Friday, March 29, 2024

Once Again Mine

 If she gives me one more chance, I’ll risk it all for that forever kind of love.

Once Again Mine

by Maia Ambrose

Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance
A BWWM Firefighter Romance


Ex-flame alert! My high school sweetheart’s back home unannounced.

She’s got me hooked with those mesmerizing eyes and curves that won't stop.

Stranded in a snowstorm?

Not complaining when her velvety brown sugar skin warms things up.


I crave the love we had -

But she's got real grown woman problems,

And a controlling streak that drives me wild—especially in the bedroom.

Our fiery encounters are louder than my fire truck's horn.


Sure, she's used to the public eye, but all I want is her attention.

If she gives me one more chance, I'll risk it all for that forever kind of love.

Even if it means leaving everything behind.

Just hoping I survive long enough to make it happen.

***

EXCERPT

“Next up on our segment of StarShocked…you know her, you all love her. Our special guest today and

your favorite media personality, Savannah Davis!”

I inhale deeply and exhale with just as much force. My publicist Juan said this was the best way to curb

the rumors. In his words ‘You have to show the public that wonderful news anchor they fell in love with

initially.’

I would rather show them what my middle finger looks like, but then I might as well kiss my job

goodbye.

“That’s your cue Miss Savannah,” one of the production crew urges me forward. Bracing myself, I step

onto the stage, raising my hand in a fake princess wave to cover my eyes from the glaring light; my

practiced smile turns on as I walk towards Brittani.

Brittani Hayward is the host of the BeTalks and whom I’ve known for eight years. We were co-hosts on

the Morning Tea, but the show got canceled, and Brittani was let go while I became the main anchor on

KBLE - a multinational news channel and the leading media platform in New York. Brittani has held a

grudge against me ever since then.

Fortunately, we have never had to cross paths, and I made sure to stay out of her radar. But one vicious

rumor later and Juan’s anxious ass sends me straight into her net to ‘get right with the streets.’ He feels

her show is the best way to stop people from talking since she has the right influence and audience to

shift the public’s opinion. It’s supposed to be an easy win, but I’m pretty sure Brittani has other plans.

This thorn of a rumor is about me having an affair with my boss Liam Walsh, the CEO of KBLE Media. It

started a week ago and has gotten worse. The media buzz alleges that I had an affair with him when he

was still married to his recently divorced wife and now people are questioning if my position as news

anchor was earned or gifted.

It’s all bull, but when it comes to my line of work, the public’s opinion matters. BeTalks is a chance for

me to break my silence and lay the rumor to rest once and for all, yet I wish it was on a more unbiased

pathway.

She welcomes me with a large grin full of pearly whites and glossy lips, a smile that has all the signs of

viciousness and malintent. The first image that comes to mind is the Cheshire Cat. I involuntarily gulp.

“Brittani, I’m so happy to be here,” my false smile grows wider. We hug before she leads me to the seats

and takes the couch opposite me as I take mine.

“Of course,” she says before turning to the audience, “You guys may know this, but Savannah and I go

way back,” she tells them before turning to me, “Isn’t that right Savannah?”

“Oh yeah, our glorious Morning Tea days,” I reply to her even though that is not what we should discuss.

Brittani laughs a little too loudly, “Ah the memories, you were so ambitious and driven then it was

almost scary. Look at us now, both successful anchors of our talk shows.”

“I’m a news anchor on KBLE news, not a talk show,” I tell her and watch with satisfaction the slight slip

in her smile.

“Right. So, girlfriend,” she leans in, and I instinctively lean back, “How has it been?”

“Should we really be catching up on live television?” I ask her, my smile still in place and she laughs

loudly again. What the hell is this?!

“You are right, you are right. We will catch up later over a bottle of chilled Chardonnay, like the ol’

days,” the audience laughs along with her, “Well then, let’s just cut to the chase. StarShocked rules are

simple, the audience gets to ask you questions, any question no matter how shocking and you have to

answer them no matter what within eleven seconds. No holds barred. Are you ready?”

Hell no.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I respond.

She claps, and the audience follows suit, “Let’s get started…”

The first few questions are basic like what my skincare routine is like, my preferred diet, and which

female celebrity I would agree to a one-night stand with.

“Okay so my question is about the current buzz about you,” the man holds the microphone and stares

straight at me. The entire room seems to hold their breath suddenly as he nails the elephant in the

room, “Are the rumors true? Did you have an affair with Liam Walsh?”

I feel Brittani’s spiteful eyes on me, and I sit up straight. This is what I planned for, I rehearsed for this.

