A vast interstellar play of power and dominion – #ScienceFiction #SpaceOpera #Giveaway @AuthorSEKillian

Blurb

Jael Ked’Korhva hadn’t anticipated becoming the galaxy’s most wanted.

He hadn’t planned on picking up a strange alien artifact, either, but once it was clasped around his wrist, Jael was granted extraordinary abilities. His senses were heightened, his reflexes faster, and he could now regenerate from damage that would spell the end for others, which was a boon, considering he was just a derelict scavenger.

That was until forces from every corner of the stars wanted Jael’s artifact for themselves, and they’ll stop at nothing to take it back. What initially appears as a boon swiftly transforms into a weighty charge. Yet, it's a charge Jael accepts without hesitation, understanding the catastrophic potential should the relic fall into the wrong hands.

Prodded onward by visions of an ancient ally and a mysterious enemy, Jael becomes a pivotal piece in a vast interstellar play of power and dominion.

An action-packed space opera, perfect for science fiction fans of Sun Eater by Christopher Ruocchio or The Mercy of Gods by James S. A. Corey.

Excerpt

Jael’s world shifted, reality melting away as the woman’s touch transported his consciousness across the vastness of space. The galaxy unfurled before him, countless stars and vibrant worlds.

A creeping darkness emerged from the fringes, seeping into the cosmic fabric like spilled ink. Jael watched in horror as the void engulfed entire star systems, extinguishing their light with terrifying efficiency.

Planets that once teemed with life withered under the encroaching shadow. Lush forests crumbled to ash, oceans boiled away, and sprawling cities crumbled into dust. The screams of billions echoed across the vacuum, abruptly silenced as the darkness consumed them.

Stars flickered and died, snuffed out like candles in a gale. Nebulae collapsed, their swirling colors fading to a dull, lifeless gray. The galaxy’s spiral arms now resembled dark skeletal fingers reaching into nothingness.

As the last remnants of light faded, Jael found himself suspended in an endless, inky void. The darkness was not still, but writhed and pulsated. Shapeless entities, darker than the blackness surrounding them, twisted and coiled through the emptiness.

The woman’s voice echoed in his mind, “This is the future that awaits if you fail. The enemy comes, and with it, the end of all things.” She moved in close and placed a hand on his cheek. “Find me on Dusrist before it is too late.”

As the woman began to fade, behind her, another figure began to materialize. A shadow Jael hadn’t thought about in years.

Jael’s breath caught in his throat, his heart pounding against his chest. The figure’s face slowly came into focus—a sharp jawline, weathered by time and countless wars, gray, ashen skin, a tell-tale sign of genetic alteration and eyes that Jael would never forget. Those predatory, multi-pupiled eyes that had haunted Jael’s nightmares since he was a child.

 

About the Author

Scott Killian grew up in California where he consumed every bit of sci-fi and horror media he could find. Delving deep into the works of Thomas Harris, Stephen King and H. P. Lovecraft to name a few, those dark portals in his mind were opened and his obsession with the macabre began. Story telling, in any form, is his greatest passion.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Scott.E.killian

Twitter: https://x.com/authorsekillian

Email: saltnsulfurpublishing [at] gmail [dot] com

Newsletter signup: https://mailchi.mp/9f595cbdc394/author-scott-killians-newsletter

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0DF1RLYLB

The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A practitioner of the darkest arts – #ParanormalRomance #Halloween #MFRWHooks

Another week, another Wednesday, another Book Hooks blog hop! Celebrating Halloween all month long, I’m continuing my paranormal theme with this week’s excerpt, from my shifter romance The Eyes of Bast.

Enjoy!

Blurb

Trust your heart. Follow your dreams.

When instinct tells Shaina to visit the feral cat trap she’s set in Central Park, she listens to that inner voice. The sleek black cat she finds has a terrible secret. Tom is an unwilling shape shifter, cursed by a sorceress who craved a human plaything. Shaina vows to defeat the vicious but seductive witch and save the man she believes is her soul mate—though it might mean losing him forever.

The Hook

He raised his face to mine. Tears brimmed in his luminous eyes. A vast wave of pity surged through me. I bent to kiss him, trying to pour my strength into him.

