsters in the Dark Series Bundle by Pepper Winters



**STRICTLY LIMITED TIME SALE PRICE ON COMPLETE TRILOGY**

From New York Times Bestseller Pepper Winters comes the highly acclaimed USA Today Bestselling Series: Monsters in the Dark.

Included in the following edition are: 

TEARS OF TESS
"My life was complete. Happy, content, everything neat and perfect.
Then it all changed.
I was sold."

Kidnapped. Drugged. Stolen. Tess is forced into a world full of darkness and terror.

Read my review HERE
~
QUINTESSENTIALLY Q
"All my life, I battled with the knowledge I was twisted... fucked up to want something so deliciously dark. But then slave fifty-eight entered my world. "

Q may be a monster, but he's Tess's monster.

Read my review HERE
~
TWISTED TOGETHER
"After battling through hell, I brought my esclave back from the brink of ruin. I sacrificed everything--my heart, my mind, my very desires to bring her back to life."

Q gave everything to bring Tess back. In return, he expects nothing less.

**Not recommended if you don't enjoy dark romance, angst-filled plots, and BDSM.


The word master echoed like a bad tuning fork. 

Master. Master

No, he wasn’t my master. Not with his short, sleek hair and sharp widow’s peak. Not with his clenched, stubble-smooth jaw and trim physique. He was not my master. No one was. 

Tears pricked as I thought about Brax. He seemed a world away compared to this reality. Brax was rough and boyish, a hard worker through and through. The man, staring with pale jade eyes and an unreadable, chiselled face, lived in total contrast. Power radiated like visible waves, unsettling me more than anything.

 He wasn’t the fat, repulsive bastard who used wealth to buy sex slaves. He wasn’t gross or any other monstrous things. Who is this man? 

My eyes widened, drinking him in—the owner of this house. The owner of… me. No, never. 

I didn’t care who he was, because my life belonged to me. I stuck out my chin, glaring. I wouldn’t be intimidated by wealth or stature. I didn’t care he was tall and moved like he expected the world to lick his shoes. I would never lick anything of his. 

The man never broke eye contact, ensnaring me in his gaze. Slowly, he pushed off the banister and moved toward the stairs. 

I gulped.

 He was smooth water—effortless in refinement but just like still water, dangerous if you couldn’t swim. Deadly rips and currents lurked deep below the surface. I eyed him, trying to figure out what sick pleasures he indulged in that normal, willing women were hard to come by.

 My heart raced with every step he took, descending toward me. 

The guard pushed me forward. “Bow to your new master.” 

I tripped, but regained my footing instantly. My fists shook, I clenched them so hard. My injuries reminded me all of this was wrong. In some warped sense, it seemed innocent like the owner of the house merely welcoming a guest.

 “I have no master,” I said, putting every ounce of rebellion into the words. “Let me go.”

 The man stopped mid-step, head cocked. His fingers curled around the banister, showing manicured nails, no calluses in sight. Once again, pale eyes connected with mine, sucking my thoughts into a vacuum.

 Up till now, his face had been unreadable, but as we stared, flashes of emotion buffeted me. Anger. Interest. Annoyance. Resignation. And finally, in a blaze of jade…lust. 

My breath quickened and I tried to step back again, only to collide with the wall of the guard’s chest. 

The guard placed a hot, heavy hand between my shoulder blades and pushed, forcing me into a struggling, painful bow. “Do as you’re told.”

 So many thoughts collided. I wanted to spin and steal the gun in the holster under his arm. I wanted to shoot everyone. I wanted to slash at the gorgeous artwork and priceless artefacts around the room. Such things of beauty did not deserve to belong to a man whose goons forced a sex slave to bow. 

“Bastard,” I muttered, hating I couldn’t do any of it. All I could do was obey—for now.

 “Stop. If she doesn’t want to bow, then don’t force her.” The masculine voice reminded me of glinting steel, shaped with precision and strength. It was the sound of authority, and despite my best attempts to rebel, I bowed on my own. The sheer weight of his voice compelled obedience. 