It’s going to be a walk in the park. Hold your head up, you got this Savannah.

Once Again Mine is a standalone interracial romance. You can expect a second chance stuck together HEA romance between Jake and Savannah. Steamy scenes and explicit language are included and intended for mature audiences only.

**Only .99 cents!!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1K8WBQ

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/once-again-mine-a-bwwm-firefighter-romance-by-maia-ambrose

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209186321-once-again-mine

 

About the Author


Maia Ambrose is an African American Steamy Romance author from the Midwest who believes in the power of love and everything it has to offer. Her stories illustrate the dynamic of contemporary interracial relationships between strong, resilient black women and heart-throbbing, irresistible white men. Maia believes there's truly someone for everyone and aims to inspire more love energy in the world with her work.

Maia is a notorious night owl, who frequently burns the midnight oil, coming up with creative romantic ideas. When she's not writing her BWWM stories, she's spending time with the people she loves most and practicing self-care.

Website * Facebook * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://maiaambrose.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maia.ambrose.romance

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/maia-ambrose

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0CBB3L13V

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40983060.Maia_Ambrose

 

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/OnceAgainMineTour

Nannying for the Outback Man

 A scorching hot series of steamy small town romances


Nannying for the Outback Man

Outback Man Series Book 1

by Millie Wolf

Genre: Steamy Small-Town Contemporary Romance

 


I swore I’d never fool around with one of my nannies. But that was before I met Camille.

This fiery woman is living under my roof, sleeping in the next room. I can hardly keep my hands to myself. But there’s a catch. She has a boyfriend.

I know I stand no chance with this lioness. Not even when her boyfriend makes a terrible mistake.

Or do I?

The Outback Man series is set in the town of Sunrise, Australia. Each romance is a steamy standalone but they are best read as a scorching hot series.

**Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CW7766Q3

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/nannying-for-the-outback-man-by-millie-wolf

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209507975-nannying-for-the-outback-man

 

Sheltered by the Outback Man

Outback Man Series Book 2

 


I’ve been wearing baggy clothes for months now, afraid of men looking at me and wanting me. But when Mason takes me in off his dark doorstep, things change. Now, I want nothing more than to be looked at. To be wanted.

This older, grumpy giant is doing me a good turn. He might just restore my faith in men. And in love.

The Outback Man series is set in the town of Sunrise, Australia. Each romance is a steamy standalone but they are best read as a scorching hot series.

**Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1L7RYR

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/sheltered-by-the-outback-man-an-age-gap-grumpy-hero-instalove-romance-by-millie-wolf

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209530586-sheltered-by-the-outback-man

 

Fake Married to the Outback Man

Outback Man Series Book 3

 


When a virgin steps into my life, fresh out of hell, I sweep her up and carry her over the threshold. I might be a bad boy but I want to make this angel smile every day. Even if she’s saving herself for a real marriage.

Why does it kill me that our marriage isn’t the real deal? Can I overcome my tortured past and claim this bride as my own?

The Outback Man series is set in the town of Sunrise, Australia. Each romance is a steamy standalone but they are best read as a scorching hot series.

**Only .99cents!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CW1HY18S

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/fake-married-to-the-outback-man-by-millie-wolf

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/209524022-fake-married-to-the-outback-man

 

About the Author

Millie Wolf is an author of short instalove romance. She lives on the sunny west coast of Australia with her husband and far too many bicycles. When she’s not reading or writing romance, she’s out soaking up the sun in a saddle or on the sand. She never goes anywhere without a good book.

 

Website * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://milliewolf.com/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Millie-Wolf/author/B0CXC7ZW3P

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/48853083.Millie_Wolf

  

Giveaway

$20 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/OutbackManTour

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Heroes, Holidays, and Hope

 They fought courageously on the battlefield; now they're fighting for love.


Heroes, Holidays, and Hope

Volume 1

Genre: Military Romance Anthology

with stories by

Dania Voss, Laura M. Baird, Laurie Ryan, Sadira Stone & Lynn Spangle


Sacrifice. Valor. Patriotism.

They fought courageously on the battlefield, now they’re fighting for love.

We are a group of Veterans and Veterans' family members who are also bestselling and award-winning romance authors! We put our group together to publish a yearly limited edition, military holiday romance collection that also supports military / veteran related charities.

Heroes, Holidays, and Hope Volume 1 supports Fisher House (comfort homes where military & veteran families can stay free of charge, while a loved one is in the hospital).

Our goal is to raise $3000 (or more) during our yearlong campaign.