Our mouths met. Desire flickered underneath my boundless compassion. I let my tongue play along the soft seam where his lips pressed together. After momentary resistance, he opened to me, allowing me to take what I craved. At first, he was passive. I persevered, though, and before long, he was kissing me in return, running his hands along my arms and gently fondling my breasts. My body awakened, little bursts of lightning racing through my limbs to my dampening sex.

The night came back to me, in vivid detail. I remembered the joy, the sense of connection. This man was made for me. I had to save him.

Tom finally broke the kiss and leaned back with a sigh. “Ah, Shaina! I should never have allowed you near me. But I was so very lonely… I wasn’t thinking straight. Now I’ve put you in danger too.”

“Danger? What kind of danger?” I reached over to flick the switch on my reading lamp, so I could read his expressions. Then I seated myself cross-legged at his feet and clasped his hands in mine. “Tell me, Tom. Tell me everything.”

“You will not believe me.”

“How could I not believe after—after what I saw this morning?”

His eyebrows knitted together. “I never wanted you to see—I was careless…”

“But I did see. And now I know, at least part of your secret. But I don’t know enough to help you out of whatever trouble you’re in. Tell me the whole truth. I promise I’ll keep it private, if that’s what you want. And I promise I won’t be shocked.”

Tom’s lush mouth twisted in a grimace of disgust. “You might not be able to keep that promise. But never mind. You’ve asked. I’ll tell you.”

He stared off into the distance, above my head. “I was born in a small town in coastal Maine, about seven years ago.”

“Seven years?”

“I was born a cat.”

I choked down my cry of surprise. How could it be?

“Yes. I was born under a wharf. I spent the first six months of my life as a black kitten, a stray living off the scraps from the fishing boats and clam shacks. Then she caught me and made me her prisoner.”

“She?”

“I don’t even want to utter her name. There’s danger in the very word. She is a witch, centuries old, a practitioner of the darkest arts—the epitome of evil. Out walking one evening along the rocky shore, she caught sight of me and wanted me as her familiar. It was easy for her to lure me into her clutches.

“At first she just used me to facilitate her spells. The rumored powers of black cats are more than just legend. Before long, though, she began to experiment.”

His ominous tone sent a chill through my naked body. I pulled the towel around me.

“You see, her advanced age hadn’t diminished her lust. Quite the opposite. She wanted a sexual plaything, someone she could use to satisfy her perverted desires. A male body she could own and control. So she delved into her books of magic, seeking a spell that would turn her poor innocent feline familiar into a man—at least when she wanted him that way.

“Her first attempts failed.” Tom shuddered at the recollection. “She barely managed to save my life. I guess she’d grown fond of me at that point—in her own twisted way.”

“Oh, Tom…”

“Finally, she found a ritual that would change an animal into a human during the hours when the sun was banished from the earth. I’ll never forget the terror of that first transformation, when I found myself wobbling on two legs in front of her naked body. It was even worse than what came after.”

“What was that?”

“Oh, Shaina—I was human, but scarcely a man. I was barely thirteen.”

Find all the buy links for The Eyes of Bast at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/eyesofbastbook.html

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in this week's Book Hooks hop!

 

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Hope, fear and unexpected change – #HistoricalFiction #PostWWII #Giveaway

Blurb

Spring 1946--Following four years of war on the heels of the decade-long Great Depression, Americans are finally feeling a sense of hope that begins sweeping the nation…

Jo-Jo Anderson feels that optimism too. Slipping the reins of her Iowa farming town, Jo leaves to make her mark on the entertainment scene in Manhattan. Audiences are clamoring for new musicals on Broadway, nightclubs are flourishing, and NYC is the beating heart of the radio networks. After arriving, Jo-Jo quickly realizes that thousands of would-be stars are following her same ambitions, making opportunities scarce, but her luck begins to turn when she hears about Talent Jackpot.

Her twin, Sarah, finds success with her studies as a scholarship student at the University of Iowa. But Sarah is adrift socially, finding it difficult to forge friendships. Her perfectly planned life is upended when her hometown boyfriend announces he’s suddenly joined the navy. Sarah’s top grades draw the attention of a crusty biology professor and after accepting his offer of a lab position, her rigid lifestyle gets a lot more complicated.

This novel tells a story of unexpected change. The twins make their way through multiple challenges with humor, ambition, and heartbreak but remain tied together by the bonds of sisterhood, winding their way through the seedier backdoors of the entertainment business, and into college dorm life and love nest apartments.

With the historical backdrop of the post WW2 era, Falling From The Nest, reads as a stand-alone story but also serves as a sequel to author Bobbie Candas’ previous novel, The Lost and Found of Green Tree.

Excerpt

While staring through raindrops racing down the smudged windows of the Stage Deli, I was startled by impatient, snapping fingers begging for my attention. I’d been looking at the long line of well-dressed patrons curling around the block of Carnegie Hall. They were patiently waiting, with umbrellas open, to buy tickets to some amazing performance I’d never see.

”Hey you…doll-face.” I looked over in Snappy Finger’s direction. “Two grilled sky-highs on rye and two black coffees. We’re in a hurry.”

Ok, you grumpy, fat bastards. I pulled out a pad and pencil from my apron pocket and looked down at two burly men wearing pinstriped, double breasted suits with tacky wide ties. I flashed a smile, held back my real thoughts, and asked, “Mustard, mayonnaise, or both?” And added sweetly, “And how about a dill pickle on the side?”

“Yeah, all the above, doll. Just get it ordered, quick. Oh, and bring us a couple black-n-whites too.”

“You got it handsome.”

I turned, walking quickly down the tight row of wooden tables at the busy deli and called out my order to the cook behind the grill. “Hey, Chuckles! Two sky-highs, m-and-m, with a dill…and no rush, take your time with those.”

The short-order cook, a balding, older man with a low tolerance for fools and a sucker for a friendly smile, called out, “No problem, Jo-Jo.”

I poured the two cups of coffee and slid two large round cookies with chocolate and vanilla icing onto small plates. Six months ago, I would have been intimidated by those two men and their fancy suits. But now I knew they were only low-level number runners who wore the same cheap suit everyday, except maybe on Sunday when, hopefully, they got them cleaned. I'd seen and learned a lot in the last six months.

Back at Snappy Finger’s table, I purposely leaned over, balancing my tray. “Gentlemen, your coffee and black-n-whites.” I set their cups and cookies down and said, “I told the cook to put a rush on those sandwiches. Seems to be a little backed up at the grill though.” I then turned around and bussed the table beside them, stretching over to wipe it down, giving them a full view of my back side. I lived off tips. I’d learned what I had to do.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Falling-Nest-Sisters-Green-Tree-ebook/dp/B0DH8JXF5S/ref=sr_1_1

About the Author

I'm a Texas girl: grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin where I earned my degree in journalism, and settled in Dallas where I raised a husband, two kids and a few cats. My husband, Mehmet, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised whom, but I'm a sucker for a robust discussion.

For years I was involved in retail management, but in 2014 I refocused on my writing, taking deep dives into the lives of my characters. When you can pry my fingers off the keyboard, I enjoy entertaining, sharing food and drink with friends and family. I enjoy shopping, usually on the hunt for apparel, with a special weakness for shoes, and will frequently jump at the opportunity of an unexpected trip to a far-away place.

And I always make time for reading. I keep a stack of novels ready and waiting on my night stand, with a few tapping their toe in my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m always ready for a good recommendation.

Facebook: Author Bobbie Candas: https://www.facebook.com/bobbiecandasauthor

Good Reads author link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8292457.Bobbie.Candas

Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/Books-Bobbie-Candas/s?3A283155%3A283155%2Cp_27%3ABobbie+Candas

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

Website: http://www.bobbiecandas.com

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meme Monday - #WishfulThinking #Humor @KayelleAllen

Greetings!

Thought we should start the week with a bit of fun. I don’t know if I can do this every Monday, but I was inspired by this meme I borrowed from Kayelle Allen. You can find lots more great content, as well as free books, at her website:

https://kayelleallen.com/goodies/

Wishing you a wonderful week!

On sale now! Luscious, suspenseful #PNR by Christine Lynn Lambert – @Chris4Lamb #Shifters #EnemiesToLovers #SteamyRomance

By Christina Lynn Lamber (Guest Blogger)

In honor of Halloween month, two of my steamy, suspenseful paranormal romances, Coyote’s Vow (Stranger Creatures book 4) and Bear’s Dream (Haven Forest Resort book 1) are on SALE for $1.99 on Amazon!

