They told us monsters weren't real -- – #Horror #DarkSciFi #ComingOfAge #Giveaway

By Shelly Campbell (Guest Blogger) 

Welcome to Beyond Romance, Shelly! When I read the description of Dark Walkers, it reminded me a bit of C.S. Lewis' Narnia (albeit darker). What books or other sources influenced this series? ~ Lisabet

Thank you so much for having me on the blog, Lisabet!

I’m glad the Dark Walker series brought C.S. Lewis’s Narnia to mind for you as that’s one of the inspirations for Gulf. What if there were doors that led to other worlds, but it was no fairytale on the other side?

I was also fascinated by Stephen King’s 11/22/63 with its portal that led to the same setting in a different time. Jake Epping stumbles into a world with very specific rules about how it works, and finds out that there are unavoidable consequences to making ripples somewhere you don’t belong. I wanted my MC David to feel that too, and I thought it would be interesting to play with the idea: what if you felt more at home on the other side—the wrong side—than you did in the world you grew up in?

Horror, in general, does a wonderful job of isolating its main characters. The phone goes dead. The dark alley dead-ends. The car runs out of gas on an abandoned, foggy road and there’s no one you can call for help. Us humans are herd creatures. Being singled out and isolated from the pack is a visceral and ancient fear for us. I wanted to amplify that for David.

He comes from a big family, never alone, but always isolated. At first, it seems like the regular sort of obscurity, the kind that makes you overlook the quiet kid in a loud crowd, but I try to make it obvious early on that David’s invisibility has escalated into something more than that. He’s fading from his world like a Polaroid picture in reverse. His world is trying to erase him, and his family is forgetting him.

Worse yet, something alien the other side of the door is trying to get through and devour everyone he loves. He has to save his world alone because nobody can see or hear him. No one is there to help. In that way, the Dark Walker series was inspired by that isolation horror movies and books do so well.

Gulf is set in the late 80s and early 90s. That’s the era I grew up in. Not only did it allow for that ‘there’s no cell phones’ type of isolation, but it was nostalgic to have David growing up in the same decades as I did. And it inspired those 80s horror movie poster style covers I got to design!

Breach, the sequel, is a bit of a different beast. No longer a coming-of-age horror story about a boy and his family against an evil alien world, it expands into multiple dimensions, like Doctor Who. David is no longer alone, but becomes part of a team—or so he thinks. And readers get a bit more insight into how the worlds we glimpsed in Gulf were formed, and the origin of the aliens.

David is definitely not in Kansas anymore.

And, of course, everything gets exponentially worse in book three, coming in early 2025. I can’t wait to share David’s messed up worlds with you all!

Series Blurb

When we were children, they told us monsters weren't real. They were dead wrong.

It’s just a closet door with a skeleton key, but when David opens it, he unlocks a gateway to a sinister world that’s bent on destroying everything and everyone he loves. Some doors are better left closed.

Embark on a thrilling journey with the Dark Walker Series, and be transported into an interdimensional tale of monsters, lies and self-discovery. Where the terror of darkness is real and the line between ally and enemy is as thin as a blade.

"Equal parts coming of age story and otherworldly horror, Gulf probes the depths of loneliness, loss of identity and childhood trauma. It is a true treat for fans of the genre and had me clutched in its razor-clawed hands from the first word to the last.” -C.M. Forest author of Infested

 

Blurb for Gulf

Seventeen-year-old David is fading from his world, like a Polaroid picture in reverse. He longs to feel connected to something bigger.

When his brothers discover the new extension at the rental cottage comes with a locked door, David finds the key first. Expecting to claim a bedroom, he opens a dimensional gateway instead, exploring abandoned versions of his world in different timelines, 1960s muscle cars alternating with crumbling cottages.

Except now the dimensional bridge won’t close, and something hungry claws the door at night. David scours for clues to break the bridge, but each trip to the other side makes him fade more on his. Even if he succeeds, he risks severing his connection to his own world, and dying on the wrong side, forgotten.

