All The Write Stuff: September 2024

Friday, September 13, 2024

Wicked Tongue

A typical night of partying leaves Daniel Blair with far more than a hangover.

Wicked Tongue

by C.L. Schneider

Genre: Alien Horror, Science Fiction

Finding the wicked thing inside him was only the beginning.

A typical night of partying leaves Daniel Blair with far more than a hangover. His myriad of strange symptoms defies explanation, as does the blood on his pillow. And something is very wrong with his tongue.

Afraid he contracted a terrible unknown illness, Daniel seeks help. But his frantic search for answers takes a horrifying turn. Struck by violent impulses, and compelled by a cryptic voice in his head, he commits unspeakable acts. He struggles to fight back, but something is growing inside him, changing him, breaking his mind.

As his life spirals out of control, Daniel discovers the “invasion” of his body has a purpose more insidious and far-reaching than he could ever imagine. One Earth isn’t ready for—and might not survive.

EXCERPT

At first glance, he found nothing: no bruises or cuts to indicate a fight. Not even a split lip. Red veined across his eyes. Their bloodshot, puffy appearance was much worse than normal but not entirely out of the ordinary for excess alcohol and lack of sleep. Daniel wasn’t a kid anymore. Maybe it was time to admit that and listen to what his body was telling him.

And yet, instinct still said it was more. Something else was wrong.

A hangover doesn’t make your throat swell, he thought, turning his head side to side, noticing the slight bulging on both sides of his neck.

He leaned closer to the mirror. Parting only his lips, he kept his teeth closed for a thorough check. None were missing. No chips. Thank God. Daniel ran a finger over the outside of his back teeth with no surprises. So far so good. Next, he inspected the inside of his cheeks. He found no cuts but several small lumps of swelling, like he’d bitten the sides of his mouth. While I was sleeping? Or when I fell?

If he bit down hard enough, it might explain the blood.

Except, the tissue was whole with no lacerations. Any wounds able to cause such a large stain on his pillow would still be open and painful.

This doesn’t make any sense.

Saliva gathered rapidly, begging him to swallow, filling his mouth with the same foul taste as before. Why wouldn’t it stop? Jesus Christ, I’m slobbering like a rabid dog.

Annoyed at his numerous odd ailments, Daniel bent and spat in the sink. As he watched the red stringy glob slide down the drain, irritation turned to uncertainty, to outright fear.

The blood had to be coming from somewhere.

He looked in the mirror again and opened his mouth. Relief at finding no piercing faded at the sight of his tongue. It was severely swollen and discolored, almost purple.

Did I bite it? I must have. When I fell, he decided again.

Daniel concentrated, struggling to force the memory of what happened into his mind. He and Caleb shared a cab from the diner. He remembered that much. Streetlights blurred as the car drove across town, wind blowing in the open window. Did the driver hit someone?

Maybe I smacked my face on the window?

He tried to conjure a blurry flash of something, anything, to confirm the cause.

Come on, damn it. Think!

There was nothing. Not even a notion of getting hurt.

Daniel moved his tongue side to side, grimacing as pain radiated through his entire mouth and down into his throat. He stared closer, eyes widening as they focused on his dangling uvula, shrunken and shriveled like a raisin. Holy shit. What could cause that?

A pang of hunger twisted through his gut. His stomach demanded food, but how was he supposed to eat when swallowing his own spit was a challenge.

Blood seeped out from under his tongue. Is that the source?

Daniel prepared himself for the discomfort and raised it to look underneath, expecting to discover nothing but the cut he’d been looking for. Finding something else entirely, he cried out, jumping back from the sink with a startled, garbled, “What the …?”

Pulse racing, chest heaving, he stared at his own horrified visage in the mirror—praying for what he saw not to be real. It’s a trick of the light. A shadow. That’s all it is.

Please, God, let that be all it is.

