Release Day Blitz! Love At First Glance by Muriel Garcia

Haven HATES Mondays.

She loathes them.

Especially this Monday. 

This is the Monday that’ll change her life, but will it be for better or worse?

At first glance, it’s seems to be for the worst. Losing her job, boyfriend and supposed friend is not how Haven envisaged her week starting. Temporarily living with her best friend, Spencer, is not how she envisaged spending her week and a new job is not what she expected to look forward to the following week.

Things start to look up for Haven. Despite the nasty delivery, her life is taking a new turn that she embraces and loves. She finds a new job and a place to live that are perfect for her. Everything seems to be going well but little things creep up and destroy the one thing she cherished the most and can’t live without.

It was a shaky start but her professional life is going in the direction she’s always wanted. If only she could say the same about her love life. After a failed long-term relationship, a blind date who is just like any guy you’d meet in a bar and a manwhore of a neighbour, she’s left thinking that it’s time to open the crazy cat lady starter box. All she wants is to be content with her life, but she’s not. She’s missing the one thing she’s dreamed of since she was a little girl. To be loved.

But what if it was in front of her the entire time?

Will she be able to mend the broken bridges?

Will she realise it was Love at First Glance?

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Wonder what Spencer has been thinking all along? Find out in the second book that will tell their story from his POV. Out in February 2016.
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This is funny, seriously so funny!!!

I chuckled my ass off- it was a perfect tonic to the stresses of the day.

All too often this genre is guilty of insta-love – this is not the case, the pair take their time, they potter their way to the inevitable and while there is a hiccup or two along the way I was glued to the page.

Fantastically constructed, beautifully expressive and refreshingly modern.

Loved it! - Books Laid Bare

I absolutely loved reading this sweet and hilarious book by Muriel. Even from the very beginning, I couldn’t stop laughing at some of things that Haven said or did. She’s quite the character for sure. Honestly throughout the entire book, I found myself either laughing or wishing something would happen. I won’t say what, because you have to find out yourself.

I was kind of thrown for a loop at one point but at the same time, I loved it. It wasn’t boring or a sweet and sappy read. I do recommend checking this one out. This was my first by Muriel, and I’m very interesting in seeing more from her. - Brandi Pearson

What a beautiful love story! Best friends Spencer and Haven have been through everything together. Friends since babies, they have found in each other the rock everyone needs in their lives... that one person who will always be there for you. Through all kinds of failed relationships, ups and downs in and even being cut off by family... sometimes you find love in the most obvious and least suspecting place. This was a beautiful, moving, heartfelt story. Loved it from the start and can't wait to read more in this series! Who knew Mondays could end up being the best days of your life? ;-) - Aschae

What a fantastic book. The dynamics between the two lead characters is fierce. The ups and downs, the good and the bad they go through keep you wanting more. Haven and Spencer have known each other since they were in diapers. Can two friends fall in love? More importantly, can they fall in love and still be best friends? You have to read to find out! The story line and the characters in this book are very strongly written and I am so happy I got a chance to read it!! - HeadTripping Books by Crissy!

Muriel Garcia was born and raised in Belgium. She started writing a little over a year ago and never thought she would ever publish; reading and writing weren’t her favorite things to do in high school.

After one of her friends gave her a challenge – the next time they would attend a book signing, she would be a signing author (it did happen!) – she started to take writing a lot more seriously and never looked back. She’s enjoyed every second of it and the friends she’s made along the way.

She loves music, tattoos—especially on hot men, traveling, and cooking. She has always had an overly imaginative and creative mind but never thought of putting words to paper. Now she couldn’t imagine not writing stories that are near and dear to her heart.

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Release Day Blitz! Liar, Liar #2 by Lia Fairchild

When all you’ve known are lies, how do you face the truth?

My past was a bitch.

Now it’s come back to haunt me. After months apart, Daniel and I are finally trying to make our relationship work. But my lies run deeper than either of us imagined. Lies so terrible I imprisoned them in the darkest recesses of my mind. Just when my heart begins to come alive, the lies seep out of the shadows…revealing secrets with the power to crush me.

~ ~ ~

Despite both of our troubled pasts, I want her…more than I’ve ever wanted anyone or anything. I’m determined to fight for her—to fight for us—even if it means facing my own demons. I have to reach Gray before it’s too late…before the truth completely destroys her.

Her head turned in my direction and her eyebrows rose before she bent to pull bread out of the oven. This woman would be the end of me if she didn’t stay away from trouble.