The stories in Volume1 are contemporary military romance, taking place during the cold weather holiday months. Various tropes and steam levels are part of this “must have” collection and it’s only available for 6 months after launch day, then it’s gone for good as we prepare for Volume 2!

Pick up your copy today (gift some copies too!) – together we can make a huge difference.

Find us online and get all the details about the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope project!


Stories included in the set are:

Imperfectly Perfect by Dania Voss ~

A runaway bride, scarred from a horrible accident when she was a girl and disillusioned with love.

A former US Navy fighter pilot who had his heart broken years ago and is untrusting of women.

Resigned to interact for business reasons, can these two find their way in Cascade Springs – the wedding capital of Texas Hill County, or are they destined to remain alone forever?


Passion and Duty Forever by Laura M. Baird ~

Spontaneous combustion. That's how Navy SEAL, Antonio Vega, felt when he first bumped into Coronado animal shelter manager, Leesa Colburn. But a fiery night of fun doesn't ignite as hoped when he's called away for a mission.

Each yearns for the other, and when Antonio returns from a tough deployment, he has a life-altering decision to make.

Can Antonio picture a future beyond duty which includes rekindling the passion between him and Leesa, and committing to forever?


The Unexpected Gifts by Lynn Spangler ~

Cyndra “Cyn” Hart hardly ever left her house. After a stint in the US Army involving a child suicide bomber, she spiraled into PTSD-induced isolation, not wanting to be part of a world she didn’t understand.

Brady Jacobs, the local package delivery guy, stirred feelings in her that she had no idea what to do about. Gradually, he begins to pull her out of her shell until a misunderstanding sends him into the cold night air and to the hospital.

Can she find the strength to fight for the life she could only have imagined before Brady?


Saved by Her Marine by Laurie Ryan ~

A single mom. A wounded veteran.

How can Kaedon Powell say no to a woman five thousand miles away from her daughter?

He’s had enough responsibility to last a lifetime, so when the eight-year-old next door asks for help, he’s reluctant to step in, especially since her grandmother doesn’t like him on sight. But the girl’s mother is in Germany as part of her tour. As a vet, he knows what it means to be military. He steps up.

Neurosurgical nurse Holly Miller has no choice but to rely on the stranger next door until a single phone call turns worry into a yearning destined to become more. Their long-distance connection turns personal as they discover how much they have in common.  

Can her love help him accept that sometimes, commitment is worth the reward?

The One You Can't Keep by Sadira Stone ~

Forbidden love is the sweetest Christmas treat.

Stationed in Germany, a lonely teacher and a divorced military dad share a hot holiday liaison. Both crave more, but she’s his troubled son’s teacher! Unless they can untangle this mess, their passionate connection fizzles with the new year.  

**On Sale for only $3.49 – Get it now!**

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read * Bookbub * Goodreads


Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C6J5Y3R4

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/heroes-holidays-and-hope-vol-1/id6449683395

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/heroes-holidays-and-hope-dania-voss/1143568116?ean=2940167334809

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/heroes-holidays-and-hope-vol-1

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1400321

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/HHH2023

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/heroes-holidays-and-hope-vol-1-by-laura-m-baird-and-dania-voss

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/166307152-heroes-holidays-and-hope


About the Authors

Dania Voss and Laura M. Baird co-founded the Heroes, Holidays, and Hope project to share their love of writing military romances, but to also use a portion of the sales to help military and veteran charities. Laura served in the US Army, and Dania's husband served in the Navy. They invite authors who are also veterans or veterans' family member to participate.

Each year, a different holiday theme is written about, with volume one all about stories at Christmastime. Each story is unique to the author, ranging from sweet and heartwarming to steamy and sensual. The anthologies will be available for six months, always releasing on December 6th. Volume I benefits Fisher House, an organization which provides comfort homes throughout the nation (with some even overseas) to military and veteran family members where they can stay for free while a loved one is in the hospital. Https://fisherhouse.org

We're looking forward to giving readers captivating stories that also support a terrific cause. We also have a merchandise shop that offers a wide variety of items, from clothes to bags to drink ware, all with our project logo. https://bit.ly/HHHmerch


Website * Merch Store* Facebook


Find the Authors:

Laura M. Baird * Dania Voss * Laurie Ryan * Sadira Stone * Lynn Spangler

Group Links

Website: https://www.heroesholidaysandhope.com

Merch Store: https://bit.ly/HHHmerch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/hhhsupportersgroup

Author Links:

Laura M. Baird: https://laurambaird.com/

Dania Voss: https://www.daniavoss.com/

Laurie Ryan: https://www.laurieryanauthor.com/

Sadira Stone: https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone

Lynn Spangler: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lynn-spangler

Giveaway

A Surprise Swag Bag (US only),

$10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/HHHV1Tour


Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Storm Seed

 High adventure and mystical intrigue await…

Storm Seed

Sacred Band Series Book 7

by Janet & Chris Morris

Genre: Epic Fantasy

INTERVIEW

What is something unique/quirky about you?