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGPL2T6P

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/wicked-tongue-by-c-l-schneider

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218709202-wicked-tongue

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/7vZ9rot9ObI

About the Author

C. L. Schneider is an award-winning author of immersive fantasy fiction, including The Crown of Stones Trilogy and the Nite Fire Series. While fantasy is her main focus, she also pens the occasional horror or apocalyptic tale. Born in a small Kansas town, Schneider resides in New York’s scenic Hudson Valley Region with her husband and two sons. To learn more about the worlds she creates, please visit her website at www.clschneiderauthor.com or connect with C. L. Schneider on social media, where she is an active part of the indie author community.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://www.clschneiderauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CLS.Author

X: https://twitter.com/cl_schneider

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clschneiderauthor

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/c-l-schneider

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/C.-L.-Schneider/author/B00HO6FP62

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7704723.C_L_Schneider

Giveaway

$10 Amazon

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/WickedTongueReveal

Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Secrets of the Dead teaser

Do you want a little taste of Secrets of the Dead? Then look no further.

Don't forget to head to Silver Dagger Tours for your chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card. https://www.silverdaggertours.com/.../the-lost-souls...

BLURB

Jessica Coltrane is a diehard sceptic who believes ghosts and paranormal activity are nothing more than a figment of an overactive imagination. That is until she finds herself locked inside a haunted house with the enigmatic paranormal investigator C.J. Dowling.

Born with the ability to see and speak to the dead, C.J. Dowling thought investigating a haunted house would be a job like many others. He’s prepared for anything—except smart and sexy Jessica.

Working together in close quarters, C.J. and Jessica discover it isn’t only negative tension between them but sexual as well. Giving in to their desires seems like a good idea until they wake and find the spirits thought otherwise. They are trapped with the ghost of a child long forgotten, an amorous entity threatening Jessica, and a powder keg of a spine-tingling mystery that might just be better left buried.

EXCERPT

Something tickled her nose. Using her hand, she tried to swipe it away and felt the brush of hair against her knuckles. Planting her hand, she felt the warm flesh beneath her palm.

Recognition hit and woke her with an angry slap. Eyes shooting open, she sat up quickly and instantly regretted it when the room spun wildly around her. Laying back down, closing her eyes, she waited out the dizziness the hangover caused. Her mind raced to the night before.

The soft ache in her loins reminded her of what she’d done. Carefully opening her eyes, she turned her head to see a naked C.J. beside her.

“Oh, God.” She looked over his naked body, remembering how good it felt having him inside her. She hadn’t been that drunk that she couldn’t remember the event, and lord, what an event it had been. They had literally torn each other’s clothing off. She’d been an animal, which was so not like her.

What did they do now? Would they go on as they had been, sniping at each other, treat this as a one-night fling and move on? In truth, the guy irritated the hell out of her, yet he’d made her feel so incredible the night before. How was she supposed to respond to him now, after sharing something so intimate?

“Dowling,” she spoke quietly. “Dowling.” When he moaned, she slapped his chest. “Dowling!”

“Jesus.”

“Wake up.”

“I’m awake.” He looked at her with a smile. “Morning.” Then his eyes went wide. “Holy hell.” He bolted upright and jumped to his feet, nearly knocking her over. “Oh, my God.”

“What the hell?” The sofa stood on its end, two sitting chairs slammed up right against it, all pushed against the window. The coffee and end tables stood one on top of the other, in front of the fireplace.

Carefully, Jessie stood up, waiting out the dizziness. She had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. It looked like a hurricane had blown through. “How…”

“I need to check my equipment.” He flew off, still nude, and she got one hell of a look at his ass.

She saw her shirt by the fireplace, straps torn. She couldn’t exactly wear it in its condition. Spotting his shirt hanging over the couch, she grabbed it and put it on. It barely covered her, but would have to do for now.

“This is incredible. The meters went off the scale. The temperature recorded several degrees below freezing at one point. It didn’t last long, though, as it rose exponentially. And we slept through it all. Damn, I have never seen anything like this before. It’s phenomenal.”