The guard’s hand left my back. He chuckled. “If she doesn’t want to bow, perhaps she wants to crawl.” M

y back snapped upright, and I jumped a mile. My new owner stood directly in front of me. Hands in his slack pockets, head cocked slightly to the side, as if inspecting a piece of art. 

“She may crawl if she wishes,” he murmured. 

“I do not wish,” I snapped. 

Once again, our eyes connected and I searched for the evil like the men in Mexico, but he guarded himself too well. Nothing gave away what he thought, even the emotions I’d seen before were gone.

 We stood staring for moments, before the guard behind me cleared his throat. Shattering the fragile silence and condemning me to whatever would happen next.

 “Laissez-nous.” The man waved a hand toward the exit. Instantly, the guard left along with a few others I hadn’t seen lurking. The rustle of their suits sounded like a death sentence as they siphoned out the door. 

Oh, God.

 My eyes flicked to the left, where a massive library beckoned. Sultry mahogany, rich maroons, and gold bookcases. A roaring fire beckoned to read a book and slouch in the wingback chairs huddled around the flames. 

To the right, a ginormous lounge full of comfortable designer sofas and chairs. Animal hides of zebra and tiger littered the floor, and huge glass doors reflected me standing under the bright lights of the foyer. 

The man stood an arm’s length away. Tears thickened my throat.

 I dropped my gaze, unable to look anymore. Tiredness descended, and all I wanted to do was sleep—to escape this nightmare.

 “You won’t be able to run,” he said, watching closely.

 I sucked in a breath. “Who says I’m going to run?” 

His lips, smooth and well defined against his five o’clock shadow, twitched. “I smell it on you—the scent of prey. You’re looking for a bolthole, somewhere no one can find you.” He leaned in, sending a cloud of expensive cologne around me. “You’re different, I’ll give you that. They didn’t break you, but don’t think you can fight me. You won’t win.” 

My heart seized. His tone bordered on angry. He was angry at me? I was the victim here.

 My chest swelled with indignation. “What do you expect? I was smuggled here. You bought me. I didn’t come freely. Of course, I want to run.”




Pepper Winters is a NYT and USA Today International Bestseller. She wears many roles. Some of them include writer, reader, sometimes wife. She loves dark, taboo stories that twist with your head. The more tortured the hero, the better, and she constantly thinks up ways to break and fix her characters. Oh, and sex... her books have sex. She loves to travel and has an amazing, fabulous hubby who puts up with her love affair with her book boyfriends. She's also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestsellers, best BDSM series voted by the SmutClub, and recently signed a two book deal with Grand Central. Her books are currently being translated into numerous languages and will be in bookstores in the near future.





Book Promo: Excerpt & Giveaway! Boundless Fate, Fate For Love #2 by Alicia Rae


Colton Kingston’s livelihood has been reduced to a pile of black ashes by a tragic act of arson. After sending away the woman he’s loved since the tender age of five, a dark hateful revenge threatens to overtake his heart. Colton knows pushing her away is the only way he can keep her safe.

Paige Summer’s has endured her fair share of obstacles in the past, and refuses to give up on Colton and the life they share together. As interferences try to tear them apart, Paige is determined to stand by Colton’s side and remind him of their love and its strength.

But at every turn, tragedy continues to strike and more devastation falls upon them.

Will Colton and Paige’s love be boundless? Or will revenge conquer their fate?



~Paige POV~

“Well, good night.” I maintained a light voice and barreled for the door to slip on my boots.

Once outside, I shut the door at my back and beelined for my Gator. My humiliation increased with every step. But it wasn’t until I sat on my utility vehicle and turned over the key that I realized my cheeks were wet with tears at my utter embarrassment.

I wiped at them, pressed down on the brake, and set my right hand on the gearshift.