 We breed Morgan horses. We consult with Morgan breeders to help them choose breeding combinations to achieve a desired result.

We are also song writers; Janet plays bass guitar and Chris sings and plays guitar. We have an album on MCA records. Look for Christopher Crosby Morris on Soundcloud or N1M.com

Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

Janet wrote her first book in 1975 and Chris was the first one to read and comment on it. Their marriage survived. A routine emerged where Chris would read aloud all the new drafts and we would make edits on the spot. After a few books Chris’ ideas became frequent enough that we agreed he should have credit for writing, whereas before we had kept separate Janet’s storytelling and Chris’ songwriting. The rest, as they say is history.

Who is your hero and why?

Heraclitus of Ephesus, a pre-socratic philosopher, whose Cosmic Fragments foreshadow our knowledge of reality and how to perceive it. Among his precepts is the statement that change alone is unchanging. We’ve worked Heraclitus’ fragments in here and there throughout our books.

Which of your novels can you imagine being made into a movie?

All of them. We write cinematically, our books are vivid adventures undertaken without knowing the destination. I, the Sun, The Sacred Band, Outpassage and M.E.D.U.S.A. are particularly suited to film. The Threshold Series is a feast of opportunities for today’s special effects creators.

What inspired you, to write Storm Seed?

We were fascinated by gene splicing and invitro and other reproductive technologies and set out to explore a culture trying to preserve itself underground through experimentation with those techniques. It actually makes for some great adventures when you consider that everything alive may be reproduced artificially some day.

Convince us why you feel Storm Seed is a must read.

Today there are forces at work trying to limit reproductive possibilities and freedoms and may be leading to this sort of scenario that we wrote about in Storm Seed. We all need to get smart on these things because our lives inevitably will be affected by them.

Who designed your book covers?

Most of our covers, including Storm Seed, are realized by Roy Mauritsen, a gifted graphic artist.

Advice to writers? 

As for advice to writers, here is all we know: write the story you want to read. Start at the beginning, go to the end, and stop. Seriously. From start to finish you must inhabit the construct in a manner that makes the reader choose to continue; if you, as the writer, can’t feel what it’s like being there, your readers can’t either. So close your eyes, look at your feet where they are standing on the story’s ground; tell me what you see. Tell me what you hear. Ask at the end of each paragraph ‘what happens next?’. If you lose touch with it, wait until you’re back inside it. Tell the story that comes to you, and from you, to me.

EXCERPT

[excerpt from Storm Seed: TALE OF THREE WOMEN]

Deep under the sea, where a volcano grew slowly and warmed the water, they kept the child.

In a submarine cavern where phosphorescent sea life gave the only light, Jihan would visit her son at feeding time. Here currents brimmed with salty nutrients, and tiny fish schooled round like rainbow garlands among starfish-encrusted columns.

Far below sun and sky, sleepless sharks stood guard over him. Mermaids were his nannies, and squid rocked him in their arms.

Such a childhood should have satisfied any son of a Froth Daughter. Jihan called her boy Cyrus, partly after his father. She found him giant seahorses to ride. He had catfish and dogfish and electric eels to play with, and manta rays to race him through the cavern’s sweep. But Cyrus never felt a father’s love, so Jihan told him stories meant to teach him who and what he was.

Nor had Cyrus ever felt a grandfather’s love, for Jihan’s father was Stormbringer himself, lord of wind and wave, who had never approved his daughter’s marriage.

In Stormbringer’s opinion, this fruit of Jihan’s union constituted an affront to nature. So the boy grew tall in his cave at the bottom of the sea, away from society.

Never a happy child, Cyrus’ temper grew worse as he grew older. One day his mother swam down to see her son and found three mermaids dead: eviscerated, floating near the cavern’s ceiling in red eddies of their blood.

“Cyrus,” she’d called for the wild-eyed child, hoping to find him hunched in shadows, his white hair flowing round him like seaweed. “Why did you do such a thing?”

“Let me out of here, Mother!” an errant current burbled.