“You’re naked, you know?”

“What?” He didn’t even look up.

“You’re naked.” She tossed him his jeans, hitting him square in the face.

Unaffected by it, he grabbed the jeans and slipped into them using his free hand. It amused her to watch him shimmy into his tight jeans, jumping from one foot to the other. “The cameras!” He rushed to the video equipment as he did up his pants. “Do you know what this means?”

“That you were a busy boy last night.”

He looked at her, confused. “Beg pardon?”

“I don’t know how you managed it all alone, but I give you credit for a job well done.”

“You think I did all of this?”

“No, I know you did all of this. Boy, you’ll do anything to make me a believer.”

His eyes narrowed and his voice dipped an octave. “You think I did all of this just to make you believe there are ghosts here?”

“Well…yeah.”

“Fine.” Walking to her, he grabbed her arm and led her to the camera.

“Let go of me.”

“Not until you see this.” Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her to face the monitor attached to one of the cameras. “Watch.” He pressed play.

Folding her arms across her chest, Jessie glared at the screen. He’d recorded them having sex.

“Oh my God, you taped us making out? How could you?”

“I have my cameras set on timers that begin taping on their own. I didn’t know we were going to go at it like rabbits last night. Watch.”

“You will erase those tapes,” she insisted, then grunted when he turned her face back to the monitor. “What the hell?”

“Keep watching.”

She couldn’t pry her eyes away if she tried. The furniture lifted in the air, spun around wildly before they slammed in front of the fireplace and window. “Oh my god!”

“My sentiments exactly. I need to check the rest of the house.” He left her mesmerized in front of the TV.

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

Secrets of the Dead

Nothing Stays Buried Forever

Secrets of the Dead

Bk 1 in the Lost Souls series
By Shiela Stewart
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Born with the ability to see and speak to the dead, C.J. Dowling thought investigating a haunted house would be a job like many others. He’s prepared for anything—except smart and sexy Jessica.

Working together in close quarters, C.J. and Jessica discover it isn’t only negative tension between them but sexual as well. Giving in to their desires seems like a good idea until they wake and find the spirits thought otherwise. They are trapped with the ghost of a child long forgotten, an amorous entity threatening Jessica, and a powder keg of a spine-tingling mystery that might just be better left buried.

A Silver Dagger Book Tour Giveaway. https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/the-lost-souls-series-book-tour-and-giveaway

GUEST POST

I've always been fascinated with ghosts. Maybe because in my youth i was told stories of a haunted house we once lived in. I don't recall anything as I was only 8 years old at the time. Unfortunately that house burned to the ground and we lost everything.

It stirred a fascination in me with ghosts and I would often wonder if any of the houses on my block were haunted.

Of course, because ghosts fascinate me so much, i tend to watch a lot of haunting movies and shows.

I remember watching Amityville Horror in my teens and how terrified i was to turn out my bedroom light for fear a ghost would get me. But at the same time, it gave me a rush. That rush is what draws me to the paranormal.

I always knew i wanted to write a ghost story and that's how Secrets of the Dead came to be. At the time, I watched a lot of Paranormal Investigation shows, and I wondered what it would be like to be a Paranormal Investigator. I normally hate research, but this time i was excited to learn about the equipment used to detect ghosts. I have pages of information I found. I took all of that and created a story from it.

I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did writing it.

EXCERPT

Something tickled her nose. Using her hand, she tried to swipe it away and felt the brush of hair against her knuckles. Planting her hand, she felt the warm flesh beneath her palm.

The soft ache in her loins reminded her of what she’d done. Carefully opening her eyes, she turned her head to see a naked C.J. beside her.

“Dowling,” she spoke quietly. “Dowling.” When he moaned, she slapped his chest. “Dowling!”

“Jesus.”

“Wake up.”