“Gray? You know I have to ask. I need to know you’re not in danger.”

She set the bread pan on top of the stove, removed the potholder and walked toward me, eyes narrowed on mine. “I like it when you want to protect me, Daniel,” she said in a silky voice that made my skin blaze. She stopped when we were toe-to-toe. “Come to think of it, that’s when you seem to want to be the closest to me.” Her hand trailed up my arm to my neck. “Maybe I need a little danger in my life to keep you close.”

I reached up and took hold of her wrist and pulled her into me. “Tell me,” I said, commanding her attention. “If this is serious, I need to know.”

“You need to know? Tell me, Daniel. Why do you need to know? What exactly do you want?”

What I wanted to do was put my lips on that little smart mouth of hers and show her just what I wanted. Every part of my body ached to touch every part of hers, but I needed to be patient. I had her number, and I wouldn’t be goaded into sex…no matter how pleasant the thought. I refused to start something I wasn’t yet prepared to finish. First, I needed to make things right.

I grabbed her chin, tugging her face close to mine. “What I want is for you to be safe and happy.”

Her eyes fell to my lips. It took everything in me not to take them right then.

“And what I want…” Her chest rose profoundly, pressing against mine. “…is for you not to burn my damn dinner."

ALERT: If you haven't read the first book, Compulsive, now's your chance. It's on sale for just $0.99 until 11/5!

Bestselling author, Lia Fairchild writes women's fiction and romance. Fans of her books praise her endearing, real characters who come to life in stories that will touch your heart.

Fairchild is addicted to the warmth of Southern California and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and a multiple-subject teaching credential. She is a wife and mother of two teenagers.

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Release Day Blitz & Guest Post! The Scars And Sorrows Saga by Mary E. Palmieri

International bestselling author, Mary E. Palmerin, concludes her first series, The Scars and Sorrow Saga, with an emotional end to the Harper family's journey. Six stories. A moving epilogue. One family. And the virtue they all attempt to hold on to... hope. Fall in love with this raw, poignant saga as you travel the path of Lyla Harper while she tries to grasp onto love, let go of loss, and believe in tomorrow. Will the Harper family get the happily-ever-after they have endlessly wished for?

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Secrets of the Scars and Sorrow Saga This series is complete and I never did much promo for it. I can’t explain why. The subsequent works that followed these are a lot darker in nature. I can’t say it was the content I was scared of sharing. I reached out a few times here and there, but mostly, I would write a book and hit publish. It wasn’t until Gwen and Welch’s story did I spread my wings, take off, and fly. Three years later, six stories, and one emotional ending, this saga is complete. It is truly bittersweet. Since it is hundreds of thousands of words in length, a blog tour wasn’t something that would be feasible. Natalie asked me to write a guest post about the inspiration behind the series. I know, I know… you’ve probably heard millions of stories regarding how a person was moved to write. And you know what? It’s awesome! I’ve always stated how close Lyla’s story is to me. I proudly support Project Semicolon, and I even have a tattoo of one on my left wrist. I’m sure people who don’t know me have made assumptions about me and my life, especially after I have met some at signings and they see how passionate I am about the stories I have written. Now, I am going to tell you my story. I was four-years-old the first time I remember feeling fear. I’m not talking about the kind of distress from a scary story that is told over a speckling campfire, or from a pretend ghoul while trick-or-treating. I’m describing the kind of dread that still, at twenty-eight, makes my heart flutter with unease. It’s ironic how so many people feel like they were destined to “be” something or someone. I never felt that, except in the path of destruction. What a mystery, that very destruction has lead me to this fantastic dream I am basking in… I only remember holding onto the fear and sadness. Thinking back to being in that hot truck when I was four makes me want to go into my office, pour a cup of coffee, and spill those emotions into the stories that I create. I recall reaching my little arm out to roll the window down, but it was too short to reach the lever. The seat was torn and it scratched my little legs. I’ve held onto that horror since. I’m not the type of person that lives with regret. I don’t believe in do-overs. Maybe I was put through that to be here… to tell these stories and give the world a glance into a different facet; for people to discern that life isn’t ever what it seems. Prince Charming and Mr. Nice Guy aren’t always so nice. Sometimes the dark-haired little girl with pink glasses is crying inside. Through the dread, the monsters, and the pain, I also saw another side of the world. Good people came into my life and family became the very foundation in which I was built. Who would have thought it would be possible to tear down a little girl before she was even able to stand on her own two feet? But I did. My mother, sister, brother, and extended family became my rock. Through heaviness and despair, we were always who one another could lean on. As an adult, I’ve been known for my kindness, randomly sending a care package to one of my street-teamers in need. Lifting people up with my words and always having a positive attitude is another attribute I am known for. Of course, it would have been easier to dismiss the decency that popped into my life and become one of the horrific people that saturated it at different times, but I didn’t. Moments such as when Christmases were hard for my mother, raising three kids on her own, graciousness was shown to us. The good side of the world gave us mercy that year, giving me faith. Hope. Belief in life. Words. They have the ability to create so many things. I have used them to cope. I started to write when I was eight, but as time passed, it would no longer be enough for me as the face, voice, and memories from my monster haunted me. New monsters would meet me and become too much. My secrets were too plentiful to handle. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, “Am I alive, God?” but my scream was silent. It echoed on the inside. I needed it to stop. I hurt myself. A lot. That shiny little vane was the only friend that knew my secrets and remained silent. It never judged, it simply listened to my commands and hurt me, making me bleed until my eyes exploited the sorrow that spilled from my soul. I continued to write, mostly short-stories and poems. Being a teenager was one of the roughest eras of my life, as new monsters greeted me. Again, nothing is what it seems. That is the line that I use in every book I write. I became a master at pretending when everyone around me was finding their happiness. My mother remarried an amazing man, one that I am lucky enough to call my father now. My sister fell in love. My brother went to college, then joined the Marines, eventually becoming an incredible father. Things were changing. Family was still the basis of what mattered, but I was stranded in my own personal darkness, and it was swallowing me whole. I would drown before I escaped. Tragedy would envelop my family and lives would be lost. Again, though cliché, I do believe everything happens for a reason. I made it through my teenage years. It wasn’t easy. I learned a lot. I hurt a lot, and I wrote… A LOT. I also kept everything I ever wrote, mostly dark poetry and scribblings. Again, it would prove to be inspiration for this series. Watching my family hurt is the worst imaginable pain, but the most unbelievable thing is that we will always have one another. I watched one lose the love of their life. I watched another lose their best friend. I watched one return home from war a different person, but our love would remain the same, because we traveled to hell and back. We fucking survived. At nineteen, my life changed interminably. I met my now-husband soon after I graduated from high school. We were on-again, off-again. I knew that if I didn’t go back to my safe place, life wouldn’t give me a hundredth chance. In November 2006, I took a chance when I was drowning in an abyss of blackness. I called him and he told me two words that changed me forever. “Come home.” And I never left. My husband is the happily-ever-after I never thought I deserved. My life was never supposed to end up like this. Though still in the two-stoplight town that reminds me of my past, it also reminds me of my future. It reminds me of a tomorrow that I will be blessed with. It gives me the hope that I never let myself let go of. My happily-ever-after isn’t perfect. The road was bumpy and full of scars and sorrow, some that I still wear, but my little 1200-square foot 1940s home is where my life is, in Indiana, with my husband, kids, and dream that is at my fingertips. I won’t ever let go of that fear. It isn’t so bad. It has, after all, given me ten amazing stories. I suppose you can say that it is a friend of sorts. The fear from my past will never subside because I don’t want it to. It reminds me that I am brave. I have survived. I can show people just how beautiful hope is. Imperfection is magnificent. Lyla is strong. She is fierce. She is fucking brave. And she got the ending she deserved. I got the ending I deserve, too. This may have not been what you expected. That’s alright. It may be taken well, perhaps it won’t. I don’t write for that. I write to heal. To help others heal. To make others see that through our brokenness is sometimes where we find ourselves. I know I did. In conclusion, I hope if you take one thing away from this series and my story, it’s to never judge someone. Always be kind. And carpe fucking diem.  

International bestselling author of the Monster series. Writer of dark, taboo tales. Lover of tattoos, art, and a hopeless book junkie.

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Release Day Blitz! Hot For The Holidays Anthology

UNDER THE MISTLETOE by USA Today Bestselling Author Michelle Lynn - Piper forms the perfect plan to give Tanner his Christmas surprise. Too bad her twin brother, Brad, arrives early and she's left scrambling. 

A TEN BELOW ZERO CHRISTMAS by bestselling author Whitney Barbetti - Parker and Everett from Ten Below Zero spend their first Christmas together after enduring eighteen months living apart. 

LOVE IN MOTION by bestselling author R.E. Hunter - Morgan & Brett are getting married! But when their wedding travel plans go off the rails, can they keep the romance going or will they decide some trips aren’t worth the extra mile. 

A PARISIAN HOLIDAY by bestselling author Jade Eby - Kara and Vince from The Right Kind of Wrong get stuck in Paris for the holidays. 

WHEN THE CLOCK STRIKES TWELVE by USA Today bestselling author Elisabeth Grace - When Max and Chloe's New Year's Eve plans go awry the result is something that will change their lives forever. 

NAUGHTY NOT NICE by bestselling author Mia Kayla - When Kendy suspects that someone else is riding her reindeer, all hell erupts and she’s out for naughty revenge for the holidays. 

KEEP US by Faith Andrews - Will Marcus and Riley make it home for the holidays or will their spouses, Tessa and Beck, be forced to ring in the New Year alone? 

FLARE by Autumn Grey - Remington and Selene from the Havoc series have been stuck in the middle of ten-second quickies and diaper changing, but now things are about to flare up. 

DRIFTING by Gia Riley - Follow the gang from Lighter & Weightless on their hilarious road trip to NYC where they’ll celebrate New Year’s Eve in style. 

SECOND BEGINNINGS by Kristy Love - Courtney wanted to put the past behind her and face the boy who broke her heart. She hadn’t planned on meeting Chase, though. 

ALWAYS US by Stephanie Rose - All Lucas and Samantha from Always You want this Christmas is each other, but life keeps getting in the way. 

SLEEPLESS NIGHT by Kimberly Rose - Malik and Rosalyn reconnect for one sweet and sexy night before he deploys. 

SPECIAL DELIVERY by B.A. Wolfe - Cassie and Aidan are sharing their first Christmas together as a family, and they quickly learn that the best gifts don't come wrapped in a bow beneath the tree. 

BABY, IT'S YOU by Ryleigh Andrews - Join Mia and the rest of the gang from the Never Over You series as they celebrate a snow-filled Christmas holiday. 

COMPROMISED by Livia Jamerlan - Peyton & Braelynn's plan was to spend their first holiday season together on a beach until a heartbroken Gus knocks on the door. 

CHAMPAGNE KISSES by Eleanor Green - Best friends Briley and Cooper realize they're more than just friends as their lips lock at midnight on New Years Eve, and a new year brings new revelations. 

PROMISE YOU FOREVER by Celeste Grande - Brayden wants his girlfriend Casey to promise him forever. That is, if he can stop messing things up long enough to ask her. 

A TASTE OF CHRISTMAS by Anne Carol - Lauren and Brett are just friends who work at a winery tasting room, but what happens when fate steps in at the annual holiday party? 

UNWRAPPED by M.C. Decker - Join Rich and Brooke Davis and their family and friends as they celebrate a holiday to remember. 

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAY by Ruthie Henrick - Thanksgiving has always been Allie’s favorite day, and this year Jake will be especially thankful if they manage to get everyone home for the holiday. 

FIRE OVER FROST by J.A. DeRouen - Emmett Fontaine's Christmas plans derail when he comes face to face with his college heartbreak ... and a tiny surprise wearing pigtails.

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Book Promo! Lawful Deception, Vernetta Henderson Series #5 by Pamela Samuels Young

“Pamela Samuels Young has crafted a page-turner that will keep you engrossed until the very last page. If you’re a fan of smart legal thrillers with brisk pacing, crackling dialogue and edgy, intriguing characters, Lawful Deception is for you.”

–Dwayne Alexander Smith, Award-winning Author of Forty Acres.

Once again, award-winning author Pamela Samuels Young delivers another captivating legal thriller full of unexpected twists and jaw-dropping moments you never see coming. 

The beautiful Bliss Fenton won’t be winning any awards for Mother of the Year. Truth is, motherhood isn’t nearly as important to Bliss as the cottage industry she’s created: extorting wealthy men for the hefty child support she can collect.

But Bliss’ greed goes too far when she takes on Fletcher McClain. The handsome music industry mogul refuses to accept her conniving conduct lying down. He retains high-profile attorney Vernetta Henderson to sue Bliss for fraud.

Enter Bliss’ unscrupulous attorney, Girlie Cortez, who has a personal score to settle with Vernetta. As the two lawyers once again go head-to-head, their legal battle quickly escalates from merely contentious to downright deadly.

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When attorney and author Pamela Samuels Young isn’t practicing law, you can usually find her penning her next legal thriller. Described by one reviewer as “John Grisham with a sister’s twist,” Pamela is an award-winning author of six legal thrillers.

The prolific writer has always abided by the philosophy that you create the change you want to see. Fed up with never seeing women or people of color depicted as savvy, hotshot attorneys in the legal thrillers she read, Pamela decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, the Compton, California native accomplished her ambitious goal by ising at 4 a.m. to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing and even spending her vacation time glued to her laptop for ten or more hours a day. In the process, she discovered her passion.

Pamela’s sixth novel, Anybody’s Daughter (2013), which tackles the horrific world ofchild sex trafficking, was the recipient of the 2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Fiction. Her debut novel, Every Reasonable Doubt (2006), won the Black Expressions magazine’s Fiction Writing Contest, received an honorable mention in the SEAK Legal Fiction Writing Competition and was a finalist for USA Book News’ Best Books of 2006 award in the mystery, suspense and thriller category. Her second novel, In Firm Pursuit (2007), was honored by Romantic Times magazine as a finalist for Best African-American Novel of 2007. Murder on the Down Low (2008), Pamela’s third release, was an “Editor’s Pick” by Black Expressions magazine and a finalist for the 2009 African-American Literary Awards in the fiction category. The Black Caucus of the American Library Association honored Pamela’s next novel, Buying Time (2009), with its 2010 Fiction Award, calling the book “a captivating, suspenseful thriller.” Attorney-Client Privilege (2012) was a finalist for USA Book News’ Best Books of 2014 award in the multi-cultural fiction category. Her seventh legal thriller, Lawful Deception, goes on sale in October 2015.

Her writing repertoire also includes the short stories Unlawful Greed, featured in the anthology The Funeral (2013), Easy Money, featured in the anthology Scoundrels: Tales of Greed, Murder and Financial Crimes (2012) and The Setup, featured in the Sisters in Crime anthology, LAndmarked for Murder (2006). She also has an essay in the anthology, A Letter for My Mother (2013).

Pamela has achieved a successful writing career while working as Managing Counsel for Labor and Employment Law for Toyota in Southern California, specializing in employment law and social media law. Prior to that, she served as Employment Law Counsel for Raytheon Company and spent several years as an associate with the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers, LLP, in Los Angeles. A former journalist, Pamela began her broadcasting career at WXYZ-TV in Detroit and later worked as a news writer and associate producer at KCBS-TV in Los Angeles.

A graduate of UC Berkeley’s School of Law, Pamela has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from USC and a master’s degree in broadcasting from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She formerly served on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles chapter of Mystery Writers of America and is a diehard member of Sisters in Crime-L.A., an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers.

A frequent speaker on the topics of sex trafficking, fiction writing and pursuing your passion, Pamela lives in the Los Angeles area and attends Hope in Christ Community Church in Compton.

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Excerpt & Giveaway! Negotiating Love, Sim City Uniforms #5 by Morticia Knight

Can the kinky billionaire owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino capture the heart of a muscled SWAT officer with a secret fetish?

SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, Steve, wonders why he can’t stay away from the spoiled rich Allistair, owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino. They have mutual kinks - ones Steve can’t find with other lovers—but there’s something else about the emotionally detached, beautiful man that calls to him.

Billionaire Allistair stays alone in his luxury penthouse apartment at the top of Dark Fantasy, terrified of the real world and of opening himself up to genuine emotions. He takes lover after lover, all of them allowing him to do whatever he wants to their bodies, in the hopes that they can scam something from him.

One night is all he ever shares with a plaything—he knows they only want the money and luxury he can offer them and nothing more. But the down to earth Steve is different. They share the same kinks and are explosive when together. But could the muscled law officer ever want more than the lust-filled encounters that have become such an addiction?

As they grow closer, they discover they also have to find a balance between Steve’s everyday world and Allistair’s entitled world before they can truly find an ever after. They also have to make sure Allistair stays safe. Filthy rich playboys are too tempting to those who seek the ultimate payday—and who aren’t afraid of hurting someone to get it.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of BDSM and fetishism.

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“…I entered the military to find my way to a new life.”

“Was that difficult? I mean, you said that…” Allistair had to clear his throat, battling a strange sensation of his air being cut off. “You mentioned that you and…Cole? The, uh, your friend were both Army Rangers together. Were you, uh, interacting with him when you were stationed together?”

“That’s when it started, yes.” Steve paused, locking eyes with him. “That’s when we first turned to each other for comfort after particularly brutal skirmishes. It was a way to cleanse ourselves of the ugliness.”

Allistair chuckled uneasily, trying desperately to lighten things up. “See? Not everything was in your file.”

“Allistair…” Steve laid a gentle hand on his arm again. “Cole and I aren’t in a relationship. Not in the way you’re thinking.”

He didn’t want to come across as a petulant child. After all, only two days before he’d taken Steve, he’d whipped and fucked two gorgeous twins. What right did he have to question who Steve saw?

But that was before. It’s different now. Isn’t it?

“Of course. Sorry.” He took a sip of his stone cold espresso, doing his best not to purse his lips at how nasty it tasted. “Were you ever concerned about getting caught? I mean, because you were…”

Shit. This conversing freely thing is a giant pain in the ass. 

Steve arched his eyebrows. “Because we were enlisted during Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?” Steve snorted. “You obviously remembered that part of my file.” Steve sighed. “Hey. Look at me.” Allistair met his gaze. “It’s okay, we’ve moved past that. I was just giving you a hard time.”

Allistair smirked at him. “But I like it when you give me a hard time.”

“Now who’s a tease?”

Laughter filled him then bubbled out. It was such a good release. Steve was more than a wonder—he was a treasure.

Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after.

If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011.

Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

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Book Blast! Excerpt & Giveaway: Devil's Jawbone by B.J. Sheppard

As night descends on the town of Devil's Jawbone, no one is safe. The veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest, and the darkest side of human nature is boiling to the surface. The supernatural and the natural are colliding, and in this sleepy town, the bump in the night is taking human form. Innocence will be lost; the villain will become the victor; spirits will rise and Satan himself will come to town. 

In an eerie collection of short speculative fiction, author BJ Sheppard will grab your imagination, bringing new life to the classic campfire tales synonymous with the scariest of occasions. Halloween will never be the same again.

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Janine Richards had been the first to see the body, arriving an hour early to train for that Friday’s track meet. Through the indigo rays of morning, she had expected peace and quiet but instead had been gifted with the body of the football team’s quarterback hanging from the centre bar of the goal post. The police had arrived after her frantic call and all the yellow tape in the world couldn’t stop the student body from stopping to share in the horror, the grief that had blanketed DJ High.

Riley fought his way through the crowd and stopped only when Logan’s body, still hanging one hour after its discovery, swung lazily on a gentle autumn breeze. His stomach lurched and his eyes prickled, yet he couldn’t peel them away.

What, only one day previously, had been a generally happy, albeit momentarily pissed, Logan Greenway was now reduced to a bloating blue-black sac of meat swaying from the goal that Riley himself had scored over several times at practice the night before. The soccer net around his neck had bitten bloodily into his neck, which was pitched at an awkward angle and coated with what looked like thick black paint under the gentle rays of morning sun. Riley fought the urge to run, closed his throat against the violent clench in his stomach that had only occurred before when he was sick, and turned from the body that was once his teammate.

Logan had not been suicidal, that much was the truth. He had been distracted, pissed at Coach for his harsh behavior, but Logan Greenway had been the boy who had it all. Nothing about his life had held a suggestion that things weren’t going exactly the way he wanted.

Riley thought to his own home life, to the secret of his father’s sudden departure that lingered on the tip of his tongue ready to be spilled. Everyone has a secret, he thought, playing nervously with the straps of his rucksack. But what was Logan’s?

It didn’t matter anymore. Logan Greenway was dead. And school was out for the day.

My name is BJ Sheppard and all at once I found myself an author. Such a strange sensation to actually feel you deserve the thing you had aspired to for many years. After all, all it took was computer access and an inner world that reads like a Sheryl Crow song to pound the keys and translate my crazy ideas onto the page. I feel like I could have business cards printed. Maybe wear a black roll neck and perch my glasses on the tip of my nose. I could drink whisky and smoke a cigar and do all those really stereotypical things I imagine all writers do. Perhaps I could get laid a little more? This is not the end. Nor the beginning. Hell, it isn’t even about me. My boys write themselves; I really don’t have that much say in the matter. As long as my characters need a voice, I have two chubby typing fingers and a need to please— watch this space: there is more to come.

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