 

Blurb for Breach

There are doors that open to other worlds, but it’s no fairytale on the other side.

I thought otherworldly monsters bent on devouring my whole world starting with my family trumped everything. Turns out, I was wrong. My world's only one of thousands facing annihilation from the maneaters that tried to eat me alive. Charlie saved me, rolled into my life on a motorcycle, and rescued me.

Problem is, I’m the Embassy’s property now. They’re the interdimensional agency tasked with stemming the flow of ravenous aliens into our universe, but they seem more interested in studying me. I crashed a gateway in a way they’ve never seen. The Embassy wants to replicate that. I think they want to use me as a war weapon.

If I don’t convince Charlie to help me escape, I’ll be an Embassy science experiment for the rest of my short life, or worse, eternally trapped in the dark hell that fills the spaces between worlds.

Excerpt (from Gulf)

Certain my family is gone, I cross to the five-panel in two strides, twist the key into the lock, and push the door.

It doesn’t open.

Of course it doesn’t, idiot. It’s still hung like a closet door. It opens out, not in.

I pull.

Mirror.

That’s the first thought that strikes me as I take in the exact duplicate of the living room I’m standing in. Same green, crushed velvet sofa bed sagging behind me. Identical chipped melamine cabinets. Same painted windmills on the porcelain tile backsplash—wait.

No me.

No reflection of me. Tentative as Alice in bloody Wonderland, I pull the black skeleton key from its hole and crane my head through the doorway. No dirty breakfast dishes, but when I look over my shoulder, there’s still stacks of egg-yolk spackled tin plates beside our sink. Crumpled under one arm of the hide-a-bed is my plaid blanket, but the one in front of me is empty. Looks dusty.

“What the hell, Everett?” This is creepy.

The ole bugger’s built an exact mirror image of the room next door. Where on earth did he find the twin to that green monster of a couch? There’s even a spring beckoning through the same spot in the back cushion.

Got an eye for detail, hasn’t he?

Same woodstove too, only this one has a cold, crusty frying pan on it. I can still feel the heat on my back from ours across the wall.

The pine planking creaks under my next step, and I jump and then smile, but I’m pretty sure it ends up as a snarl. An odd feeling consumes me whole, the one I had just before Sam Ren and his gorilla wingmen beat the piss out of me behind the Dairy Queen. A curdled sense of approaching doom slithers through my lungs.

Get out.

Primal instinct presses me back a step toward the door, but I hold fast there, like a dumbass, like I waited while Sam Ren eased toward me in the Dairy Queen parking lot.

Shaking out my hands and hissing through my teeth, I scan the room trying to identify what’s wrong, because something is. Something is very wrong, and it’s not just the duplicate room, or the draft emanating from here at night. It takes a few seconds to pin it down. The out-of-place thing. My throat spasms when I see it. I swallow and shift to the balls of my feet.

“Window,” I whisper.

About the Author

At a young age, Shelly Campbell wanted to be an air show pilot or a pirate, possibly a dragon and definitely a writer and artist. She’s piloted a Cessna 172 through spins and stalls, and sailed up the east coast on a tall ship barque—mostly without projectile vomiting. In the end, Shelly found writing and drawing dragons to be so much easier on the stomach. Shelly writes speculative fiction ranging from grimdark fantasy, to sci-fi and horror. She’d love to hear from you.

http://www.shellycampbellauthorandart.com

https://twitter.com/ShellyCFineArt

https://www.instagram.com/shellycampbellfineart

https://www.facebook.com/shellycampbellauthorandart

https://www.tiktok.com/@shellycampbellauthor

The author will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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Join us for Charity Saturday, 28 July 2024 #CharitySundaySignup #Altruism #Marketing

Image by Evgeni Tcherkasski from Pixabay

Since 2017, I’ve been devoting the last Sunday in each month to a post which features some worthy cause. Often, other bloggers join me in this effort, turning the event into a blog hop. This month’s Charity Sunday blog hop will take place this coming Sunday, the 28^th of July.

Charity Sunday is a meme designed to give authors and bloggers a chance to give back to the world, as well as to attract new readers.

How does it work? Each participant selects a favorite charity. Before the date, you should prepare a blog post that: 1) talks about the charity and why you support it; 2) provides a link to the charity; 3) includes an excerpt from one of your books; 4) includes the code to show links to other participating blogs.

It’s fun if you can make the excerpt relate somehow to your chosen charity, but this isn’t required.

For every comment left on your post, you commit to giving some amount to the relevant charity. The specific charity and the amount to donate are up to you. You can set an upper limit to your donation if you want.

If you’d like to participate in the next Charity Sunday on July 28th, sign up using the Linky List below. Please be sure that the link you enter will lead directly to your Charity Sunday post, not just to the home page of your blog.

You can get the 2024 Charity Sunday banner here:

https://www.lisabetsarai.com/2024CharitySundayBanner.jpg

For an example post, check out this link from my last Charity Sunday:

https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2024/06/charity-sunday-fighting-for-right-to.html

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Snatched from the clutches of the Angel of Death - The Physician by Magdalene Dietchka (@PublishConquest @MDietchka)

Blurb

Jake Perlman’s fate changed forever as a child when a dam broke on the way to school, washing his bus over a bridge. Before the Angel of Death could claim him, a Shepherd named Omiel stole Jake from his fate. Now as a Stolen in his adulthood, Jake uses his powers under Omiel’s guidance to assemble his coterie, a group of Stolen with abilities like his.

Yael Taube learned in her youth she would become a Companion, the soulmate to a Stolen. After an unfortunate event finds Yael in the presence of her Stolen, Jake, things take motion.

Jake and Yael learn of their fates and see hope for their future. However, pulling the coterie together is anything but easy. Between their shared trauma, doubt in their fate, and evil beings called Sirens trying to harm them, the coterie’s future is anything but certain. Despite the Shepherds’ direction, there are dangers ahead. If the Stolen and their Companions come together too soon, it could lead to their undoing, but the world and the coterie are counting on their success.

If you enjoyed reads such as The Irin Chronicles by Elizabeth Hunter and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick; you won't be able to put this one down.

Buy Links

Ingram: https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?D1otvfjPsz0UGe2bHUFCillMXyYbmZphlUzUdkj6R8A

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Physician-Book-One-Stolen-Ones/dp/1962739015/

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Physician-Book-One-Stolen-Ones/dp/1962739015/

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/4jM2ak

Excerpt

The landscape was littered with nature’s destruction. Last night’s storm matched Jacob Perlman’s dark mood. He hated his rural middle school and his freshman year sucked. Jake stared out of one of the closed bus windows at the downed limbs and flooded lawns. He was so sick of assholes destined to peak in high school and go nowhere in life. Getting shoved into another locker because he aced a test everyone else failed got old. Yeah, they called him a nerd, but his ambition forced him to be the best at everything he did. He had to be. Being the son of two leading pharmaceutical researchers already placed pressure on him to achieve academic excellence. Jake would graduate in three years and could not wait to spend the new millennium away from here.

The bus driver slowly wound his way down the road, cursing the school not so quietly for not closing due to the flooding and debris clogging the roads. Jake agreed with the old man. He didn’t want to look at his schoolmates, the day had been rough enough already. Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw Shepherds near each student, which concerned him. The Shepherds were humanoid, almost translucent, and glowed with a golden hue. They bore two wings on their back, and their hair flowed like fire. The creatures rarely stayed near their charges for long. He had always been able to see them and talk with them whenever he wanted, but no one else could. The Shepherds had told him they lived between the worlds of the living and the dead.

When Jake was a child, his parents thought the Shepherds were just imaginary friends. By the time Jake turned ten, he realized adults became uncomfortable when he spoke to the Shepherds or talked about them. His parents told him he was too old for imaginary friends and took him to child psychologists. Jake quickly learned to shut up and limit his interactions with Omiel, his Shepherd. Omiel was a constant presence in his life and taught him to cope with his ability to see into the Veil between worlds. Over time, Jake learned to block out the Shepherds as just another part of the terrain, but if he focused, he witnessed them appearing and briefly following their charges.

Today, every student on the bus had a Shepherd near them, another reason he stared out the window. Normally, he might see two or three. Omiel floated particularly close to him today. Jake’s friendship with his Shepherd had become strained as of late, and he avoided speaking with the creature.

When the time comes, grasp my hand,” Omiel whispered to him, which alarmed Jake.

He scanned the bus, but as usual no one else heard a thing. The language used by the Shepherds wasn’t English or Hebrew. He knew both, albeit his Hebrew was rudimentary at best, as he had only learned what he needed for his bar mitzvah. Yet, he could understand the beings when they spoke. He wanted to respond, but hell, that would paint a bigger target on his back.

Just as the bus driver crossed the bridge taking them over the river, Jake saw a wall of water and storm debris rushing toward them.

Watch out!” he yelled at the driver.

Instead of gunning it, the bus driver panicked and hit the brakes. The water slammed into the bus, shoving them to the opposite side of the bridge. They crashed against the guardrails, breaking them like toothpicks. The bus plunged over the edge into the water with a crash, tossing students in all directions. The middle schoolers cried in fear as the bus bobbed upright in the water. The driver was slumped over the wheel unconscious. A tree the floodwaters had ripped up torpedoed through the glass door of the bus. Water roared inside, and everyone’s screaming and panicking hurt Jake’s ears.

He scrambled to the emergency exit window, but the bus spun around in the torrent, slamming into large debris and the underwater riverbanks, tossing him into the seat. Jake was finally able to reach the window and tried to get it open. One girl, Deanna, recovered her wits and helped him yank on it. Deanna was a serious girl who normally left him alone. Jake didn’t know if it was a good idea or a bad idea to open the exit; all he knew was staying inside the bus was a death sentence. The Shepherds stayed with their charges, but again, no one could see them. He wanted to yell at them to do something, but he didn’t have time. The bus was sinking quickly.

About the Author

Magdalene Dietchka was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania to a large, loving, and crazy family. She is an avid reader, storyteller, and gamer with a deep passion for Dungeons and Dragons. Always proud of her Eastern European heritage, Magdalene studied international relations with a specialization in Eastern European studies. After living in Moscow for a summer in the late nineties, the following year Magdalene met her husband online, and it was love at first sight.

Magdalene Dietchka now spends her days in West Virginia with her husband and two dogs.

Instagram: https://instagram.com/mdietchka/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Magdalene-Dietchka/61550730204957/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MDietchka

Release blitz organised by Writer Marketing Services.

 

Things are not always as they appear – #Farce #MagicalRealism #Giveaway

Blurb

Three nephews and three eccentric uncles.

It’s 2050 and Robbie Elders has all but forgotten about his oddball, religious fanatic uncle, tim tim. He’s taken up the latest fad, genealogical research based solely on DNA. But Robbie’s “inconclusive” DNA results are unsettling. He crashes back to his childhood, back to his world of comic books and tim tim.

“I opt for posh and London” declares Lady Florence Stour. It’s 2019 and time for a Royal Wedding. Robbie’s uncle, Stef, is engaged to Lady Florence, a distant member of the British royal family. Stef’s Baltimore clan have been invited, but Robbie’s mom and dad can’t attend. They’ve entrusted Robbie and big brother, Doyle, to their mom’s two eccentric brothers, uncles Roy and Roland. Roy, a weathered waterman with a severe Baltimore accent, lives for Maryland blue crabs. Roland, a mildly hypochondriacal actor, lives to survive the Karens he unavoidably encounters. And then there’s Desales, Roy’s smart aleck, teenage son. He lives to prank. They’ve descended upon London. What could possibly go wrong?

Meanwhile, tim tim has been coaching Robbie on “the mission.” A silly religious fantasy according to Robbie’s atheist parents and the therapists. Or perhaps not? Things are not always as they appear in The Big Comb Over.

Excerpt

“Thanks, bud! So, how has your travel thing worked out? You had said you were doing, like, covered bridge destinations?”

“Well, yes. I started with that because, you know, a lot of people really connect with covered bridges. There’s a peacefulness. A return to simpler times and virtues. A lot of people like that.”

“Sounds nice.”

“But I’m not the only agent with that idea. There are actually a lot of travel consultants doing covered bridges. Old railroad lines are also big these days. Anyway, I upped the ante. I’m now working in acoustic sound barriers.”

Chris saw Roland’s puzzled look.

“Okay. So, it’s interesting. You know you drive along the Beltway or other highways and see they’ve put up all those sound barrier walls, right? That way it’s not so noisy for the people in their houses. The walls are all prefabricated and look about the same. But I noticed, every now and then, they stick a door in one. I always wondered why. I learned that it’s so that the highway people can get access for maintenance or to get to fire hydrants or what have you.”

“Yes?”

“So, I had been curious about that and thought, ‘You know, if I’m curious about that, other people will be too.’”

“Okay.”

“So, I surveilled various sound walls throughout the state—mostly around Baltimore—and made a list of the most interesting ones with doors. Some of them have been around like twenty years, so they have, like, a highway patina. A lot of them have plants and vines growing around them, randomly, but sometimes in very beautiful ways. So I reached out to some of the folks whose homes are affected to get a tour, as it were. The coolest thing is the ‘before and after.’ You know, you listen first with the door open. At peak times the noise is unbelievable. But once you close that door, there is an immediate calm. Much more peaceful. Very Zen. And like I said, the naturally occurring flora and fauna are quite amazing. Besides the plants, there were things like rodents and birds nesting near the doors. Some right on the walls above the doors. You could tell because of all the droppings.”

Roland blinked twice.

About the Author

J. Paul (J.P.) Rieger is a born and bred Baltimorean and mostly retired Maryland attorney. As such, he’s well acquainted with the quirkiness and charm of Baltimore’s unique citizens. He’s author of Clonk!, a police farce set in Baltimore and published in 2023 by Apprentice House Press (Loyola University-Baltimore). He’s also author of The Case Files of Roderick Misely, Consultant, a mystery novel featuring a wannabe lawyer anti-hero. The Big Comb Over, a slipstream comedy of manners featuring three nephews and their three eccentric uncles, is Paul’s third novel. Paul is married and lives in Towson, Maryland.

Website: http://www.jpaulrieger.net

Buy Links https://www.amazon.com/Big-Comb-Over-J-P-Rieger-ebook/dp/B0D2NKKTL7

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-big-comb-over-j-p-rieger/1145045293?ean=9798989564101

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon/BN gift card - a Rafflecopter giveaway.

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Whatever am I going to do with you two? #Menage #BDSM #Adventure #France #MFRWHooks

Welcome to this week’s MFRW Book Hooks blog hop!

Today I’m featuring one of my only books that is not self-published, The Ingredients of Bliss. I haven’t reclaimed the rights to this novel because the contract has some complications. But I realized I should be doing more to promote it.

Like many of my novels, this one difficult to pigeonhole. Let me just say that if you like BDSM erotic romance – or cross-cultural romance – or ménage/reverse harem – or travel – or cooking – or adventure stories – you may well enjoy this steamy and unpredictable tale!

Blurb

One sexy French chef. One kinky American TV producer. One ambitious Chinese gal who thinks she wants them both. The ingredients of bliss? Or a recipe for disaster?

Accomplished cook Mei Lee ‘Emily’ Wong knows exactly what she wants—her own show on the Tastes of France food channel. But life is full of complications. First, her deceptively nerdy producer, Harry Sanborne, initiates Emily into the delights of submission. Then her boss, legendary chef Etienne Duvalier, begs her to dominate him. Emily just can’t resist—especially when Harry orders her to explore her inner mistress. Suave and sexy Etienne will do whatever she asks—in the bedroom if not in the kitchen. And Harry, her lovingly diabolical Dom, adores pushing Emily’s limits.

When the network sends the trio to France to shoot a series of cooking shows on location, Emily knows her career is on the upswing. Her plans fall apart in Marseille as a Hong Kong drug syndicate kidnaps both Etienne and Harry. The Iron Hammer Triad mistakes Etienne for notorious gangster Jean Le Requin, who has stolen their drug shipment, worth millions. Emily realizes she must find the real Le Requin, retrieve the purloined dope, and bargain it for Harry’s and Etienne’s lives. The secret she’s been keeping from Harry might prove useful. Still, what chance does one woman whose knife skills are limited to chopping vegetables, have against the ruthless cruelty of two criminal organizations?

The Hook

Emily, Etienne and Harry are in Marseille, on their way to visit the infamous Château D’If prison

By Jan Drewes (www.jandrewes.de) - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, Link

“You’ve read Dumas, haven’t you?”

Etienne’s voice shattered into my daydream, dispelling the lurid images but not my arousal. My thighs were wet as the sea surrounding our craft.

“Ah—what? I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“The Count of Monte Christo? Have you read it?”

“Um, actually, I haven’t.” Hong Kong’s British-influenced educational system did not tend to focus much on French literature. “But I know that the hero was imprisoned in the Château D’If. I did see the movie.”

“Read the book. The film—I assume you mean the 2002 version—glosses over too many details.” Etienne’s smug superiority brought out my inner Domme. I hadn’t really punished him in days. Perhaps this evening I’d borrow Harry’s belt.

I was about to call him out on his arrogant tone when I noticed his expression. I would not be exaggerating too much if I called it worshipful.

“You’re shivering, Mei Lee.” His sparkling eyes reflected the deep blue of the waves. “Here, take my jacket.”

Before I could protest, he’d removed the garment and settled it around my shoulders. He gave them a quick squeeze that warmed me at least as much as the extra layer.

“It’s this silly dress—it’s made out of tissue paper.” I snuggled into the jacket, which held a trace of his heat and his scent.

“I like the dress.” He flashed me a brilliant smile, turning on his celebrated charm. “It’s romantic, like something out of a 1940’s musical.”

My desire to thrash his butt morphed into a need to feel those full lips on my own.

“What’s romantic? The dungeons of the Château?” Harry joined us by the railing before I gave in to temptation. As he brushed past to stand on the opposite side from Etienne, he gave my ass a surreptitious pinch through the thin fabric of my costume.

I sucked in my breath at the sudden sting then relaxed as new warmth flooded through me.

“Mei Lee’s dress. Don’t you think she looks beautiful?”

“She always looks beautiful, whatever she wears. Most especially when she’s not wearing anything at all.”

“Harry!” I scolded, as a blush climbed into my cheeks. “Someone in the crew might hear you.”

“So what? I’m not ashamed of loving you. I’m sure Etienne feels the same way.”

“Please! If the network finds out—I don’t want to lose this job…”

“You’re still more concerned about your career than about me, Emily?”

A quick glance at Harry’s face told me he wasn’t teasing. “No, of course not…”

“Then why don’t you just relax?”

“But the media—Etienne’s fans—if the word got out about what we’re doing…”

“If word got out, our ratings would likely sky rocket,” Etienne commented, arching an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, though. Our lips are sealed.”

“In all the right places.”

“Harry! You’re impossible.” Despite my embarrassment, though, I couldn’t help laughing. How could I be angry when they both so obviously cared about me?

I looked from one of my lovers to the other, shaking my head. “Whatever am I going to do with you two?”

Over my head, their eyes met.

Buy Links

• First for Romance

• Totally Bound

• Amazon US

• Amazon CA

• Amazon UK

• Kobo

• Add on Goodreads

I hope you’ll take the time to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks.

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I really want to kiss you – #ContemporaryRomance #OfficeRomance #Giveaway @AnnTrader5

Blurb

A bright and talented environmental engineer, Goldie Vreeland understands facts and figures, but Max Corda, her secret office obsession, remains a puzzle. On the eve of a business trip to a coastal island, fate intervenes, pairing her with her sexy crush. As she thinks about sharing the same space with Max for a week, her world veers dangerously off course.

Fueled by success as engineer and president of his family’s firm, recently divorced Max needs to jumpstart his life. When his father unexpectedly assigns him to Goldie’s project, his closely guarded attraction to her comes front and center. Thoughts of spending a week alone with this beautiful intelligent woman make his internal compass glitch.

Romance stirs with the island breeze, so simple when they’re hundreds of miles away from normal. But as Goldie and Max return to reality, will they discover real love is more than a game?

Excerpt

“Those lips,” I said, the words slipping off my tongue.

“Excuse me?”

His question broke my trance. “Oh, Lord. I’m sorry I—”

“Wait. You feel it, too, don’t you?”

I hesitated then nodded.

Max leaned toward me. “You know, I’ve been trying to get a read on you tonight, but I’m pretty rusty at all this.”

“Let’s get one thing straight, Max. There’s nothing about you that’s rusty.”

A smile quirked at the corner of his mouth. “The word means nothing to you because you’re young and beautiful.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. “You really think a lot about this age thing, don’t you?”

He sighed. “I’m thirty-one, Goldie.”

“Well, lucky for you my ceiling’s a good thirty-three.”

He bit back a smile, his eyes growing softer, warmer. “I like you, Goldie.”

“I like you, too, Max.”

“I really want to kiss you.”

“So, what’s stopping you?”

“The very real possibility I won’t be able to stop,” he said with a reverent tone.

About the Author

I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring recipes on the lighter side of southern comfort foods. I’m a member of Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, and I love relaxing on my back porch to read and write. These days I take walks around my neighborhood, but when I was sixteen, I hiked the Grand Canyon with a group of friends. I love watching television dramas (in no special order): Palm Royale, The Buccaneers, The Bear, Mary and George, Emily in Paris, Outlander, Shrinking, Shogun, Bridgerton, Outer Banks, Stranger Things, The Crown, and Peaky Blinders and reading a great romance book.

Website: http://www.annmtrader.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/annmtrader

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/ann-m-trader

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

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21925238.Ann_M_Trader

Twitter: https://twitter.com/anntrader5

Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Dare-Wonder-Wildflowers-Book-ebook/dp/B0D3JG5KQ8/ref=sr_1_1

Ann M. Trader will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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BDSM Erotic Romance in a post-Fifty Shades world – #NewRelease #BDSM #TabooEroticRomance

By Pebbles Lacasse (Guest Blogger)

The Fifty Shades series has liberated people from the taboo associated with kink and BDSM. In my opinion, the story itself didn't do much justice for Dominants. Not all Dom/Domes or Sadists have a history of abuse. In fact, most Doms and subs grew up in loving households. The movie portrayed Doms/Sadists in a bad light, and I wish more people understood that misconception.

Erotic romance authors writing in the BDSM genre don't see as many raised eyebrows and judgmental glares as we used to. We were often put in a corner, so to speak. Some platforms remain behind the times by forbidding our books from being seen even by those searching for them. Not only is it frustrating for the readers, but hidden books can't be purchased. Unfortunately, I've read some amazing authors who no longer write BDSM because they can't afford to.

Whether living the Dom/sub lifestyle 24/7 or dabbling for the first time, as long as the play is safe, sane and consensual, you aren't doing anything wrong. As for me, I will continue to write romantic erotica with either suspense, small-town drama, or another subgenre, but you can rest assured that writing BDSM will always tickle me just right.

Blurb

He's too good to be true, but taboo usually is.

When Oryana’s world imploded, she never thought she would smile again, but befriending Flora made her days okay, and seeing Flora's brother Devon, filled her nights with illicit dreams.

She promised Devon would lways be off-limits, but when he dangles himself before her, Oryana cannot deny her lustful desires.

Just one night... What could it hurt?

Oryana is about to discover that some vows are not meant to be broken, but shattering them completely can be most satisfying indeed.

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Excerpt

His hand cups my cheek. “I’ll do my best to give you what you desire. I need you to promise to do everything I tell you to do. It’s okay to stop and ask questions if you’re unsure, but you must do what I ask. Keep in mind, I’ll never harm you nor make you do anything you don’t want.”

He seems genuine. How bad can this be? If he hurts me, I can ruin his relationship with his sister. I never would, of course. Besides, if I told her anything about this, she’d hate me forever. He’s family, and families stick together. She’d likely cast me aside and never look back. Best friends don’t stab each other in the back. Yet… that’s exactly what I’ve done, and I’m about to do it again.

“I can’t promise to do everything you ask.” My head shakes, and I stutter. “W-what if you tell me to, um, r-run naked through a crowded parking lot? Do you expect me to just do it? Because I definitely won’t humiliate myself for your benefit.”

Seeing the humor in my example, Devon chuckles. “I’d never ask you to do that because I know it’s not something you’d enjoy.”

“You’re damn right! Public nudity isn’t my idea of a fun time.” I didn’t mean for that to be funny, but he laughs nonetheless.

His knuckles glide tenderly down my cheek. The kindness in his eyes softens me. If he continues to look at me with that much affection, I very well could fall in love with him. A broken heart is not desired; knowledge and experience are the goal.

Growing up, he was so cold and distant. I thought he was an asshole. The way he’s looking at me now, it’s crystal clear that I couldn’t have been more wrong. How can eyes be so dark and mysterious one moment but so quick to switch to reveal the patience of a compassionate man?

“Let’s eat while we talk. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry,” he says before he presses a warm kiss to my forehead.

“I’m famished.” My butt slips off the stool so he can drag it back to the island.

He lifts the lid off the pot to give it a quick stir before he scoops some into bowls and sets them on the island. He frowns at the bread being slightly burnt around its edges as he piles the pieces onto a plain white plate. I’m impressed that he’s not trying to wine and dine me with elegant dinnerware.

Devon brings salt, pepper, and grated cheese to the table before he refills our wine glasses and sets the bottle on the table.

I have yet to look away from him as he sits, spoon in hand. His glance meets my stare.

He smiles and says, “How about this: You ask me what you’d like to know, and I’ll do my best to answer.”

“If I don’t know about this stuff, how can I ask questions about it?”

“Touché,” he replies and licks his lips as his spoon swirls his chili.

About the Author

Pebbles Lacasse is an Amazon top-selling romantic erotica author of plot-driven contemporary suspense.

She loves to make readers’ hearts throb and entertain their minds while leaving their bodies tingling with desire. She leans toward spinning tales of bad boys with big hearts desiring women who didn’t know they had a kinky side.

She’s known for stories of women with hardened shells and dominant natures but who hold a secret yearning to be loved.

Her books and short stories often take her readers into the BDSM lifestyle while revolving around real-life issues.

Her captivating stories of romance, love, and tender moments keep her readers coming back for the next hottest story, knowing there will always be a happy-ever-after or happy-for-now ending because we all want life to work out in the end.

To experience more of what Pebbles has to offer, please be sure to join her Newsletter and follow her on the Social Media Platforms below. Or if you would like to help by becoming an ARC Reader or Influencer, consider becoming one of her Playmates.

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