“I’m awake.” He looked at her with a smile. “Morning.” Then his eyes went wide. “Holy hell.” He bolted upright and jumped to his feet, nearly knocking her over. “Oh, my God.”

Carefully, Jessie stood up, waiting out the dizziness. She had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t seeing things. It looked like a hurricane had blown through. “How…”

“I need to check my equipment.” He flew off, still nude, and she got one hell of a look at his ass.

“You’re naked, you know?”

“What?” He didn’t even look up.

“You’re naked.” She tossed him his jeans, hitting him square in the face.

“That you were a busy boy last night.”

He looked at her, confused. “Beg pardon?”

“I don’t know how you managed it all alone, but I give you credit for a job well done.”

“You think I did all of this?”

“No, I know you did all of this. Boy, you’ll do anything to make me a believer.”

His eyes narrowed and his voice dipped an octave. “You think I did all of this just to make you believe there are ghosts here?”

“Well…yeah.”

“Fine.” Walking to her, he grabbed her arm and led her to the camera.

“Let go of me.”

“Not until you see this.” Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her to face the monitor attached to one of the cameras. “Watch.” He pressed play.

Folding her arms across her chest, Jessie glared at the screen. He’d recorded them having sex.

“Oh my God, you taped us making out? How could you?”

“I have my cameras set on timers that begin taping on their own. I didn’t know we were going to go at it like rabbits last night. Watch.”

“You will erase those tapes,” she insisted, then grunted when he turned her face back to the monitor. “What the hell?”

“Keep watching.”

She couldn’t pry her eyes away if she tried. The furniture lifted in the air, spun around wildly before they slammed in front of the fireplace and window. “Oh my god!”

“My sentiments exactly. I need to check the rest of the house.” He left her mesmerized in front of the TV.

AVAILABLE

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

Authors Website: www.shielastewart.com

**Don’t miss the rest of the books in the series!**

Innocence of the Dead
Bk 2 in the Lost Souls Series

Blurb

Samantha Dowling sees ghosts. As much as she hates her gift, she can’t ignore the spirit of a murdered young girl who haunts her dreams. As she digs into the death, she learns she’s not the only missing child in the city. And no one seems to be doing anything about it. Running into the very sexy Ethan Montgomery at his bookstore where she’d doing her research adds a whole new element to the mix.

From the first moment Ethan Montgomery sees Sam, he knows she’s meant to be his. Unfortunately, his soon-to-be ex-wife Gwen is determined to bring Ethan down any way she can, and his attraction to Sam is an opening she won’t pass up.

Despite her interference, Sam and Ethan’s romance blossoms. In secret. But sneaking around isn’t as easy as they thought when others discover their relationship.

And when Sam learns the identity of the murderer, it puts her in their crosshairs. Unless Ethan can get to her in time, their romance will have a deadly end.

Revenge of the Dead
Bk 3 in the Lost Souls series

Standing over a dead body holding a gun is never a good thing. Especially when it’s your soon to be ex-wife, Gwen. And when it comes out that she’s been blackmailing him, Ethan is their prime suspect. Proving his innocence is not going to be easy. Luckily, he has his lover, Samantha is on his side.

Spiritual guide Samantha Dowling has seen pretty much everything the dead can throw at her. Just having solved a case of missing children, she’s looking forward to a life with the man she loves, Ethan Montgomery. Being woken by a nightmare of her lover standing over his wife's dead body, gun in hand, Sam knows what she has to do.

When she goes to the scene of the crime, the last thing she expects is for the ghost of Ethan’s ex to be there. Getting an entity to talk is never easy, but this time, the ghost is being spiteful. Gwen wants Ethan to suffer. Because Ethan doesn’t know she can speak to the dead, Sam has to sneak around to try and exonerate him.