How many times had Cyrus begged her to do just that? She hunted for the boy in the cave, then along the seafloor. She called on whales and porpoises to search to the surface of the sea. She enlisted nymphs and mermen to ask far and wide for news of Cyrus.

Eventually, Jihan realized that the voice she’d heard was merely an echo of her son’s voice, ringing in her own guilty mind. She had to find him.

But she couldn’t. Cyrus had escaped, and now his trail was cold: The boy had disappeared.

Jihan summoned her bodyguard of sharks and mermen to gather up the murdered mermaids. The sharks feasted upon the corpses with all due ceremony, until only the mermen’s tears remained, mixing with the currents that still whispered, “Let me out of here, Mother!”

But Jihan had promised her father, Stormbringer, she never would release him. And now her son was gone.

So Jihan went to see her father, who ruled the tempests and the waves.

When he heard her tale, the sea around her father grew cold. Stormbringer shook his massive, seaweedy head. “You brought this upon yourself,” he thundered, so that the whole seafloor quaked. “I warned you not to bear the child of a human.”

But Jihan had borne the child of an immortalized man named Tempus, perhaps a demigod himself. And she had brought this child into a world where he was different from all other creatures.

“Nonetheless, Father,” Jihan said, looking Stormbringer in one red and brooding eye, “I must find Cyrus. He has his father’s temper and your blood in his veins. He is too angry and too powerful to be abroad in the world of men.”

“You’re sure that’s where he is?” As her father spoke, the sea around them began to roil and warm. Currents caught her and spun her around in her father’s midst.

“I’m sure,” she called to the rising waterspout that was Stormbringer. “That’s where he’s gone. He wants to find his father.”

There. She’d said it.

As if that statement were more than he could bear, Stormbringer grabbed her in his waterspout arms and whirled her about and cast her out of the depths.

Up into the air she came, as if the sea itself would spit her out, reject her.

Light blinded Jihan for an instant; waves slapped at her, and she was afraid.

But then the sun on her scales reminded her body how to change itself, and the surface of the sea buoyed her until her limbs shone bronze and supple in the light of day as she swam for shore.

*

The witch called Roxane brooded in her bower near the end of everything, watching sunlight sparkle on the watery wheels surrounding the city at the edge of time.

It had cost her greatly to come so far. Now she rested. She sat every day in the woods and watched the gleaming city, with its electrum spires and its privileged folk— watched and waited.

Sometimes caravans arrived—but not on any regular schedule. Roxane bided her time. Once she’d been a mighty witch of awesome power, a great enchantress. Now she was a refugee. If not for her burning need to find the man who’d caused her downfall, she might have died of her misery.

But Roxane did not die. Although trapped for a time in hell itself, she’d survived—and eventually escaped to work her way here, feeding on the souls of sheep and rats and rabbits, and the occasional snippet of rumor that leant strength to her heart.

She would find Nikodemos, her beloved, the human who’d deserted her. Then she would begin anew.

So she promised herself each sunrise when she woke, and this morning was no exception. Today, as on every day since she’d escaped her prison in hell, she pulled herself out into the sunlight and revealed her battered body to the heavens.

Naked, she raised a fist to the skies and renewed her vow: revenge served as Roxane’s wellspring, her truest love. To wreak vengeance, one needed strength. And for strength, one needed inspiration. The man called Nikodemos, ghost from her past, would ever be Roxane’s inspiration.

This morning, having found not only two rabbits but an unwary wanderer to feast upon the night before, Roxane felt greatly strengthened.

The wanderer with whom she’d slept soon became the corpse upon whom she slept. The poor fool gave her all his vigor as he died. This morning, when she’d pulled herself out of her poor bower of fir into the light, her legs almost held her. They were no longer twisted; nor were they weak and lame. The hands she spread today in the sunlight boasted smooth, white skin—not the chicken skin of old age.

A few more days, a few more fools, and she’d be ready to approach the city’s gates and bespell the guards to admit her.

But not yet; not until she became as beautiful as ever she’d been. When she saw her Nikodemos again, she’d find no pity on his handsome face. She’d not look into his eyes and see there only memories of her reflected glory.

She must become the old Roxane, Death’s Queen, once more. And now her complete resurrection was certain, its accomplishment merely a question of time. She’d known that being so close to Niko would inspire her.

That passion had dragged her across mountains and deserts and seas where any lesser sorceress would have died. Eating scraps, she’d remembered power. Bathing in lust, she’d remembered love. And she’d promised herself that she’d reclaim everything she’d almost had— starting with Nikodemos.

This was the only fitting thanks to the powers that had fooled fate and old enemies to set her free. Free she was, and abroad on the land once more.

Soon even the sky would shudder under her influence, and she’d fly high in the clouds once more—take wing whenever she chose.

Sitting in the sunshine, she made a fist and closed her eyes. Gathering her legs under her, she sat cross-legged and naked in the daylight. Below the crest of her hill stretched a meadow; in that meadow would she make her beloved appear to her.

She willed it so. She envisioned him beside her there. She called his name. She conjured a gem of power to manifest within her tight-closed fist.

The gem she summoned yet existed— somewhere. Her enemies had not destroyed that shard of eternal strength; only cast it far away from its accustomed place in her hand. So it would come to her, because she willed it.

She called the shard. She called the man. She called her power. And above her head, clouds scudded across the morning sun.

In her mind’s eye, she saw the meadow’s end, where the last moat that ringed the city gave way to unhallowed ground.

And there she swore she heard a cry of delight, a tinkling laugh, and then another. But still she kept her eyes shut. Still she willed the shard of power to come to her. Still she held her outstretched fist before her.

And then she felt it: first, a sensation of spinning, as if she and the clouds and the sun were whirling while the earth stood still. Then came a prickling, a burning in her groin that welled up and out, into her extremities and into her head.

At last she felt coldness in her fist.

Only when she felt that cold did Roxane open her eyes.

Above her head, the sky was bright but white, completely overcast, giving the land a surreal quality and stealing every shadow from the meadow.

Her fist too seemed white as snow. She opened it.

There, in her palm, glittered a cold and tiny stone, hardly more than a blue pebble, too small to make a decent ring, barely enough for an earring.

But in her palm, there it rested: a smidgen of the jewel of power; a fragment of the shard which had belonged to the greatest archmage of them all. Dominion over all the beasts of the field and the laws which they obeyed long had been the prize of any who possessed it.

Now, in her sorely diminished state, even a pebble of power could be enough . . .

She nearly cried out in delight. She shook her head and raised her face to the sky, as if to a mirror. And she smiled, conjuring all the beauty she’d once possessed.

Full of triumph, about to return to her bower to rest, she heard that laugh again.

This time, Roxane looked down into the meadow. And there she saw not her beloved Nikodemos, but a child and a woman playing amidst the clover.

A child and a woman: what an opportunity they presented. She mustn’t worry who they might be; mustn’t be disappointed if they were simple travelers, or city folk taking a stroll.

But her heart knew that these were more than vulgar folk as she scurried into her bower, seeking her rags.

Rags were not the attire best suited to such meetings, but Roxane would waste no power on vanity.

Before heading down the slope, she paused only long enough to drop the pebble into the rabbit-fur pouch she’d made for amulets and tie the pouch around her neck.

Surely, whomever her passion had summoned to the meadow wouldn’t care if she did not look her best.

She still limped a bit, favoring her right side. A white streak like a lightning bolt yet showed in her raven hair. But down she hobbled, not standing straight or switching her hips. Let these see how time had ravaged her. She’d been the last sight of too many mortal fools to let appearances stop her.

The fires of hell and her own determination had scourged all vanity from her flesh.

When all is lost, one merely begins again. With her eyes fixed firmly on her prey, Roxane hitched her way painfully downslope.

The curly-haired boy saw her first and said, “Look, Nanny, a witch!” The brat must have been four or five. Children always saw the truth. Because of this, they were far more dangerous than adults— and more nutritious to a famished soul such as hers.

“Hush, don’t say such things, dear,” said the nanny, who had golden hair and a comely form and a dress that soon would replace Roxane’s rags. “It’s merely an unfortunate beggar woman. It’s good luck to give alms to the poor, dear.”

The blonde woman raised a hand and waved to Roxane and smiled.

Then, bending down over a wicker basket, the nanny said, “Here, Prince, take the unfortunate woman one of these rolls and a bit of this cheese. It’s important for royalty such as you, Highness, to learn charity and compassion. Run along, now.”

Roxane was sure she’d never had a better day. Didn’t these foolish city folk realize that, beyond their walls, evil reigned? Hadn’t they learned not to trust in humanity? Didn’t they know enough to fear strangers, and all who had less than they?

“Here’s a treat for you, Madame,” called the nanny, as the child came scampering Roxane’s way, dressed in wide-eyed innocence and silk.

Roxane nearly hesitated. Might this be a trick? It seemed too easy. She cast a glance at the city. Was some archmage in there, trying to trap her while she yet was weak? But no, this was the city, the city of knowledge and wonder at the edge of time, which surely had cleansed itself of all evil long before Roxane came.

And the boy, upon reaching Roxane, held out a perfect hand to her, grinning. “Madam Beggar, here are your alms.” Baby teeth gleamed.

Roxane took the crusty bread and the creamy wedge of cheese and then let them fall, holding tight to the child’s hand instead.

“What’s your name, little one?” she asked.

The boy said, “Prince Nino, son of Queen Tabet and her consort, Nikodemos—”

A cry of joy tore itself from Roxane’s throat. Forgetting all about the nanny and the nanny’s fine dress, she fell upon the child and swept him into her arms.

The child screamed. The nanny screamed.

Ignoring their screams, Roxane fed, feasting on this choicest morsel that fate could provide.

The nanny rushed at them, but Roxane was already stronger. Her feet hardly touched the ground as they began to change.

She lifted the boy, and herself. Holding him, she swooped across the meadow as her shoulders became winged. Those wings took to the air. She flapped upward, her grip on the child becoming the grip of an eagle’s talons. The eagle wore a rabbit’s fur pouch around its neck, and its wingspread was twice that of a man’s height.

The prince who dangled from her talons hardly struggled any longer; there was too little life left in him for that.

When the bower of fir that had been Roxane’s home for so long was right beneath her, she dropped the child, and dived downward in his wake.

Then she caught an updraft and circled above the meadow to see if the nanny would follow.

But the woman yet wept in the grass, a splotch among the clover. Roxane’s eagle eyes saw every crenel on the ramparts of the electrum-towered city, and none there remarked her.

Before she returned to her fir bower to finish her feast, she soared high over the city and hovered there, watching from her perch on columns of air.

Thus she witnessed the commotion below, when the nanny at last reached the city gates crying that a witch had taken the queen’s son. She saw the queen hasten into the courtyard.

And she saw her beloved, Nikodemos, come running to take Queen Tabet in his arms as she fainted.

All the emotion coming up from that place was a further delight, choice manna, and Roxane’s wings grew stronger.

Best of all was the moment when, circling low in delicious danger to catch a glimpse of her lover’s face, Niko looked up as the shadow of her wings fell over him.

Then it was time to go: the nanny was screeching; Niko was pointing; on the ramparts, guards aimed crossbows and spears her way.

She called out once to her beloved in her eagle’s voice before she beat the air and soared out of reach.

Of course, he couldn’t know what she’d said. But Roxane knew that, in his heart, Niko would realize she was back.

In the meantime, there was a feast waiting for her, a warm body with fresh-cracked bones and salty blood. Niko would thank her, one day, for all that Roxane was doing—and would do—to free him from entrapment by some scheming queen.

With every bite her beak tore from her prize, she felt better. She no longer worried about returning to human form. She had enough sustenance, in this one catch, to bring her nearly back to health.

After she’d eaten her fill, she’d fly off with her prey, north a bit, where no hunters would find them until she’d consumed every sumptuous bit.

And then she’d be ready to unite with her lover once again, beautiful and full of power. All she’d ever been.

Even Niko would see the truth of her resurgence. She’d make sure of it.

 

Hot off the presses, the final "lost" volume of the iconic Sacred Band series in an all-new Author's Cut edition.

High adventure awaits in Storm Seed by Janet & Chris Morris:

- Travel with the Sacred Band of Stepsons to a future undreamed.

- Meet the changeling son of Tempus and the Froth Daughter.

- Learn what it takes to become a dragon.

- Bring gods to a godless realm.

Tempus the Black, avatar of the Storm God, and his partner Niko reunite the Sacred Band for a mission to a dying world. And from there -- should the gods allow -- to mystical Lemuria. -

 Praise for the Sacred Band series: "Janet Morris, Tempus (1987), and, with Chris Morris, Tempus Unbound (1989), The Sacred Band (2010).

"A fantasy series about the Sacred Band of Stepsons, an elite army modeled on the fourth-century B.C.E. Sacred Band of Thebes. The stories explore the fraught personal relationships of mixed hetero- and homosexual troops, only sometimes paired, as they fight for their commander, the immortal Tempus. Morris includes archaeological and historical details, from physical items to social practices, religion, and philosophy, to create a fantasy world that is, in many ways, more historically accurate than many popular accounts of antiquity." -- Robert W. Cape, Jr, in Classical Traditions in Science Fiction, Brett M. Rogers & Benjamin Eldon Stevens, eds., Oxford University Press


**ON SALE now for only $2.99!**

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Book Links:
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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/storm-seed-by-janet-morris-and-chris-morris

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/36371450-storm-seed

 

** The Sacred Band Series is Perseid Press’ featured series of March **

--Get them all on sale for Only $2.99 each!--

Find the buy links at

Perseid Press

 

About the Authors


Best selling author Janet Morris began writing in 1976 and has since published more than 30 novels, many co-authored with her husband Chris Morris or others. Most of her fiction work has been in the fantasy and science fiction genres, although she has also written historical and other novels. Morris has written, contributed to, or edited several book-length works of non-fiction, as well as papers and articles on nonlethal weapons, developmental military technology and other defense and national security topics.

Christopher Crosby Morris (born 1946) is an American author of fiction and non-fiction, as well as a lyricist, musical composer, and singer-songwriter. He is married to author Janet Morris. He is a defense policy and strategy analyst and a principal in M2 Technologies, Inc. He writes primarily as Chris Morris, but occasionally uses pseudonyms.

 

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 Amazon * AmazonGoodreads * Goodreads

 

Author Links

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chris-Morris/author/B008L41JNO

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/121072.Janet_E_Morris

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/317667.Chris_Morris


Giveaway

choice of print or ebook copy of Storm Seed , $10 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner each!

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/StormSeedTour

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

The Pilgrims’ Way Cafe

 A spellbinding adventure through mystical realms and celestial encounters

The Pilgrims’ Way Cafe

Maggie McCready’s Travelling Tarot Adventures Book 2

by Melody R. Green

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery


Maggie finds herself in an adventure with eight Archangels (including Archangel Michael) who have asked her to help them clear the negative energies around a very old pilgrims' route on Dartmoor, called The Archangels' Way. They're on a mission to rid the Way of the impact of human history, smugglers, highwaymen, ghosts, pixies, energy centres, churches, ley-lines, death, peat bogs, gallows, haunted inns, rolling mists, stone circles, standing stones and holy wells.


It's a fascinating place with energy wormholes and crossing points between the dimensions giving Maggie and the Archangels plenty of disturbances to try to balance and of course Phineas, Archdemon and the Archangel of Chaos is there to make the task as difficult as possible.


**Only .99cents!**

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Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Pilgrims-Maggie-McCreadys-Travelling-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0CV4CT3FY/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-pilgrims-way-cafe-maggie-mccready-s-travelling-tarot-adventures-book-2-by-melody-r-green

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/208177311-the-pilgrims-way-cafe

 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/AqiUbzAUehU

 

The Angel Tea House

Maggie McCready’s Travelling Tarot Adventures Book 1

 


Maggie McCready is a travelling tarot reader who offers spiritual advice over a cup of tea and a charmed biscuit or two.

Maggie arrives in Angel Street to support tea blender and café owner, Lucy Silverton who is being targeted by unknown sectors of the community, undermining her confidence and business. Maggie must find out who is bullying the businesses of Angel St Business Network while keeping herself safe. This is her first mission assisting Archangel Michael and the Legions of Light to protect the suburb from the encroaching dark forces. Armed for the fight with only her kind heart, tarot deck in hand and her entourage of mystic beings, she has a lot to learn about Spirit, the dark forces and herself before this adventure ends.

Definitely something is brewing in Angel St, and it's not just the tea!

 

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Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CTR94SZY

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-angel-tea-house/id6449743157

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-angel-tea-house

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1401223

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mVDexA

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-angel-tea-house-the-maggie-mccready-travelling-tarot-adventures-1-by-melody-r-green

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/165645743-the-angel-tea-house

 

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/SCF-7lRY3q8

 

About the Author


Melody R. Green is an Angel Intuitive who uses her gifts to help people work through the ups and downs of love, relationships, and the other big events of life, guiding them to connect back to “Spirit” and their own intuition. She has much first-hand knowledge of connection to Spirit as she lives in a home filled with spirits of many kinds, who speak to her often. Melody Lives in Sydney, Australia.

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Author Links

Website: https://melodyrgreenauthor.com/

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Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Melody-R.-Green/author/B00UCJZNKQ

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/315749.Melody_R_Green


Giveaway

$20 Amazon gift card,

Signed copy of The Angel Tea House,

Signed copy of The Pilgrims’ Way Cafe

– 1 winner each!

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/PilgrimsWayCafeTour

The Moldy Orange Bandage:

 As much as we may love our families and friends, they possess the ability to drive us crazy!     The Moldy Orange Bandage: Playbooks ...