Get swept up in the wild world of shape shifters and psy, and leave the chill of October behind. Each book in my Stranger Creatures series, as well as my Haven Forest Resort series, features a different couple in their fight for a happily ever after.

Coyote’s Vow (Stranger Creatures book 4) is Trevor and Kylie’s story.

Kylie was the victim of a brutal experiment that gave her telekinetic abilities. Coyote shifter Trevor doesn’t trust the psy but when his feelings for Kylie grow out of control, will he risk everything to be with her? When a deranged doctor has disturbing plans for shifters and psy, can Trevor and Kylie stop him, or will they be silenced forever?

Excerpt

Who is she? Trevor tried not to stare at the woman sitting across from Shifters United President Matt Blackwell but damn, she was beautiful. Her long, black hair had a purple, glossy tint. Intricate tattoos wound around her arms and lower legs. He wanted to run his fingers along the ink lines of every single tattoo. Her skin looked so smooth and touchable. Bitable too. Nope. Not appropriate. Not at all. He forced his descending coyote fangs to recede.

Blackwell didn’t introduce Trevor to the mystery woman, though, and that sent his curiosity into caution mode. The purple-haired beauty gave him a wary look before glancing back down at the computer tablet in her hand. Right. Business. Trevor had obviously interrupted a meeting. He’d stopped by Matt Blackwell’s hotel room to drop off a folder full of intel and surveillance photos. He needed to find an excuse to stay and talk to the woman with lovely dark brown eyes.

“Thanks for taking care of the research,” Blackwell gave him a nod. “Set the info on my desk and I’ll take a look before the meeting tonight.”

Trevor walked past the mystery woman and set the folder full of information on the small desk beside the coffee table. He stole another, longer glance at the woman. Her nails were painted indigo blue. His favorite color. The tattoos winding around her arms seemed to be in motion, encircling her in their safety. Weird trick of the light. Had to be. He rubbed his eyes. Blinked. The tattoos went still. The woman smelled amazing, like wildflowers after the rain, but she didn’t smell like a shifter. Didn’t mean she wasn’t one.

Scent blockers made it easy for shifters to mask their unique scent, to a degree. The blockers also did a fairly good job at hiding other smells shifters could detect, like fear, desire, and rage. Even so, Trevor could almost always detect hints of the slightly rancid, faint garbage aroma of the blockers, no matter what brand or what home recipe a person used. Coyote shifters could pick up on smells most other shifters couldn’t.

What is the woman with the willowy tattoos? Was she a threat to Blackwell? Maybe a rabbit shifter? Rabbit shifters were the only animal shifters who carried no animal scent, but their eyes.... Not a specific color, just a look. Plus, they usually liked to flash their double rows of horrifying sharp teeth upon meeting other shifters. Just for a flex. The rabbits could be mean when bothered unnecessarily, but mostly, they were pretty decent. The woman caught him looking again and gave him a little half smile. Her pretty eyes with long, thick lashes were definitely not the strange eyes of a rabbit shifter.

“I’ll see you later, Trevor.” Blackwell gave him a pointed stare.

“You’re alright here?”

“I’m fine. I have Nathan,” Blackwell gestured to his giant assistant and body guard who was seated in a chair in the kitchenette, reading a book.

No code phrases were used, and Trevor didn’t detect any signs of distress from the mountain lion shifter or his bear shifter assistant. Trevor nodded. Apparently, Blackwell had no intention of introducing him to the woman sitting with him. Nathan, grinned at Trevor, like he knew something. Fine, Nathan could keep his secret. But Trevor would get information, one way or another.

Purchase Links ($1.99 during October!)

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZT58GXZ

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coyotes-Vow-Stranger-Creatures-Book-ebook/dp/B0BZT58GXZ

 

Bear's Dream (Haven Forest Resort book 1) introduces Ellie and AJ. 

 

She had every reason to hate him

Aiden "AJ" Shepherd's mistake during a Shifter Army Enforcement rescue mission cost Ellie Ortiz's brother, Marco, his life. She despises AJ with a passion until a chance encounter with him on New Year’s Eve reveals he's not the cold, heartless man she once thought him to be. Her attraction to him takes her by surprise and she vows to ignore her feelings. When a new job puts her in contact with him every day, the heat building between them threatens to flare out of control.

His secret could ruin everything

During a disastrous assignment with Shifters United, AJ uncovers some information that changes everything. Keeping the truth hidden from Ellie is killing him but he might lose her forever if he tells her what he learned on his mission. When Ellie ends up in danger, AJ will stop at nothing to save her. To survive, they’ll have to work together to stop a reporter who is determined to prove the existence of shifters.

Excerpt

AJ staggered toward Ellie, holding his side. She caught him before he fell. Blood poured down the side of his face. She pulled the hood of his coat over his head to hide the blood.

People rushed over to them, asking if he was alright.

I guess they only care how he is now that the fighting is over.

“He’s fine. Just a little bruised up.”

The wolf shifter woman cleared a path to AJ and guarded his other side. “I’ll help you get him to the woods. My friend can stall the cops and do crowd control while you guys shift out your injuries.”

“Thank you. Seriously, thank you.”

The wolf shifter nodded. “No problem. Hurry.”

Ellie grasped AJ’s face in her hands and looked him in the eye. “We just have to get to the woods. It’s not far. Stay awake and stay with me. I can’t carry you. Understand?”

“Yeah.” His voice was barely audible.

An eternity later, they found a spot amongst the pine trees and bushes with enough cover for him to shift. “Hold on. Don’t shift yet. Let me pull these chunks of metal out of your head first.”

He cursed as she pulled one particularly large, jagged chunk out of his scalp. Blood poured down his face and neck. His eyes drifted shut.

“Come on! Wake up! Shift!”

He slumped over, oblivious to her yelling. She stripped him then dug her fingers into his stab wound. He growled and shifted into bear form. A sob of relief escaped her. AJ shifted back to human form, then, a split second later, he was a giant furry brown bear again. The bear walked around for a moment, dug his claws into a tree, then pressed his nose to Ellie’s cheek, making her laugh. In the blink of an eye, he was in human form again.

“You’re alright now?” she asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You’re sure?” She ran her fingers over the places on his head she’d seen cut and gouged. No sign of any wounds. She looked at his eyes. He focused on her properly. She breathed out a sigh of relief. “I’ve seen more than one shifter be pressed for time to heal and they weren’t healed up as well as they thought.” His injuries hadn’t been superficial. He wouldn’t have made it to their room to shift in privacy without being stopped by well-meaning regulars—shifters and psy often referred to humans with no strange, extraordinary abilities as regulars—insistent on taking him to a hospital.

People who hated shifters lurked in hospitals, watching, waiting to destroy anyone they found out of the ordinary. Today, some ignorant haters had almost killed AJ, at a damn winter festival celebration. Nowhere was truly safe. She was still freaked at how close he had been to losing consciousness and never waking up. She knew damn well he would have died if he hadn’t shifted when he did. She didn’t want his light to burn out. Didn’t want anybody’s light to dim, really, but he was… She shook her head. A good guy. That was all. She didn’t want to see a good person die too young. She wrapped her arms around herself and her eyes teared up.

“Hey,” he spoke softly, “look at me.”

She met his gaze, reluctantly.

“I’m all right,” he assured her. “The important thing is, a group of angry men didn’t get the chance to beat the living hell out of a shifter teenager.”

She nodded.

He gently stroked her cheek and his hand came away bloody. “Your turn to shift.” She hadn’t felt any pain in her face. Probably because several of her ribs were cracked and her stomach had a fist-sized knot in it where she’d been punched. She stepped behind a tree, undressed, and shifted. B shook out her thick black fur and walked around a few paces in the woods. After a moment, she reluctantly shifted back to human form. Ellie stopped still when she caught AJ staring at her.

“Damn, you’re beautiful.” His appreciative tone wrapped around her. She gulped and ducked behind the tree to put her clothes back on. She emerged, wrapped back up in her bloodstained winter coat and clothes. At least the blood wouldn’t show up since everything she was wearing was black.

Purchase Links ($1.99 through October!):

Amazon US:

https://www.amazon.com/Bears-Dream-Haven-Forest-Resort-ebook/dp/B09XT1WX5G

Amazon UK:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bears-Dream-Haven-Forest-Resort-ebook/dp/B09XT1WX5G

About the Author

Before I was struck with the unexpected inspiration to write a book, I worked in a few different fields. I was in sales for a while and did not enjoy it. After I finished college, I worked as a case manager helping people with disabilities. When my children were little, I was a personal trainer and running coach. During the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying for another fitness training certification, I started writing down the ideas for a story that I couldn’t get out of my head. Finally, I gave in and acknowledged that writing is what I was meant to do.

I love creating imperfect but determined characters who find the courage to love and the strength to survive in a world where there are no guarantees. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two teenagers, a sweet, hairy monster of a dog, and two devious cats. 

For updates, poems, short stories, and other fun stuff, you can find me at:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/christina-lynn-lambert

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/christinalynnlambert

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15900423.Christina_Lynn_Lambert

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

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/christinalynnlambert

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chris4lamb

Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com

Christmas in Kittburg, Germany – #SingleDadRomance #HolidayRomance #MilitaryRomance @SadiraStone

My friend and colleague Sadira Stone has a brand new novella for the holidays. Sadira specializes in lusciously emotional stories with as much heart as heat, featuring vivid real-world settings and the joys of found family.

Read on for more information about The One You Can’t Keep!

Blurb

It started as a holiday fling. Will it end in heartbreak?

Klara

After a heart-smashing divorce, a fresh start on an Army base in Germany is exactly what I need. No more whispers behind my back. No more pitying glances.

My new teaching job is my refuge, until…

Logan, a hunky single-soldier dad struggling to help his defiant son.

From that first meeting, our attraction sizzles.

But a forbidden fling with my student’s father could destroy my career and crush my heart.

Logan

Military life almost cost me my son.

After a bitter split, one yearly visit is all we’re allowed—until Cody lands on my far-flung doorstep.

I’m determined to give him the stability he’s never had, despite his belligerent teenage attitude.

My hunger for his hot, compassionate teacher is a secret I’ve got to keep undercover.

But I’m a soldier, not a saint.

And Cody’s not a fool.

The clock on our Christmas romance is ticking, and neither of us is ready for goodbye.

Come to Kittburg, Germany for a heart-warming love story with found family, second chances, and a Christmas to remember!

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DGRL9NVL

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-one-you-cant-keep-a-single-dad-holiday-romance/id6677048627

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-one-you-cant-keep-sadira-stone/1146282861

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-one-you-can-t-keep

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1617122

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sadira_Stone_The_One_You_Can_t_Keep?id=-cggEQAAQBAJ

UBL: https://books2read.com/TheOneYouCantKeep

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-one-you-can-t-keep-a-single-dad-holiday-romance-by-sadira-stone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/218720948-the-one-you-can-t-keep

Excerpt

My defenses drop away as Klara’s magnetism draws me in, strong and true. I brush my lips over hers. “What do you hope, my Christmas angel?”

“I hope we get the chance to know each other.” She feathers kisses over my mouth, my cheekbones, my closed eyelids, as if memorizing the shape of me.

And then, hallelujah and glory be, she slides her hand under my sweater to stroke over my bare skin.

At this first skin-on-skin touch, heat roars through me, making my nerves sizzle. But I’ve seen too much of life’s mess not to think of consequences.

“Is this what you want, Klara? Because there’s no way this doesn’t get complicated.”

She sighs, her breath hot against my cheek. “Honestly, I’m afraid sex with you will lead to feelings bigger than I know how to handle.”

My thumb traces the tantalizing outer curve of her breast, and I swear, I understand now what people mean by ‘my heart swelled in my chest.’ And though I’ve never been any good at expressing big feelings, this surge of emotion pushes the words out.

“There are a hundred reasons not to open that door, Klara, but being with you feels so damn right. I can’t offer as much as you deserve.” I press my lips to hers and just breathe her in. “But I really want to explore this with you, and if you’re willing, I’ll give you everything I can.”

Her gaze is solemn as she cups my face in her palms. “I’ve learned the hard way that nothing worth having is simple and easy. So yes, I’m ready to gamble on a good thing.”

Happiness fills me like sunshine. Though I know our time is limited, I can’t rush this moment, this precious chance to explore Klara’s lush body. I sip at her lips, caressing her ribs, her hips, my hands greedy to memorize every curve.

With a hungry mewl, she chases my mouth and licks inside, her velvet tongue sweet and hot. Back and forth we parry, my gestures deliberately slow, hers increasingly frantic. Rising onto her knees, she bunches my sweater and tugs it up.

“Easy, now.” Chuckling, I wriggle out of the pullover she seems hellbent on tearing from my body.

Klara’s glittering eyes drink in my naked torso, and her warm hands trace every exposed inch. Her sigh shudders through slack lips. “Logan, ever since I saw you in the steam room, I have dreamed of this moment.”

About the Author

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales, mostly set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found in dance class or the pool, learning guitar, blowing bubbles with her grandchild, exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books.

Visit Sadira on All the Socials!

https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone

Not just their own futures ... #Thriller #Suspense #Giveaway @EWPodojil

Blurb

The Poseidon Project is an international suspense thriller and the first book in The Herb Society Mysteries series

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past. Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom. Now she, her friends, her tech executive son Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands. But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are. Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future. But not only their futures; the world’s.

Excerpt

The explosion was deafening. A huge fireball engulfed the Iveco box truck with a force that knocked Molly, Donna, Linda, and John off their feet. Having been already seated, Lukas instinctively shielded Taylor from the force of the blast that was over one hundred feet away. The explanation of the Hindenburg explosion his mom had referenced two days ago flashed through his mind. The hydrogen collection tank must have had a leak or breached from being overfilled. But unlike the Hindenburg, there was not a zeppelin-sized supply of hydrogen on the Demeter unit, or what was left of it. The explosion was sudden, strong, and brief. The flames quickly burned through the truck’s cargo area, then slowly burned the embers of what little was left. The truck was destroyed, as was Demeter. Zip-Tie’s blackened remains smoldered on the ground, about ten feet from the blast.

Betty and Patrick stood at the top of the terrace waving their arms and appeared to be yelling something. Lukas could not hear much other than the ringing in his ears, and he assumed the rest of the group was partially deaf as they struggled to get to their feet. Lukas had shielded Taylor’s body, and his hearing appeared to be unaffected. Taylor kissed Lukas on the cheek and mouthed Thank you. Or at least Lukas thought he said it silently.

Betty held the fourth Glock in her hand and ran toward the group to help them ascend the terrace. “We’ve gotta get out of here!” she yelled, hoping their damaged ears could hear her. She knew it was only a few minutes before the Dubai police came to investigate the source of the explosion in the city center.

“Where is Malik?” Betty asked as John, Donna, and Molly rubbed their ears, hoping to regain their hearing.

“He ran that way.” Taylor pointed in the direction of the Burj Khalifa. “I saw him for an instant right after the blast.”

Patrick raced toward the group. “Police are on their way. I hear the sirens. Let’s go, everybody!” Patrick and Taylor, both injured, were able to shepherd the group up to the Sprinter van, get in, and buckle up for what was going to be a quick getaway.

Betty slammed on the accelerator, and the van lurched forward. She could see the flashing police lights about a quarter of a mile to her right. She turned left, hoping to avoid them. “Patrick, I need you to navigate! I don’t know where I am!” Betty yelled with a tinge of panic in her voice. Patrick stood up and sat in the passenger seat to help navigate.

Taylor quickly dialed his daughter. She answered on the first ring tone. “Dad, where are you?”

“Get the Goose ready. We’ll be there in—” He looked at Patrick, who held up his hands with fingers extended. “—ten to fifteen minutes. Please clear a take- off slot for us in twenty-five minutes from now.”

“Got it, Dad. Drive safely.”

Tory hung up as Betty slalomed quickly through

About the Author

E. William Podojil has worked as a writer, advisor and international business executive while living in the Netherlands and the United States. He studied screenwriting at UCLA. His first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004, by Haworth Press. His latest novel, The Poseidon Project, will be published by Wild Rose Press in August, 2024 as the first book in the Herb Society Mysteries series.

Podojil currently resides in Northeast Ohio with his husband and three sons. He travels extensively and writes about his experiences on his website www.ewpodojil.com.

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