Will Sam risk having her heart broken by telling Ethan, and can she get the spirit to talk before it’s too late?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shiela Stewart is a paranormal suspense author with a writing history that stems back to her youth. Always a dreamer, wondering if her stories would ever reach an audience, she was finally published in 2006 and hasn’t stopped since. It is rare to find a stand-alone book as she prefers series stories. Her longest running series to date is her Darkness series which is a vampire romance.

Her joy for scary suspense is evident in each of her books. She has had several accomplishments including fighting for the top spot in rankings with author Stephany Myers, receiving glowing reviews as well as interviews on television.

When not writing, Shiela spends her time with the love of her life, William, and their children and grandchildren. She enjoys getting her hands dirty, working in her gardens and planting flowers. Her strong affection for animals is evident in the many cats, fish and birds she cares for.
Her favorite time of day is at sunset.

Friday, September 6, 2024

Katherine

Here Comes the Queen...

Katherine

Maw of Mayhem MC Book 4

by AK Nevermore

Genre: Paranormal MC Erotic Romance

Voted in as prez and back at the clubhouse, Grimdarke James has won back the Maw of Mayhem MC, but his problems are far from over, and his migraine isn’t helping. Neither is the arrival of a rival MC, a wolf pack, or the crime lord en route.

And Reaper’s still on the loose.

Grim definitely can’t seem to catch a break, and neither can Kit. Now that she’s been officially introduced to the club as Grim’s ol’ lady, it’s up to her to get a handle on the mollys. Will she be able to keep them in line and prove she’s the rightful queen of Mayhem, or will someone else try to usurp her throne?

EXCERPT

Kit stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. Clay’s bathroom was definitely nicer than the one in Grim’s room. Or it had the potential to be, once all the filth from Nikki’s infestation was expunged. Woman was a pig. Kit frowned at the drifts of body glitter, smears of self-tanner, and spattered toothpaste around the sink. She rubbed at it with the corner of her towel. Maybe that’s what she would do today. A dedicated session of rage cleaning sounded pretty damned good…after she sorted things out with Mr. Asorav and Chanté.

—Ain’t nothin’ to sort— Kat chuffed. —They got our back as queen. It’s the rest of them that are gonna have to fall in line.—

Um, no, just because we’re queen doesn’t mean they get to disrespect Grim.

—How is answering to the queen disrespecting him? They’re not a part of Mayhem.—

Kit toweled off her hair, teeth dimpling her lip. No, but he’s right. This is his MC, and they’re his guests. While they’re here, they have to follow his rules.

—So where does that leave us?—

I dunno yet, and I don’t think he does, either. Kit was pretty sure that her being with him meant she was the alpha female for the club and in charge of the ol’ ladies and the mollys. But since Clay had never officially taken Kit’s mother as a mate, Kit hadn’t actually seen what that looked like. She vaguely remembered a woman with shoulder-length hair that seemed like she was in charge of the kitchen, but Kit had been so young when they moved out of the clubhouse…

She shook her hair out and scrubbed at it with the towel. Do you remember?

—No. I wasn’t awake then.—

Right. And it’d been so long since there had been a shifter queen, no one knew what that looked like, either. Well, Mr. Asorav probably did, but Kit was pretty sure she shouldn’t take everything he said as gospel. Not after the last shifter queen had partially succeeded in turning the current vampire queen into a fox. Aryanna had killed her for it, but she was still rocking whiskers. Their sects weren’t on great terms.

Kit sighed. God, how was she going to do this?

Whatever. Clothes would help. Dress for the job you want, right? Except she didn’t. Not really. Well, to be Grim’s queen, yeah, but the rest of it?

—Girl, you’ll see. Once they accept that we’re it, the rest is gonna be gravy.—

If you say so, but what about until then?

Kat paused like she wasn’t sure either. —Um, until then—

Ahem.

Kit froze at the decidedly masculine interruption in her brain. Her mouth went dry. M-Mr. Asorav?