“Paige, wait!” Colton called, jogging long strides toward me.

I released a shaky breath and held my foot on the brake pedal. Colton came to a stop at my side, and I gazed up at him.

“What Colton?” I snipped, unable to control myself. 

“You don’t have to leave.”

His baby-blue eyes shone with genuine remorse. However, it didn’t settle my nerves. It only heightened them.

“You haven’t wanted me to stay the night for the past week, so why would you now?” I bit back the second wave of tears threatening to spill over. “I don’t want your pity, Colton. I’m a big girl. I can go home and sleep in my own bed.”

Colton scowled at me. “You know damn well that pity has nothing to do with it, and it pisses me off that you think it does.”

I pressed my thumb against the corner knob of the gearshift, preparing to put my Gator in drive. I broke our connection and stared at my steering wheel. I was not ready to go back inside and face our friends’ curious eyes, so I said, “I think it’s best if I go.”

“No one is judging you, Paige,” Colton said.

At his gift for reading my thoughts, my attention darted back to his face. 

“I want you to stay with me.” He leaned over and spun my key to the left, turning the ignition off. 

The beating of my heart slamming into my chest sounded in my ears as Colton took the key and stuck it in the front pocket of his lounge pants. Then, he raised his hands above his head and rested his forearms on the metal roll cage of my Gator, caging me in.

His eyes went dark, causing him to look strikingly hot. “You can either walk inside with me, or I can carry you, baby. Either way, you’re sleeping in my bed tonight.”

Well, shit! 

I gaped at him and yelled, “That’s not playing fair!” 

“Neither is this,” he muttered under his breath as he brought his hand to my waist. Pulling me off the Gator, he hoisted me onto his shoulders.

“Colton!” I shrieked, compelling myself not to laugh out loud. “You didn’t even give me time to decide!”

“There is no decision to be made.” He smacked my ass. “You’re all mine, and you will sleep in my bed.”

As he walked in the direction of his house, I heard Kyle shout, “Damn straight! That’s how it’s done!” 

“Get your woman!” Blake joined in.

“Don’t take his shit, Paige! Show him who’s boss!” Gail yelled. Then, she squealed loudly before laughing uncontrollably. 

“Oh my god,” I cried, staring at my view of the ground. “Please tell me they all aren’t watching us.”

“Oh, they are.” Colton chuckled a mischievous throaty sound. “Actually, all eight of those crazy asses either have their faces glued to the front window or are peeking their heads out the door.”

“Nice,” I sighed in exasperation. “You’re so going to pay for this, cowboy.”




Alicia Rae is a Contemporary Romance Author who lives in Dekalb, Illinois, with her husband and three beautiful boys. Alicia has a passion for reading all types of romance, writing to bring a story to life, and photography.
Thank you to my dear sister, Kels, who showed me a few years ago how much I truly missed reading. And to my loving husband, for not throwing away my Nook, and planting the seed of writing in my mind. I am forever grateful. Xo
Readers, words cannot thank you enough for supporting me along this incredible journey. I hope you enjoy my novels as much as I do writing them. I thank each and every one of you.
Believe in yourself and follow your dreams...





Book blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway! Deep blue Eternity by Natasha Boyd



Livvy is on the run. And she’s escaped to the one place nobody will ever find her.

But the isolated cottage isn’t empty. Her refuge is home to a troubled stranger, Tom, there for reasons of his own.

In the intimacy of the abandoned cottage, and the remote wilderness of the island, the electrifying connection between them is impossible to ignore. Both running from their histories and shielding dark secrets, their pasts catch up with them and collide in an unimaginable way.

Deep emotions and powerful chemistry face a painful battle with the tangle of lies, and scars of the past. When the truth emerges, hearts will be shattered.

"A captivating, heart-wrenching, beautifully written story about those who scar us and those who help us heal. I could not put it down and am still thinking about it!" - Mia Sheridan, New York Times Bestselling author of Archer’s Voice

"Boyd skillfully navigates the scorching physical desire and personal insecurities of her protagonists, crafting a relationship that is tense, torrid and sure to keep the pages turning." ~ RT Book Reviews

“Fans of the Sea of Tranquility or Mia Sheridan will absolutely love this story.” ~ MissIngrid’s reviews. 

“I can’t recall ever reading a novel that made me laugh, smile, cry… just, feel as much as this one did.” ~ Books over Bros Reviews



He didn’t respond for hours. I was making a salad for dinner and opening a can of tuna that Fuckhead was going nuts over when he finally walked in, windswept and disheveled, in jeans and a white T-shirt. I stopped what I was doing to stare, and the cat leapt over my feet and between my legs, meowing repeatedly. 

“Well, can I?” I asked. 

“I don’t know. I have to do something for someone, but if I don’t, you can.” His eyes flicked to me briefly.

“Cryptic much?” 

“Sorry, I just, uh, I just have some stuff going on right now.” 

“With Bethany.”

“No. Yes. No, not to do with her.” He raked his hands through his hair, taming it, then headed to the fridge.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“What? What do you mean?” 

“I mean, I thought we had a… a friendship or something, and I don’t understand what I’ve done wrong.” Addressing it made a weird emotional bubble grow in my chest, and my eyes started to sting. 

He stopped and turned around. 

I blinked rapidly, trying to dissipate any water that was collecting. The cat let out a mournful moan. 

“You haven’t done anything wrong, Liv.”

“Then why do I feel like I have? Are…” I swallowed. “Are you disgusted with me now?”

“What?” he whispered. His face creased, like he was in pain and his eyes did a slow blink. Then he took a step toward me and just kept coming. And suddenly I was wrapped up in his arms, my face pressed into his hard chest, breathing him in. Breathing in his unique scent of laundry and male exertion and the fresh outdoors. Salt and weathered wood.

I froze, stiff with surprise from the sudden contact, then endured the brazen heat that immediately followed and whipped through my belly. 

His head dropped on top of mine, and he breathed into my hair. “I know you don’t mean that.”

“Mean what?”

“How could I ever be disgusted with you? I—”

He lapsed into silence, just holding me. His chest was warm, his heart beating hard under my cheek. 

Lifting my arms tentatively, I slid them around his waist. I thought I felt him shudder. His muscles were bunched tight, or he was tense. I didn’t know. He was hugging me. I could hug him back, right?

The cat embarked on a continuous series of desperate meows and threaded his body between our legs in a figure eight. I willed him to shut the hell up and stop ruining this moment, but it was no use. 

Tom chuckled and pulled away. 

“Fuckhead,” I growled vehemently at the cat, who proceeded to give me a nice view of his butt. 

I looked up, and Tom was watching me, amused. He reached his hand up and slid it behind my head, and I stopped breathing. His gaze flicked to my mouth for a millisecond. My lips burned. My eyes fluttered closed as he drew me in and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. His beard, he’d taken to wearing clipped closer to his skin these days, torturing me with glimpses of his beauty, grazed my brow. 

I swallowed the painful lump in my throat, my heart hammering.

He drew away slowly. 

I kept my eyes closed. I couldn’t bear for him to see what mine must look like. Desperate. Yearning. Drowning in agony. 

And the knowledge that I could never tell him how I felt, that I had to keep it locked in my heart where it couldn’t ruin this, was almost a comfort. I would be safe and able to stay here with him as long as I didn’t mess this up. God, and I’d come so close to messing it all up when I came on to him. 

I hated the memory of myself, of who I’d been then. How could a person change so much in so short a time? It was both the beauty and the agony of my lot. Falling in love with him had forever altered me, but to let it out of my heart might lose him forever.




Natasha Boyd is an internationally bestselling and award-winning author with a background in marketing and public relations. Her debut novel Eversea was a finalist in the 2013 Winter Rose Contest for Contemporary Romance and won the 2014 Digital Book Award for Adult Fiction. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Georgia Romance Writers and Island Writer’s Network in coastal South Carolina where she has been a featured speaker on book marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and lives with her husband, two sons and the cast of characters in her head.




Book Promo & Giveaway! The Edge of Hope, Bad Blood #1 by Alina Popescu

badblood cover blog promo
Ebook- Amazon US / UK / AU
Paperback- Amazon US / UK / B&N / CreateSpace

Everyone she loved betrayed her. She felt lost and broken. Getting away from the pain and embracing a new path, Alexa decided to leave her old life behind and chase a long forgotten dream in Malta. There she met a gorgeous man, bearing the scent of fresh love. He led her to a new city to explore, Amsterdam. Is the tall, dark, and delicious man a dream come true or just a risky gamble?

Alexa chose hope and new beginnings over fear and warning signs only to be brutally dragged into a world she never really thought existed. Vampires, their feuds, and her future held tightly in their hands.

Trapped in a mysterious world, Alexa gives love chance after chance. Following her quest of self-discovery in a blood bound world, will she survive the journey?



Coming Soon: The Breaking of Bonds, Bad Blood #2

The Breaking of Bonds, book 2 of the Bad Blood Trilogy will be released on May 28th, 2015

A human sacrifice has forced vampires, trueborn and baseborn alike, into an escalating conflict with one side pushing for revenge, the other for freedom. The hunt for Anthony and Louis is the trueborns’ main objective, driven by Hesrah’s desire to get even with the two baseborns and avenge her best friend, Alexa. The baseborns are rattled and divided between rallying around the rebels and obeying the rules imposed by Ankhsis.

What emerges from the portal from Earth to Ankhsis in the middle of the turmoil rocking both worlds is more dead than alive. Not human and not baseborn. Certainly not trueborn. This new being will either damn them all or be their race’s most powerful weapon. Will they trust it not to destroy them, or will Ankhsis decide putting it down is the only solution?

In the end, who is guilty? Who will pay? Will anyone survive its wrath?

Teaser 2



Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.


badblood-640



March 27, 2015

Cover Reveal! Summer on Main Street Box Set

Pre-order now for .99$ Amazon Amazon CA Amazon UK Amazon AU
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: June 23, 2015

TELL ME TRUE, a new novella from NYT Bestselling Author Crista McHugh

Welcome to Jackson Grove, Alabama, where some pre-wedding shenanigans provide the perfect opportunity to unite two victims of unrequited love, Hunter and Chelsea. Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps… or perhaps in this case, a skunk.
~
LEAD-OFF BRIDE, a new novel from USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca J. Clark (and Book 1 of the new series, Take Me Out to the Wedding)

Demoted to the minor leagues in Twin Rivers, Washington, to rehab a career-threatening injury, Jack McCauley doesn’t have time to focus on anything other than baseball because that’s all he knows, and all he is. So running into an old flame and learning he has a daughter he never knew about has Jack crying foul.
~
THE PROMISE OF PARADISE by USA Today Bestselling Author Allie Boniface. 

Take one rich girl from Boston who’s fleeing a family scandal, send her straight into the arms of a sexy local mechanic, and watch what happens when the two end up sharing a rental home for one hot summer. Bonus New Companion Novella exclusive to this set: AFTER PARADISE continues this story after its original ending. Find out what happens next to your favorite secondary characters!
~
GOOD COP by USA Today Bestselling Author Liz Kelly. 

When two best friends enlist a pony-tailed firecracker to help shake up their good cop/bad cop images, fireworks ignite. One steamy romance, plus a very funny bromance, equals lots of laughs and a helluva love triangle.
~
THE LOVE I WANT TO BE IN, a new novel in a new series from MJ Fredrick. 

Single mother Brioney Mayburn has learned about responsibility the hard way, working as a maid in the motel in the small beach town of Avalon Island, Texas and looking after her younger brother. Local jack-of-all-trades Blue Maddox has loved Brioney forever, but she won’t look past his surfer-boy persona to see the love he has to offer.
~
LIGHT THE WAY HOME by Cerian Hebert. 

Torn between the home she loves and the man she’s falling in love with, Hayden must decide which one she will leave behind. 

Hayden Merrick has one thing in mind when she arrives in South Dakota. To meet her grandmother for the first time, then return to the life she loves on the Maine coast. She doesn't expect to discover the truth behind her mother's departure from South Dakota, find the father who abandoned her or a man who could prove to be the love of her life. 

As soon as Ben Winslow meets Hayden, he believes she could be the woman he's always hoped for. First he has to convince her she could love the prairie as much as the ocean.



Crista McHugh is a NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLING author of fantasy and romance with heroines who are smart, sexy, and anything but ordinary. 
She currently lives in the Tesla-filled suburbs of Seattle with her husband and two children, maintaining her alter ego of mild-mannered physician by day while she continues to pursue writing on nights and weekends. 
To be the first to know about her latest releases or to be entered into exclusive contests, please sign up for her newsletter using the contact form on her webpage, www.cristamchugh.com.




Rebecca J. Clark is a USA Today best-selling author of steamy and sweet contemporary romances. She is the author of the Red Stilettos and upcoming Take Me Out to the Wedding series. When she’s not writing, you can find her at her local gym where she works as a personal trainer & teaches cardio classes, Fitball, yoga & Pilates. All this exercise allows her to eat her favorite comfort food—Cheetos—guilt free. Visit her online at her website, Facebook, Twitter, or sign up for her newsletter to receive book release updates, healthy recipes, fitness tips and read her serialized soap opera for subscribers only.


Liz Kelly is the USA Today best-selling author of the Heroes of Henderson series. Growing up every summer in a place where dancing and romancing are literally part of its theme song, she can't help but be a romantic at heart. A graduate of Wake Forest University, where she met her handsome golf-addicted husband, (who is now sporting dark glasses everywhere he goes) Liz is a mother of two sons (also sporting dark glasses) and a miniature Labradoodle named Isabelle. They split their time between The Windy City of Chicago and the Fountain of Youth, a.k.a. Naples, FL where dancing and romancing continues on ad infinitum. Visit her website for an overview of her books, book club menu plans, and lots of delicious cocktail suggestions.



MJ Fredrick knows about chasing dreams. Twelve years after she completed her first novel, she signed her first publishing contract. Now she divides her days between teaching elementary music, and diving into her own writing.
She's a four-time Golden Heart Award finalist and a two-time Epic Award winner. She is the author of the Minnesota-set Welcome to Bluestone series and the Texas-set Lost in a Boom Town series, and loves to write about the interplay between people in a small town. You can find her online at her website, Facebook, Twitter or sign up for her newsletter for new release/sneak peeks!


Allie is a high school English teacher by day and a USA Today best-selling contemporary romance author by night. She is the author of the Hometown Heroes and Cocktail Cruise series and loves the magic and complexity of small-town stories. Visit her online at her website, Facebook page, Twitter account, or sign up for her newsletter to receive occasional updates and sneak peeks at her latest books!


Cerian Hebert, a multi-published author of small town romances like Sweet and Wild, Finally Home, and No Going Back, knew she wanted to write since she was twelve. From mucking stalls for top riding stables in New York to booking cruises in Maine, she’s kept on filing notebooks in pursuit of her dreams of being an author. Whether the stories are set in New England, South Dakota or Texas, Cerian keeps the romances in small towns with realistic characters all in search of romance. Currently she lives in southwestern New Hampshire with her husband, children, dog, cat, and three geckos. Visit her at her webpage or Facebook page to get sneak peeks into upcoming projects.


Book Blitz: Excerpt & Giveaway! Orenda, Orenda #1 by Ruth Silver


Join forces with a parallel universe.

Dark forces, magical creatures, and the world Lil thought she knew collide when a dream transports her to the strange world of Orenda. Stunned and terrified, Lil comes face to face with her doppelganger, Willow, who possesses the ability to travel between the two worlds. Everything Lil knows logically says that Orenda can’t exist, but a small clue may be proof that it was more than an ordinary dream. With the threat of her sister in danger, Lil crosses dimensions but it may cost her even more than she bargained for.

A sword wielding girl, the eternal suit, and a parallel universe come together in this action-packed Young Adult fantasy adventure that will keep readers of all ages turning the pages.


His dark locks fell into his eyes, and he pushed them aside. “We don't have much time. I need your help, Willow.”

Lil's eyes narrowed. “It's Lil,” she said, correcting him. “Why should I help you? Why should I even go with you?” She stood beside his car, her heart thumping in her chest as she crossed her arms.

“Jamey's in trouble,” Rawlie said.

“How do you know my sister?” Lil’s eyes narrowed.

“We don’t have much time.”

Lil was torn in two. She shouldn't go with Rawlie, but the thought of something happening to her sister was even more terrifying than any gruesome scene she could imagine landing in herself. “What happened?” She looked back as the main door to the school opened and the principal came outside to the lot. It was now or never. If they waited any longer, he'd be wondering why she wasn't in class.

“If we're leaving, now would be a good time.” Rawlie jumped into the car, not bothering to open the door. He unlocked the passenger side and Lil pulled the door open, glancing back at the principal before getting into the car. A moment later, Rawlie sped off and away from Twain High.

The drive was like nothing Lil had ever experienced. She secured her seatbelt, tightening it as much as possible. The wind burned against her flesh, tearing at her skin worse than the most painful sunburn she’d ever experienced. The forest shifted in waves around them. She opened her mouth to speak, to ask what was going on, but the words didn't come. The forest grew darker the faster they drove. The trees billowed overhead and though it was spring and there had been leaves on them, the dark forest looked dead. Lil glanced back behind them, seeing a shift and a ripple, the same odd glimmer she'd seen when Rawlie first appeared outside the school.

“Where are we going?” Lil choked out, gasping for air. A bird swooped down just above her head and she flinched, swatting it away. She’d never liked birds, and she definitely wasn’t a fan of ones with large, sharp talons coming at her face.

“Yeah, I don't like birds either. Getting to Orenda through the forest isn’t an easy drive. It’ll be okay.” Rawlie moved an arm to cover and protect Lil while he drove with the other.

“How is any of this okay?” Lil’s eyes widened with alarm as the dead trees closed in on them. The roar was as deafening as a lion's, causing the windshield to shudder and her heart rate to quicken. From a distance, she could make out the faintest hint of pink light streaming in from the edge of the forest. She doubted they'd make it in time. The forest was swallowing them whole. “I want out!” she screamed, fear overtaking her.

“If we stop, we're both dead.” Rawlie didn't let up on the gas. He pushed the pedal harder to the floor, his arm protecting Lil from anything that might attack as they narrowly escaped the forest. He should have put the top up on the convertible before they left, Lil found herself thinking. A moment later, they reached the clearing and Rawlie put both hands back on the steering wheel as they came to an abrupt halt.



Ruth Silver first began writing poetry as a teenager and reading heaps of fan fiction in her free time. She has written under three unique pseudo names and penned well over a hundred stories. 
She attended Northern Illinois University in 2001 and graduated with a Bachelor's in Communication. While in college she spent much of her free time writing with friends she met online and penning her first novel, "Deuces are Wild", which she self-published in 2004. Her favorite class was Creative Writing senior year where she often handed in assignments longer than the professor required because she loved to write and always wanted to finish her stories. 
Her love of writing, led her on an adventure in 2007 to Melbourne, Australia. Silver enjoys reading YA novels and sharing her favorite books with other readers. She runs her own book blog and also enjoys photography and traveling.