Biblical Proportions by Natashia Brewer

Tags

author giveaways, Book tours, fiction, Goddess Fish Promotions, new releases

A little About Me – Natashia Brewer

I would like to take this time to introduce myself.  My name is Natashia Brewer and I am a wife, mother, business owner, songwriter, music producer, author, speaker, etc.  Wow, that is a lot.  I know, I know.  Being all these things takes a ton of prayer, patience, and strategy.  I am not going to bore you today with all the things I do to get done what I get done.  I want to take this moment in time to introduce you to my latest project, my second published book, Biblical Proportions and how it relates to my life.

Biblical Proportions is a story about two twin brothers who are in the fight of their lives.  They have found themselves in situations that they have no clue on how to get out of it.  It wasn’t until they really turned their lives over to God that they saw a shift in things.  How many of you have been in this type of situation where you don’t know what to do or where to turn?  I know firsthand because I have been through various situations that have made me question my very existence.  I lost my mom while I was pregnant with my first child.  I was shot as a teen.  I have been in so many trying situations in my life.  Throughout my life I have always believed in God, but I didn’t have a relationship with him.

In January 2017, I found myself separated from my husband (whom I’ve been with for over 23 years) and jobless for the first time in my adult life (been working for that company for 20 years).  I didn’t know what I was going to do; however, I knew that failure was not an option.  I began to listen to various inspirational videos, then added listening to various church sermons.  I recognized that something was happening within me as time went on. I knew that there were things from my past that I needed to deal with and I couldn’t get through it without the Lord.  I also began to recognize the more that I changed my mind, the more my life began to change and began to see there was light on the other side of the storm.  I prayed and surrender to the process and the will of the Lord for my life.  I recognize now that if I had not gone through the storm and found God, found who I was as a woman, found what I was called to do, I would not be who I am today.  I would not have written two books.  I wouldn’t have spoken on various platforms.  I wouldn’t have written the songs I have written.  I wouldn’t have grown.  I wouldn’t have had the confidence to submit my work to a charity and become a contributing songwriter.  If I wouldn’t have walked through the storms, crawled on some days with tears streaming down my face, I would still be stuck.

This is exactly what happens with the twins Edward and James in Biblical Proportions.  They where in the worst place of their lives and they did what was necessary to get through the storm and find their purpose on earth.  The message of the book Biblical Proportions is to inspire people through their own personal storms.  Prayerfully, the readers are open to receive the message which is storms in our lives are not meant to harm us.  The storms of life are meant to birth something out of us and push us into purpose.  Yes, it is painful.  Yes, you may lose people who were close to you.  Yes, you may be uncomfortable and feel out of sorts.  Yes, you may feel lonely.  I am a living witness that in the end it was all worth it.

Biblical Proportions is now available for purchase, visit – bit.ly/purchasebp today.  If you want to learn more about me, here are all the ways that you can stay connected:  social media, @itstashiab (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Periscope, YouTube); websites, www.itstashiab.com or www.resonationentertainment.com.

On final thought/statement, I believe that if you change your mind, you can change your life. If you are ready to do something different and change your life, join the Renew Your Mind Challenge Facebook group.  Thank you.  Peace and blessings.

GENRE:   Fiction

BLURB:

 Edward and James Shaw are twins who are successful executives at Rock Star Records.  The company that was started and operated by their father, Irvin, who is a well-known hip hop artist.  Edward has a great love for music and is focused on ensuring the success of the business, just like his dad.  James on the other hand has a great love for women and power.
Unfortunately, they were blindsided by the challenges of life which were of biblical proportions.  Edward found himself in the struggle of his life to save his marriage and his career after there had been some horrible choices made, while James found himself fighting for his freedom.

The only way for them to find their way through the drama, infidelity, damaged trust, addiction, meaningless sex, and betrayal was to build a solid relationship with God.  When Edward and James hit rock bottom mentally and emotionally, they found out who they were and what the Lord called them to do.  They both began to walk into their purpose realizing that although the storms came one after another, after another and almost took them out; they survived through the grace of God…

Take this journey with Edward and James and the rest of the Shaw family as they endure the many trials and tribulations of this life.

Excerpt:

Cynthia could not resist that man of hers.  So, she grabbed his hands and stood in front of him.  He pulled her close, embraced her, and placed his forehead upon hers.  He began to pray over him and his wife.

“Dear Lord, hear my pleas.  I lift my heart to you today.  I ask that you give Cynthia and me strength to make the right decisions.  I ask that you show me how to love her through the pain that I have inflicted upon her.  I ask that you open her heart to receive and forgive.  I ask that you heal the deep wounds that have been created because of poor choices.  I decree and declare that our marriage will be made whole again.  I ask these things in Jesus name.  Amen!”  Edward prayed.

Cynthia was full of emotions as Edward gently lifted her face and kissed her quivering lips.  The peck quickly turned into something that neither of them thought it would be.

Life Lesson Two:  Ignoring an issue will not make it disappear.  You must become grounded in the word so that you will have the strength to endure the storm.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Natashia Brewer is the established Resonation Entertainment Group in 2014.  Since the launch of her company, she has released many motivating and inspiring musical and literary projects, like:  The Infinite Love EP; Love Song the book; and Biblical Proportions.  When she isn’t creating music for upcoming projects, writing books, conducting interviews, or writing blog post, Natashia is a contributing songwriter for the charity Songs of Love, creating personalized songs for sick children.

In addition to being a published author, songwriter, and music producer, Natashia is a speaker who’s objective is to use her life’s testimony to uplift and inspire others.  Letting people know that they can change their lives if they change their minds.

Natashia is currently married with two children, she resides in Maryland.

Website:  www.itstashiab.com

Twitter:  @itstashiab

Instagram:  @itstashiab

Facebook:  @itstashiab

Blog:  www.thatthingcalledlife.com

Company Website:  www.resonationentertainment.com

Buy Links:

Love Song – http://www.lulu.com/shop/natashia-brewer/love-song/paperback/product-23184363.html

Biblical Proportions – http://www.lulu.com/shop/natashia-brewer/biblical-proportions/paperback/product-23552977.html

Pink Monsters – http://www.lulu.com/shop/natashia-brewer-and-nakaiya-rogers/pink-monsters/paperback/product-23166723.html

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Natashia Brewer will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.  a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Crimson Dawn by Georgiana Fields

Tags

new releases, paranormal romance, paranormal romantic suspense

A taste of Crimson Dawn!

Georgiana Fields takes the legends of the Vampire and gives them her own interpretations. Her characters add depth to the irresistible creatures of lore. For instance, the Dhampire are  not dead or undead, and they aren’t created by biting.

“Jenny’s my mate.”

“You shitting me?” Quaid pushed his fingers through his hair. “Are you certain?”

Was he certain? Hell, yes, he was certain. Royce had never been more positive about anything in his life. “I’m sure. I’ve known since she was a kid.” He remembered the very time and day he realized the pigtailed brat was his true mate, fourteen years ago, at three forty-five in the afternoon. He knew the time because  the grandfather clock in his study chimed on the quarter hour. The clock began to chime just as Jenny burst through the door at the same time whats-her-name was easing his aching hard-on.

“Was that after Jenny walked in on you and Cherry?” Quaid raised a skeptical eyebrow. “I’ve heard Ruth’s version of the incident.”

That was her name, Cherry. He’d forgotten. But considering how many secretaries he’d had over the years, he never bothered to remember their names. He’d admit it. He’d been a man-whore. Royce didn’t need anyone, especially Quaid, to point out that fault.

Royce filled his lungs with the crisp night air. “When Babushka, Ruth, and Jenny arrived at Wyvern House I’d been engrossed in the Clermont case. I hadn’t even had time to welcome Babushka home.” He stared out across the grounds, concentrating on the swirling windblown snow. His soul was just as bleak and cold. “At the time I don’t know what had come over me. I suddenly had a perpetual erection. Now I know I was sensing my mate. At the time I didn’t know it was Jenny. I hadn’t seen her. Shite.” He balled his hands into fists, digging his nails into his palms.

“Perpetual erection,” Quaid teased, tilting his head to the side.

“Well, you know what they say, if it lasts longer than four hours. Four hours, bloody hell, try four days.”

“Let me guess, the second Jenny interrupted you became flaccid.” Quaid chortled. “And it hasn’t risen to the occasion since?”

If you don’t read this book, you won’t know the answer to the implied question at the end of this excerpt!

Blurb: Book 4 of the Crimson Series. Dhampir, shape-shifters, romance and sexy love scenes. Action adventure featuring a war threatening to rip the Dhampir apart.

How can Jenny, the granddaughter of her mate’s enemy, ever find happiness as his mate?  Royce will someday rule his people. How can he find happiness with Jenny, whose family has committed unforgivable atrocities against his?

As usual, Georgiana Fields has set up a conflict that would take a miracle to solve.

For books 1-3, go grab each one or all three for a bargain!

https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-4-Book/dp/B0796VRXTY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1516754626&sr=1-2.

https://www.amazon.com/Crimson-4-Book/dp/B0796VRXTY/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1516754626&sr=1-2

Born in coastal North Carolina, Georgiana Fields grew up in a military family near Camp Lejeune. Spending her summers on the Atlantic Coast, she developed a love for the ocean, nature, and coastal ghost stories and legends. As a child, she used to love listening to her aunts tell and retell stories and legends surrounding New Bern, N.C. and other coastal towns.
After marrying her high school sweetheart, she moved to Georgia where she worked for the Red Cross as a medical technologist.
Georgiana currently resides in a suburb north of Atlanta with her husband, two dogs, and two cats.
While she loves nature, horseback riding, and scary movies, she currently spends most of her time writing paranormal romance/suspense.

 

 

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The Forest Witch by Toni V. Sweeney

Tags

Class Act Books, fantasy, new releases, Toni V. Sweeney

THE FOREST WITCH, Book 7 of the Narrative of Riven the Heretic, Part 1 of the Arcanian Chronicles.

In Young Hawks Flying, Valriven kan Ingan, wounded and left for dead by the margrave’s men, is saved by Tamsin, a Ghermian forest witch.  With Hronhild the wolf-shifter, he becomes her companion. When he believes she and Hronhild die in a battle with a wizard’s minions, he returns to his quest of reuniting his brothers to fight Morling of Francovia.

Tamsin didn’t die, however, nor did Hronhild.  Instead, they survived to continue their adventures and achieve what each desired most in life.

Here, then, is the complete story of Tamsin, the Forest Witch…

From Class Act Books.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Forest-Witch-Arcanian-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B07916QNYZ/

The Remains in the Pond by Ann Swann

Tags

author giveaway, new releases, romantic suspense

Ann has graciously agreed to answer a few questions for us:

What is your greatest temptation:
In men: Dark eyes and a sweet smile – a six-pack doesn’t hurt (hey, that describes my hubby)
In food: Chocolate and/or nachos
In clothes: Sweaters and jackets – I have way too many

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Books! I can’t resist buying books.

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? I had a Camaro SS. I want another. Of course I also had a Jeep CJ5 that I loved. Nah, I’ll go with the Camaro. Speed can blow away depression on a sunny day (if you have the right music and it’s loud enough).

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Both! One for winter, one for summer.
What inspired you to become a writer? My childhood. I had to do something to make sense of it.

Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share. I like to write early in the morning before dawn creeps in and brings with it all my daily responsibilities. Darkness, my laptop, and a cup of good coffee, that’s my routine.

What is your favorite book? The Crystal Cave or Night Shift

What is your favorite movie? The Terminator or The Bourne series

Who is your favorite historical figure? Abraham Lincoln

In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? Big John and his dog Turk are the co-heroes of Stutter Creek, my first romantic suspense. However, Woody (the young detective who reappeared later in Copper Lake) and Reece, my main character’s soul mate in THE REMAINS IN THE POND, are both blond surfers so it’s a really hard choice. Oooh, I left out Chet Boone, the critter catcher who caught our protagonist, Ella, in Lilac Lane. He was a real softhearted hunk. The best kind.
Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her? Gabi in THE REMAINS IN THE POND is sort of an anti-heroine. She runs away from her problems until she is forced—literally—to face them (when she is arrested for murder). Beth, the heroine in Stutter Creek, also tried to run from her problems. She was quite the whine-bag until it came down to saving the life of a child. That’s when she finally dug deep enough within herself to locate her previously-unknown store of courage.
What do you have out now? Excerpt, blurb, book trailers. Here’s an excerpt from THE REMAINS IN THE POND

I pulled out of the lot and circled the pond as far as I could go. The gravel road didn’t loop around the entire thing, only about three quarters of the way, and then you were forced to turn around in the only remaining wide spot unless you wanted to get out and have a picnic beneath the single stand of oaks tall enough to give good shade.

Of course I didn’t need any shade now. And I really didn’t want to get out of the car. This seemed too weird. I put the car in reverse and executed a careful turnaround. When my headlights picked out the figure at the edge of the water, I inhaled sharply. It was not what I expected to find.

I rolled down my window. “Rose?” I called. “Is that you?”

A branch cracked, a shadow moved, and panic slid between my ribs like a blade.  The figure turned toward my headlights, definitely female. She wore her long hair lose and flowing. Under the moonlight, I couldn’t be certain if the woman’s hair was red or light brown.

“What are you doing here?” No answer. “Where’s Matt?” I tried to keep my voice steady, to show her I wasn’t afraid. I put the car in PARK and opened my door tentatively, putting one foot on the ground.

She stared into my headlights, one hand shielding her eyes like a sailor looking for land, and then, like a flash, she ran straight at me. Straight toward my little Honda with the window rolled down. Her hair flew out behind her and it was all so surreal that for a moment, I simply sat there, paralyzed. Then she raised her right hand above her head. In her grip, I caught a glimpse of silver.

New releases anytime soon?  I have two YA novels ready for editing. The first one is Book 4 in Stevie-girl and the Phantoms series. The second one is about a girl who paints—and causes a school-wide ruckus because of it.

Where can eager fans find you? Follow me and/or stalk me at the following links. I love chatting with readers.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/annswann.books

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/annswann

Blog: www.annswann.blogspot.com

Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/6vuw7vl

Twitter: @ann_swann

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-swann

Publisher: http://www.5princebooks.com/annswann.html

BLURB:

Senior prom is the happiest night of Gabi’s life. Her crush has just revealed that he is every bit as infatuated with her as she is with him. When he has a car wreck and is transported to the hospital in a coma, Gabi feels as if she’s taken a knife to the heart. But his jealous cousin, Rose, sees her chance to give the knife an even harder twist. She convinces Gabi to meet her at a local parking spot outside town. It’s a night that will change several lives forever. One of the girls will return, and one will become known as the remains in the pond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And Wait for it! Another exciting excerpt!

I pushed my glasses up and took a deep breath. “We were in love. I know that’s what teenagers always think, but in our case, it was true.”

The unsmiling detective simply stared at me and pulled out his little notebook. His burnished head gleamed under the fluorescents.

Why wasn’t he writing in that notebook? He just held it, as if he found nothing I said worth noting.

The room grew cold and I began to shiver. Probably some sort of tactic; turning down the temperature to make me uncomfortable. Just like this little waiting game. Waiting me out to make me talk. I’d seen enough crime TV to recognize these schemes. I took a sip of the Diet Coke he’d brought—to make me feel grateful, I suppose—and immediately regretted it because it made me need to burp.

I let the little bubble of gas explode in my closed mouth and began to talk to cover the sound. “We fell in love at prom. We were both with other people. I went with Asa and he brought Rose.” I sat up straighter in the hard-backed chair and hoped I’d said enough to placate him.

The detective sat chill, one ankle propped on the opposite knee. I got the impression he wanted to be my best friend.

I don’t know why I started talking again. I think it had something to do with the way he looked at me, as if he already knew everything I wanted to tell him, because yes, suddenly I did want to tell him. I’d held onto the truth for too long.

I wanted to tell him everything about that night.

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Remains-Pond-Ann-Swann/dp/1631122037

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ann has been a writer since junior high school, but to pay the bills she’s waited tables,delivered newspapers, cleaned other people’s houses, taught school, and even had a short stint as a secretary in a rock-n-roll radio station. She also worked as a 911 operator and a police dispatcher.

Ann’s stories began to win awards in her college days. Since then she’s published novels, novellas, and short stories. But even if no one ever bought another book, Ann wouldn’t stop writing. For her it’s the cathartic pause in a sometimes-crazy world. Most of the time, it even keeps her sane.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Ann Swann will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dangerous Women: A Lesson from the Serengeti

Tags

Class Act Books, dangerous women, new releases, police drama, suspense, thriller, women in peril

Author Robb T. White is with us today discussing his new release Dangerous Women.

When I put this collection of 11 stories together about women characters, I knew I was facing a dearth of candidates who might fit happily into an Amish quilting bee or prayer circle of nuns telling their rosary beads.  The principle of selection wasn’t just gender but an ability for a woman or girl to hold her own against some pretty cunning or depraved male antagonists.  She must prove herself capable in very dire circumstances to qualify.

Regina “Baby” Frontanetta, in the first story, is a Youngstown boxer-turned-gumshoe whose first case is almost her last.  She must out-think (even out-fight) males that range from her chauvinist pig boss through a violent lowlife (we Midwesterners do love that word) to a wealthy suburban businessman. Baby possesses more than grit and focus; she has integrity, far more than her trainer-brother Gennaro.  The final story, “Huffer Girl,” features a similar type only much younger and less experienced than Baby despite her recent life on the street and an addiction to huffing paint.  Opposed by a determined, professional killer, Natalie doesn’t run when all her instincts scream to do just that if she wants to survive the next twenty-four hours.

The longest story in the collection is “Finding Sandy Biggers.” Sandy is the object of a manhunt—not by police but by a betrayed partner, an amiable psychopath who relentlessly pursues her across the country. Unlike the other women, Sandy doesn’t appear to be the focus until the end when the reader discovers what she’s done with the money since betraying her partners in crime. The indifferent narrator could not care less, of course, because his aim is simple:  Find her, kill her.  The reader is left to contemplate a human being’s capacity to change, even one so desperate as Sandy Biggers.  Not many characters—or people—get that chance in fiction or life, and it’s interesting when it happens.

Now we come to what will surely not please the reader who desires her or his female characters to be interchangeable with two-dimensional males—or worse, super-females. Some readers, I realize, want their women characters to be self-reliant but also self-effacing, smart but not too smart, even-tempered but not docile when challenged by men.  I hope we can fast-forward to the reality of contemporary life and accept the fact, begrudgingly or not, that women can be as vicious and cunning as men, as greedy and wicked, or as able to outfox a man as another man, especially when that intended target has instincts as honed to survival as a Norwegian rat’s.  It was important to me not to provide my dangerous women with soft males, albeit one such male so describes himself after his own undoing in “Diana’s Perfect Patsy.” Men addicted to crime or men whose personalities have been shaped by a predilection for evil should not be taken advantage of too easily.  Even “normal” men, not so criminally inclined, knowing a little power or success in the world shouldn’t be easily duped; nonetheless, a couple of trusting husbands and at least one boyfriend of a pair of unscrupulous twins will come to rue that weakness when their hour comes round at last.

Yes, evil. Why not?  We don’t have a female equivalent to Hannibal Lecter yet but someday we will and she won’t be a cartoony creature of Disney’s like Cruella de Vil but a terrifying equal to that bizarrely wonderful creation of Thomas Harris. In the meantime, I modestly offer a selection here—not a bevy of beauties, although the lap dancer in “My Gypsy Girl from Bluefield” and the trophy wife in “Her Ticket to Heaven” don’t hesitate to use what nature endowed.  These women include ordinary women or girls, wives, girlfriends, students, so ordinary no one would notice them on the street. I acknowledge the inclusion of the stereotypical golddigger as well as a few women depraved enough to take a life (or three) while betraying hubbie or boyfriend on the side. After all, sex isn’t the only game in town.  There’s money—and there’s the sheer pleasure of revenge and getting away with it.  The arrogant narrator of “Blackmail Is My Business” discovers a criminal con job far superior to his own specialty.

For every cop-show viewer who feels a little sorry for the housewife entrapped by a vice cop acting as hit man when she clumsily plots to kill her husband, I humbly present a counterbalance of women who know how to do it right.  These women can lie, cheat, steal, kill, betray and seek revenge for harms inflicted or damages perceived by the males in their lives—or sometimes, not at all, just for the sheer fun of doing it. Men have enjoyed a monopoly too long on violence, and it’s time women come in for their share of the fun—vicariously speaking, of course. After all, every nature program about the Serengeti features lionesses, not lions, on the hunt, providing the food, and protecting the pride from hyenas or other male lions while the alpha male sleeps soundly beneath a bush and wakes up for the food or fornication provided by the females.  My caveat to the reader who yet insists on the traditional stereotypes and might be shocked when good girls commit murder, I refer them to the warning embedded in the subtitle: Stories of Crime, Mystery, and Mayhem.

Author’s Bio:

Under the names Terry White, Robert White, and Robb T. White, Robert White has published dozens of crime, noir, and hardboiled short stories, and three hardboiled private-eye novels.  A lifelong reader of crime fiction, he published his first story in Gary Lovisi’s Hardboiled magazine. Since then, he has published several dozen crime stories, and a collection of mainstream stories in 2013. An ebook crime novel, “Special Collections,” won the New Rivers Electronic Book Competition in 2014.

White was born, raised, and continues to live in Ashtabula, Ohio.

More about Robb at:

http://tomhaftmann.wixsite.com/robbtwhite

https://www.amazon.com/Robert-White/e/B001JP338Q

****

Blurb:

Weaker sex?  Not hardly!

The female is definitely deadlier than the mail.  Short stories about ladies who can hold their own.

Excerpt:

Be careful what you wish for, Regina.

Her mother’s words. Sometimes she could hear her mother’s voice in the house.

The Vindicator piece on Bodycomb’s death was two paragraphs.

He was found floating in Lake Milton, a popular summer resort area for fisherman seventeen miles east of Austintown just off the Interstate 80 overpass. Shot by a small-caliber weapon in the back of the head. The important information was in the second paragraph: Bodycomb, it noted, was running a dog-fighting network among three states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia for a loose-knit West Virginia crime family connected to the Pittsburgh LaRizzo family.

Damn you, Leo.

She was blowing through caution lights, ignoring the honking of cars, as she beelined for the office on Market.

Like a script from a cheap thriller, he was there, wearing the same clothes and unshaven, big jowls dark with stubble, pong of body odor in the overheated single room.

“You promised me full disclosure, total honesty,” she said.

She threw the paper across his desk.

“Here it is in case you missed it.”

Be calm, Regina, she told herself. She wasn’t going to lose her temper and a new job in that order.

“I did and I meant it, Baby,” Leo said.

He glanced at the paper sideways and pushed it back to her. He’d obviously read it.

“You asked me—no, you demanded I call somebody. I did,” he said.

He disgusted her with those wagging jowls and big stomach. She noticed his belt was undone and a patch of curly belly hair exposed.

Probably jerking off in here, the freak.

“I suppose you’ll tell me when the mood strikes.”

“I meant the second case—your next case,” Leo said. “Full disclosure, just like you want.”

Her indignation petered out at the prospect. “So tell me about it,” she said.

Bodycomb was moving in on Donnie Bracca’s territory with his dog-fighting, Leo said.

“He can kill all the dogs he wants in West Virginia,” Leo said. “But Donnie B. controls gambling around here.”

“Donnie Bracca was your real client all the time,” Baby said.

“It’s like this, kid. They don’t blow each other up in cars no more. Gentlemen’s agreements, all nice and polite. But rules have to be followed. Bodycomb went rogue.”

She bit back a retort: You mean, like your own father?

Leo went on, waxing large, a hopeless Mafioso lover, although a real mafia man, a made man, could see Leo couldn’t be trusted. But even the Aryan Brotherhood used outside associates to get things done. Leo could be useful if you couldn’t buy a cop or scare off an investigative reporter snooping in shady politics or business deals.

She didn’t feel bad about Bodycomb’s death. After all, she’d wanted to kill the guy herself.

“Damn it, Leo,” she said. “You should have told me this in the beginning.”Baby moved in the direction Bodycomb’s vehicle had taken. After A couple of hundred yards through meadow grass up to her knees, she stopped and listened. Moving on, she dodged stunted bushes that popped up out of nowhere to snag her clothing. The foliage grew less dense. She found the parallel ruts of the Road Runner’s tracks and kept moving, straining her eyes to see light ahead. If Bodycomb was hiding assets from his soon-to-be ex-wife, he was taking a lot of trouble over it.

After five minutes of faster walking in the grooves, she heard barking coming from the right. She saw the first glimmer of light in the distance. The terrain was sparse but small slopes refracted the light source so it appeared and disappeared with every rise of the ground. A single dog barking became two, then three and finally a pack. Beneath their howls, men’s voices.

When she got close enough to make out words, she lay flat on her belly and put the binoculars on a cluster of men beside a ramshackle barn surrounded by cages of dogs in the beds of trucks beside a squared string of light bulbs a dozen feet from the ground. It looked like a crude boxing ring for backyard brawlers.

Its purpose became clear in the next few minutes. It was a dog-fighting pit.

Buy Link

Dangerous Women will be available in print on the Class Act Books website.

Hide and Seek by Desiree Holt

Tags

author giveaways, erotic romance, Kindle Fire, new releases, romance, romantic suspense, USA Today Best Selling author

Dreaming of a Kindle Fire? Stay tuned.

BLURB:

Anything can happen when you let your guard down . . .

After receiving a violent threat on the heels of her father’s disappearance from the town of Arrowhead Bay, Devon Cole fears for her life—until Vigilance, a local private security agency, steps in to shield her from danger. Although she isn’t usually quick to surrender her freedom, she has no problem stripping her defenses for her new sexy bodyguard . . .

Tortured by the painful memory of lost love, Logan Malik is determined not to fall for a client again. So when he’s tasked with watching over Devon day and night, he’s focused on doing his job. Day is no problem, but as tensions rise at night, nothing can protect them from giving in to unbridled passion . . .

Excerpt:

“And we’re working on the backgrounds of the Cole International execs. Do you have everything there you need?”

Logan had his own personal weapons with him—a Glock 19, a Ruger LCP and his Kabar knife—but on the remote chance of an invasion he wanted to be covered on all fronts.

“More firepower. I’ll text you the list as soon as I hang up. How are you coming with the phone?”

We’ve just gotten started with it. First of all, it’s not an ordinary cell phone. It’s made by a company like the one that makes ours.”

“So it’s ten times as hard to crack.”

“That’s right. We got past the factory restore and there’s data on it, but it also seems to have multiple passwords.”

Logan snorted. “Can you say paranoid? Now I’m sure there’s shit on it we need.”

“I’ve got Del on it. He’s got it hooked up to a bunch of different programs at the same time. If anyone can break it, that would be him.”

“Okay. Keep me in the loop on that.”

“Ginger’s been digging into Graham Cole with an electronic shovel. I want to know everything from the past ten years, personal and corporate. There’s a clue somewhere and I mean for us to find it. I’ll bet we find a lot of unpleasant crap there.

“I hope we find something soon,” he told her. “I don’t think they’re near done with her.”

“And that’s why you’re there, Mr. Marine.”

“Ooh rah.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Desiree Holt is the world’s oldest living published author of erotic and spicy romance. A graduate of the University of Michigan with double majors in English and History, her earlier careers include agent and manager in the music industry, public television, associate vice president of university advancement, public relations, and economic development.

She is three times a finalist for an EPIC E-Book Award (and a winner in 2014), a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, winner of the first 5 Heart Sweetheart of the Year Award at The Romance Studio as well as twice a CAPA Award winner for best BDSM book of the year, a USA Today Bestselling author and winner of the Holt Medallion for Excellence in Romance Literature.

She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast,

USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times, The Huffington Post and numerous other national and international publications. She is also the Authors After Dark 2014 Author of the Year.

“Desiree Holt is the most amazing erotica author of our time and each story is more fulfilling then the last.” (Romance Junkies)

Learn more about her and read her novels here:

http://www.desireeholt.com

http://www.desiremeonly.com

http://www.facebook.com/desireeholtauthor

http://www.faceboook.com/authordesireeholt

Twitter @desireeholt

Pinterest: desiree02holt

Google: https://plus.google.com/113212301982441064210

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desiree-holt-a7272526/

Desiree will be awarding a Kindle Fire 7 with Alexa to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more individual excerpts, fun and chances to win, follow Desiree on tour: https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/08/book-blast-hide-and-seek-by-desiree-holt.html

 

Jane Austen Lied to Me by Jeanette Watts

Tags

author giveaways, humor, humorous novels, independent publishing, Jane Austen, new releases, Regency

Author Jeanette Watts has graciously agreed to submit to our Q&A before sharing her blurb and an excerpt of her latest release.

What is your greatest temptation:

In men: Shoulders. I love strong-looking shoulders. And brunettes. I have only had crushes on three blondes in my entire life: Michael York, Dirk Benedict, and this guy I knew in college.

[OOH, and I am the exact opposite.  I love blonds!] says Linda

In food: Yes. I love food way too much. Donuts, chocolate, strawberries, pasta, mangoes, bread, it’s all a weakness. And my stomach doesn’t have a shut off valve, so if I sit there at a party I will just keep nibbling from the bowl of M&Ms in front of me.

In clothes: Jackets and sailor outfits. I own way, way too many jackets. There’s a cute one at the thrift store, it comes home with me. I get an idea in my head, I have made a winter coat that stops traffic, makes friends, and gets me out of parking tickets. Then my mother-in-law clued into my weakness, and she gets me a new, fun jacket every year for Christmas. As for sailor suits, it’s a summertime thing. I have so many outfits with a nautical theme, I could be my own Japanese anime show. I own a necklace and earrings that are little silver anchors, to go with all my sailor outfits.

And to top it all off, I do own a jacket that has a nautical look to it. Found it at one of those outlet malls. Didn’t need it, but of course when it tied into two fetishes at the same time, there was no way I was leaving without buying it. I even had a hat to match.

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Practical jokes. I will go to insane extremes for a practical joke. I flew to Madison Wisconsin one Christmas for a friend’s caroling party, just so I could casually walk in when I wasn’t expected. When I played Grace O’Malley, the Pirate Queen at the local Renaissance Festival, I played a joke on my “nemesis” the sheriff almost every day. One day I posted Wanted posters with his photo on them and a list of his misdemeanors. Another time I bought him from his wife. The poor guy must have lain awake at night wondering what I was going to do to him next.

My latest practical joke has upped the ante considerably. I convinced eight of my friends to help me construct 4 Swiss Guard uniforms, and one man’s Renaissance doublet and trunk hose and hat. It took about 9 months of sewing, and the men had put together pole arms, and my husband bought these amazing helmets, and we found nun’s costumes for the ladies on Amazon.  When we had everything together, we went to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival and paid a visit to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth (played by a close friend of mine). Four guards marched in, guarding the emissary from the Pope, followed by all the nuns, and delivered a message to Queen Elizabeth from the Pope, telling her to repent and return to the true faith!

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be?

A convertible! I may be a redhead so I required a lot of sunscreen, but I love driving a convertible with the top down. My husband has a Mazda Miata, he lets me drive it sometimes. It’s ironic that my husband ended up with my dream car, but sadly I’m a pragmatic person who always owns a hatchback. You can’t haul Christmas trees and sound equipment and furniture in a convertible. I have put more things in the back of my car…I’m always a little astounded when I buy something that won’t fit.

Your dream home – mountains or ocean?

Both! If you haven’t been to Greece, I highly recommend it.

What inspired you to become a writer?
I’m a natural born storyteller. While I’m told most people hate writing, I love it. I get these characters that come into my head, and they just sort of take me over. The story is secondary to the characters. If you stay true to the characters, the story will tell you where to go. I never get writer’s block, I have trouble keeping up with my brain. It tells stories so much faster than my fingers can type, and then there’s that whole process of revising and revising until it’s “ripe.” I never let anyone read my writing until it’s been through several drafts. So many things change in the first several drafts!

Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share.

I would love a daily writing routine! Maybe when I finish moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, I can get settled into a daily routine. I’ve never had one before. I will go on week long writing retreats, or a weekend, or an extra day tagged onto the end of a trip when I hide in a pretty place with my laptop. But I’ve never had a regular schedule.

What is your favorite book?

Well, I usually say Gone With the Wind, but that’s becoming a hot button issue right now. I’m thoroughly and passionately a Yankee girl, I admire Margaret Mitchell’s writing immensely. She was a very nuanced writer. A lot of people miss the pro-abortion messages buried in the book…

My other favorite books are Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books, Shelby Foote’s series on the Civil War, and anything written by David McCullough.

What is your favorite movie?

Ouch. I have a Master’s Degree in Cinema-Television. There is no such thing as one favorite movie. I love silent movies, I guess my favorite is Douglas Fairbanks’ Mark of Zorro, 1920. My favorite director is Michael Curtiz, my favorite movie of his is Casablanca. My favorite actors are Errol Flynn and Jimmy Stewart, my favorite movies of theirs are The Adventures of Robin Hood (also directed by Michael Curtiz!) and Shop Around the Corner. My favorite living actor might be Hugh Jackman in Australia. My favorite foreign film is Amelie. My favorite science fiction movie is Star Wars.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

For men, Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman. I mentioned I’m a Yankee girl…? These two men had moxy beyond anyone else in their time. Grant was a guy who had failed a few times. He was fallible. He had a drinking problem. And when things got tough, he had no fear of failure. Other Union generals would lose a battle, and turn around and go home. Grant would win a battle, and press forward. He’d lose a battle, he’d march his men into a new position, and do battle again. He wasn’t there to win a battle. He was there to fight a war. He thought on a different scale. Sherman was his best friend, his second half, and he, too, saw the big picture. Sherman is the man who coined the phrase “War is hell.” He didn’t enjoy it, but he understood it. He was the one who understood that a war is fought by a society, not just by the soldiers holding the guns and carrying out the orders. He would have understood World War II, and in contrast, Vietnam.

My favorite women in history are Alva Vanderbilt and Eleanor Roosevelt. Both of them were amazing women. Alva Vanderbilt would have been a hell of an architect, had she chosen to go to architectural school. But she single-handedly changed the way the world saw America with one blowout party. And Eleanor Roosevelt? Do I have to say any more?

In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him?

Hm… my new book Jane Austen Lied to Me doesn’t have a hero, per se. Or it has several. Depends on how you see it. If we count the book as having multiple heroes, I guess my favorites are Professor Jacobson and Lon.

Professor Jacobson is based on one of my friends from Graduate School. He’s a professor now, just qualified for tenure, I believe! The professor in my book is just like him: kind, gentle, has a nice sense of humor, is the sort of person who would be the first to help out in a crisis. The all-around best word for him is lovable.

Lon the Floor Nerd is smart, dependable, generous, and serious. I think he’s still looking for his sense of humor. We get hints at the end of the book that he’s been finding it over the course of the three years that the book takes place.

If you’re asking about my favorite hero from every book I’ve ever written, I’d go with Thomas from Wealth and Privilege.  He’s far more flawed than these other two gentlemen. And the way he loves Regina, I would forgive him any and every fault he’s got.

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her?

The heroine of my new book is Lizzie Barrett. She is the all-American college girl. She’s smart, but can be dumb. Or you could say she’s dumb, but she can be smart. She’s generally a kind person. She’s going through all the teenage angst that is part of the stresses of trying to figure out who you really are. She’s boy crazy, but things never seem to go her way. She’s still very innocent, in a worldly sort of way. College is very complicated. I’ve seen plenty of adults smile indulgently at college students’ stress, but they don’t remember what it’s like to be 18. Somehow I’ve never forgotten.

 

New releases anytime soon?

Yes! Jane Austen Lied to Me is coming out at the end of this month! I’m available through Amazon, CreateSpace, and also through my webpage.

Where can eager fans find you?

My webpage is http://www.JeanetteWatts.com, the Facebook page for the book is https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Austen-Lied-to-Me-342613389485243/

BLURB:

What college girl doesn’t dream of meeting Mr. Darcy? Lizzie was certainly no exception. But when Darcy Fitzwilliam comes into her life, he turns out to be every bit as aggravating as Elizabeth Bennett’s Fitzwilliam Darcy. So what’s a modern girl to do?

Jeanette Watts’ satire pokes loving fun at Jane and all of us who worship the characters who shall forever be our romantic ideals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt:

This afternoon I got further confirmation that I’ve been seeing an awful lot of Michael.  I was wandering back to the apartment, when Lon hailed me from one of the couches inside the lobby doors.

“I have a message for you from your boyfriend,” he said, kind of stiffly.

I looked at him stupidly for a moment.  “My what?”

“Your boyfriend was here.  He said his phone was dead, so he couldn’t call or text you to tell you that he can’t stick around for dinner tonight.  He has a late meeting with a new client and he had to rush back to the office.”

I was still having trouble with the boyfriend thing.  “Wait – do you mean Michael?”

“If that’s the guy you’ve been seeing the last couple of months,” Lon said with a shrug.  “The one you’re always having dinner with.”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I protested.  “He’s an old friend of the family.  We grew up together.”

Lon’s head was back at his computer screen.  “Boyfriend, friend.  The guy who kisses you goodnight all the time after he takes you out for dinner.  He’s not coming tonight.  I’ve delivered my message, that’s all I’ve got.”

Right then Allie walked up.  “Hey, Lizzie!  Waiting for Michael?”

“No, he’s not coming tonight.”  I headed to the elevator with her.

“That’s a shame.  I know how much you enjoy having dinner with him, even if he does aggravate you a lot.”

“Yeah.  It’s kind of a love-hate relationship,” I agreed.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jeanette Watts had been writing historic fiction when the inspiration for Jane Austen Lied to Me hit her on the drive home from the Jane Austen Festival. The idea was simply irresistible, and she put aside other writing projects in order to focus on writing a satire, thinking it would be a “mental vacation.” It turned out to take every bit as much research to write a modern story as it does to write a historical one.

She has written television commercials, marketing newspapers, stage melodramas, four screenplays, three novels, and a textbook on waltzing.  When she isn’t writing, she teaches social ballroom dances, refinishes various parts of her house, and sews historical costumes and dance costumes for her Cancan troupe.

Links:

Webpage

http://www.JeanetteWatts.com

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/jeanette.watts.94

https://www.facebook.com/Jane-Austen-Lied-to-Me-342613389485243/

Twitter

@JeanetteAWatts

AUTHOR GIVEAWAY!

Jeanette Watts will be awarding a doll dressed in Regency clothing, handcrafted by the author (International Giveaway) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more fun excerpts and more chances to win, follow the author on tour:

Bianca Swan Releases 3 New Books!

Tags

Andalusian horses, angels, Bianca Swan, controversial books, demons, erotic romance, fantasy romance, horses, Lot's Cave Publishing, new releases, novellas, taboo reading

Yesterday, Lot’s Cave Publishing released:

Celestial Sin:

(no longer available from The Wild Rose Press or on Amazon)

 

 

 

 

 

Hot Spanish Nights: 

(no longer available from The Wild Rose Press or on Amazon)

 

 

 

 

 

Her Brother’s Wife:  No book video as yet.

Blurb:

From birth, Alain and Alina Alastair are a scientific phenomenon—identical male/female twins—a biological impossibility.  Wishing to avoid notoriety, Lord and Lady Alastair whisk their miracle children to their island home isolated by a two-hour ferry journey from the mainland of England.  It is at Alastair Keep that their destiny unfolds to the constant percussion of a restless sea.

As a young man, Alain craves escape from the seclusion while Alina more willingly follows her heart.  Unaware, they courageously struggle with a genetic proclivity, the Gemini Factor, that will lead them down forbidden paths. The secrets at Alastair Keep will undermine the foundations of their world and threaten their very lives.

The Anointing: Gemini Factor is a dark psychological novel dealing with a controversial subject in a fantasy setting.

Bianca’s Lot’s Cave Author Page: http://www.lotscave.com/ebooks/author/bianca-swan.php – ALL THREE BOOKS AVAILABLE THROUGH LOT’S CAVE PUBLISHING

 

Dark Genius by H. Peter Alesso

Tags

author giveaways, fantasy, general fiction, new releases, virtual book tours

GENRE:  Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

To the insatiably curious—science is the greatest adventure. So, when scientists at CERN announced the discovery of the ‘God’ particle in 2012, all the world wondered, “How did they find it?”

A decade later, despite his past academic failures and egregious family circumstance, Andrew Lawrence embarked on a journey of discovery, competing against rival scientists to be the first to solve the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe—dark matter—and win the ultimate prize; the Nobel.

Emma Franklin, a PhD candidate at Harvard, developed software for detecting particle reactions using a quantum computer. To the amazement and excitement of the scientific community, her work revealed two possible bumps in the energy curve that were not predicted by any established theory.

At MIT, Lawrence created a model that predicted the scattering processes of a dark matter supersymmetry particle. Though his early work was disparaged, he improved his theory and found that it predicted the data Emma had discovered. Their professional collaboration deepened into a personal relationship, but when critical data was stolen, Emma found evidence that incriminated Lawrence. Though she withheld the impeaching material from the authorities, she felt she could no longer trust him.

Despite their troubled partnership, and notwithstanding the complexities of nature, Lawrence and Emma persevered against the egos, jealousy, and envy of rivals, on their exhilarating quest to find the ‘Holy Grail’ of physics

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

I thought all was lost—now I have a second chance.

With a profound sense of relief, Andrew Lawrence slide his tablet into his shoulder holster and walked briskly along the Boston sidewalk. His past academic failures and egregious family circumstances were behind him. He was ready for a fresh start.

Tall, slender, and dark-haired, he listened to the clicking and clacking of shuffling shoes on the pavement as students jostled alongside him. The hint of autumn from the cool morning air brought a frenzy of activity to the sprawling campuses of both MIT and Harvard which nurtured a flourishing rivalry among their ambitious students. He could feel the undercurrent of tension for the start of the fall term.

By the time he crossed Longfellow Bridge, his adrenaline was pumping. He noticed several eight-man sculls already rowing down the Charles River, their school colors plainly visible. Squinting his eyes against the glare, he could make out the MIT and Harvard boats vying for the lead, stroke by stroke.

Striding across the rambling campus, his lips concealed a secret smile as he contemplated a revolutionary solution to a problem he had been daydreaming about. When he swung around a corner, he ran smack-dab into a young woman. Her armload of books, papers, and assorted technology flew into the air and scattered across the walkway.

“Sor . . . sorry.”

“You should be,” the woman said, her face screwed into a tight scowl. “Your head was in the clouds.”

Lawrence opened his mouth, but before he could speak, she pointed down and said, “See what you’ve done?”

She stooped and frantically tried to corral her absconding belongings.

“Let me help,” said Lawrence, grasping some loose papers about to blow away.

Spying her tablet on the grass, she exclaimed, “Oh no! All my work.”

Carefully, she picked up the device and turned it on, tapping her fingers impatiently until the screen lit up. She heaved a sigh and looked Lawrence directly in the eyes. “You’re lucky. Sooo . . . lucky.”

Lawrence mumbled another apology and helped her pick up the last few books.

As she struggled to reorganize her treasures, Lawrence brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes and for the first time cast an appraising glance at the young woman.

She was attractive.

It wasn’t that she was a striking beauty—though her smooth white skin, olive green eyes, and classic profile complemented the hazelnut hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Nor was her carriage especially eye-catching, though she displayed an appealing youthful vitality. No, what seemed most appealing was her confident determined poise, as if she possessed a special hidden talent.

“You really should use a backpack.”

“The lining ripped,” she retorted.

Seeing the logos on her tablet’s screen, Lawrence asked, “Harvard? Math?”

“I can tell by your tone that you’re MIT,” she said, her eyes flashing.

Lawrence grinned, “Physics.” As an afterthought, he asked, “What are you doing on this campus?”

“Well, Mr. Physics, that’s none of your concern.”

Something in the way she said it, caused him to laugh.

They faced each other in a stand-off for a long moment—saying nothing.

Then the young woman heaved a sigh, gathered her possessions to her chest, and brushed past him.

Lawrence watched her figure disappear into the crowd.

Damn. I didn’t get her name.

As he turned to leave, something shiny on the ground caught his eye. It was a flash drive.

Picking it up, he spun around and called, “Wait!”

But she was gone.

He looked at the memory stick, thinking . . .

I’ll have to crack her password, if I’m going to see her again.

 

BUY LINK:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075HVG2Z9

 

About the Author:

As a scientist and author specializing in technology innovation, H. Peter Alesso has over twenty years research experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As Engineering Group Leader at LLNL he led a team of scientists and engineers in innovative applications across a wide range of supercomputers, workstations, and networks. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. and served in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines before completing an M.S. and an advanced Engineering Degree at M.I.T. He has published several software titles and numerous scientific journal and conference articles, and he is the author/co-author of ten books.

Email: h.alessocomcast.net

Website: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/413852.H_Peter_Alesso

Tweets by hpeteralesso

https://www.amazon.com/H.-Peter-Alesso/e/B001HCY45M/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1482982330&sr=1-3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Peter will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win and more intriguing excerpts, follow Peter on tour:

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-blast-dark-genius-by-h-peter-alesso.html

 

Release Day!! Break out the Champagne!! Here’s to Gylded Wings

Tags

99 cent sales, Amazon, angels, author giveaways, blogs, dark fantasy, demons, fallen angels, Lucifer, new releases, rafflecopter giveaways

Today, my 5th The Wild Rose Press novel, Gylded Wings, released on a sale of only 99 cents at Amazon.  I thought I’d tell you a little about the birth of this dark fantasy and share the book video created by author Toni V. Sweeney:

Here is the prologue, which I believe is the best bit of writing I’ve ever done:

My restoration to Grace plunged Heaven and Hell into civil war.  The day the earth stood still, I watched from a rock ledge above a field choked with the great armies.  Sunlight glinted on the golden helms of the Righteous and the silver helmets of the Damned.  Prophecy echoed in the thud of mortal feet and the beat of a thousand wings.  I folded my wings around me.  This slight movement drew an immediate reaction.  As one, the winged combatants turned to stare at me.

Winter wind ruffled the holy raiment draped about my shoulders and blew on me the scent of bitterness.  I could taste their disgust and distrust.  But I would not bow my head, unless or until I was forced to do so.  If I’d possessed a soul, it would have shrunk inside me, but like my celestial brothers, I am soulless.

Let me introduce myself.

I am Ha-Satan, the Adversary, once Heaven’s Prosecuting Attorney.  I have been called the Father of Lies, the Master of Temptation, Lord of Hell.  I am the one you’ve been taught to fear, who hides beneath your bed to steal your soul.  I am the most fearsome and the most beautiful angel.

My existence began as the first light emanating from the Thought.  He said to me on the day of my creation, “I make you closest to me, of all the powers, Master and Mirror of my might.  I create you beautiful in bliss and name you Lucifer, Bringer of Light.”

And so, my friends, I, Lucifer, would like to set the record straight.  If ever I did Fall, I have been forgiven.

Many of the angelic host, who remained loyal during my rebellion, were incensed that the prodigal son had asked for forgiveness and angry that it had been granted.  Thus, the Second War in Heaven, the only war I’d ever unintentionally caused, began and the airy corridors ran red with blood.  Finally, the conflict had spilled down to Earth.  The brave soldiers I’d once led in a bid to regain Heaven were now poised to fight Michael and his formidable army.

I, the mightiest of the Host, was forbidden to lift a finger in this battle, and my brothers were waiting to see what I would do.  A tremor of anger coursed through me.  I smiled and spread my wings to their full, resplendent span.

Look then, Fallen and Righteous, and take courage or be discouraged by the very sight of me.

Here and there amongst the gathered host, I met a gaze.  Gabriel, Uriel, Michael and Rafael guarded the Four Corners.  It was a done deal, over before the first blow was struck.

The wail of bagpipes shattered the tension.  Peacock wings arched proudly, Paimon, regal in a Royal Stuart tartan kilt, piped the Legions of Hell into battle.  He reached the end of the line of soldiers, wings shadowing Men in modern regimental dress, turned and snapped me a smart salute.

Paimon, ah my Paimon, do your eyes accuse or invite?

I bowed low, my hair sweeping the ground.  Whether this gesture pleased or angered my old friend, sadly enough, I couldn’t sense.  All Hell broke loose, so to speak, when the mortal troops saw me.  Their knees knocked.  Horror contorted their faces.  Swords forged in Hell’s own fires clattered against supernatural shields.  The blare of Gabriel’s golden trumpet shook the ground.  A silver-voiced trumpet answered the challenge.

Paimon unfurled his wings and bent to his pipes.  Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. How fitting, how ironic that the Fallen—the stubborn, the proud, the doomed—would march into battle to that beautiful old hymn!

On the horizon black clouds coagulated as if the spilt blood of angels had leaked through Heaven’s floor.  Daggers of lightning stabbed the sky.  A pall of total darkness fell.  In one breath, the entire earth went dark.  Absolute silence gripped the universe.  Then, as it had happened on the First Day, Heaven parted the Darkness with Radiance, a spotlight on the Final Act.

Nice touch, Father.  I couldn’t resist a wry smile.

The din of the great armies’ embrace arose, a choir of broken bones, slashed flesh and death rattling in the throats of Man.  Into this symphony of chaos as had been foretold, the Sons of Light took flight against the Sons of Darkness.  When I, Lucifer, fell two-thirds of Heaven’s Legions followed me into exile.  I found myself weeping—hot tears on cold cheeks—as friends so recently become enemies clashed with enemies now compelled into a fragile friendship.  I suffered as I was meant to suffer.  Even angels are sometimes blind to the shape of things to come.

~*~

Gylded Wings began life as I, Lucifer.  I started writing the book years ago in Miami and used to read the Prologue at open mics.  By the second line, people had stopped talking to listen. I’m grateful to editor Callie Lynn Wolfe of The Wild Rose Press for helping me bring it to life.

Help me celebrate today at:  https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/happy-release-day-to-gylded-wings-by-lnightingale-romance-paranormal-wrpbks/   There’s a rafflecopter giveaway!!

And here and now:  I’ll give one commenter an ebook from my back list (your choice) for helping me to celebrate here.  Pass the champers!