Yes, my dear. Pardon me for the intrusion, but I couldn’t help but note your angst and feel compelled to relieve you of it. After Ms. Yewling’s reel of your confrontation last night and the resulting transformation of Ms. Hale, there is little doubt that you are the true shifter queen and the sects are responding in accordance. Mr. James’s motorcycle club has accepted you as such and is thoroughly apprised of your status as his, ah, old lady.

Oh. Um, thank you?

My pleasure. I look forward to seeing you at brunch. Do come down as you are able.

Kit stood in the bathroom gripping her towel and listening to the silence in her head, afraid to think. Is he gone? she thought-whispered.

—Son of a bitch had better be.— Kat spat, her proverbial tail thrashing. —Vamp is creepy as fuck.—

Shh! What if he’s listening?

—Then he can listen to this! YOU’RE CREEPY AS FUCK!—

Oh my God, you need to stop.

—No, only thing I need to stop is him from climbing into our head.—

Good luck with that. Kit sighed, going back into the bedroom. It looked like Nikki had just opened all of Kit’s suitcases and shaken them out into one big pile before strewing things around the room. She stepped around the slick of nasty still coating the floor in front of the vanity to the largest pile of clothes, her anxiety ticking up. The bar downstairs sounded packed with brothers, and as soon as she walked into that room, all eyes were gonna be on her.

What the heck did a queen wear?

—Aside from being banned from bedsheets, whatever the hell she wants to— Kat murmured distractedly. —What if I—

Something twanged in Kit’s head. She winced, but the static that’d been buzzing in the back of her brain since she’d changed abruptly cut off. A weird visual of Kat in coveralls messing around in her psyche with a wrench flitted through Kit’s mind’s eye. Great, just what she needed; a mind mechanic.

—Take that, motherfucker.—

You do it?

[SHRUGGING]

—I dunno, but it did something.—

You are not helpful.

—Oh please, like you need help. Bring your A game and all of ‘em will be eating out the palm of your hand, including that man of yours. Remember Timmons, in Acquisitions? Absolute prick on the phone,

tongue dragging in person. Once you get all dolled up and walk into the room, ain’t nobody gonna remember who was waiting on whose say-so about what.—

Kit tapped her teeth. As much as she hated skating by on her looks, that would definitely make things easier. My A game, huh? Her A game was what Chanté referred to as boardroom boudoir. A smile tipped up Kit’s lips as she knelt, sorting through the mess of clothes.

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

Book Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DBFCLTSM

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/katherine/id6584513267

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/katherine-ak-nevermore/1146065530?ean=2940186169963

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/katherine-24

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1595966

Books2Read: https://books2read.com/queenkatherine

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/katherine-maw-of-mayhem-mc-4-a-maw-of-mayhem-shifter-mc-romance-by-ak-nevermore

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/216907801-katherine

Book Trailer:

https://youtu.be/foGh6YcRe0k

**Don’t miss the rest of the books in the series!**

Grimdarke

Maw of Mayhem MC Book 1

Amazon * Books2Read

Darker

Maw of Mayhem MC Book 2

Amazon * Books2Read

Kit-Kat

Maw of Mayhem MC Book 3

Amazon * Books2Read

**FREEBIE ALERT!**

Get the Prequel story, The Maw of Mayhem FREE!

https://dl.bookfunnel.com/am476oiskk

About the Author

AK Nevermore enjoys operating heavy machinery, freebases coffee, and gives up sarcasm for Lent every year. A Jane-of-all-trades, she’s a certified chef, restores antiques, and dabbles in beekeeping when she’s not reading voraciously or running down the dream in her beat-up camo Chucks.

Unable to ignore the voices in her head, and unwilling to become medicated, she writes Science Fiction and Fantasy full time.

She pays the bills editing, wielding a wicked hot pink pen and writing a column on SFF. She also belongs to the Authors Guild, is a chapter treasurer for the RWA, teaches creative writing, and on the rare occasion, sleeps.

Website * Facebook * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads