Friday, October 30, 2015

BY MOONLIGHT *** !$ AUTHORS *** 15 Complete books PARANORMAL ROMANCE




Name of cover designer:
The Darkmantle

Official genre of box set:


By Moonlight is an astounding collection of paranormal stories — some romances, some mysteries, all suspenseful, and every one containing supernatural features that will lead your imagination on a wild adventure. 15 new worlds to explore, 15 kinds of paranormal beings to investigate, 15 new sets of best friends to make — who can ask for more? The perfect companion for a leisurely weekend away is at your fingertips. Add it to your kindle with one click now.

Includes a mix of already released and never-before seen stories, all complete works. Those books which are part of a series can be enjoyed fully without the need to read the complete series (though there is a chance you might develop story-addiction issues—for that, we apologize).

TANGLED ROOTSRebekkah Ford

After eighteen-year-old Carrie Jacobson discovers she was a witch in a previous life, she seeks to reawaken that part of her soul. With the help of an eccentric enchantress and a boy who is more than he seems, Carrie succeeds and is spellbound by the memories of her life in Europe during the 1600s as a powerful witch named Isadora. Carrie reverts to her bewitching, more volatile form and sets out to break a curse she cast long ago on her coven. 

Carrie’s boyfriend Tree cannot help feeling uneasy about the changes he sees in the woman he loves. When Carrie’s past clashes with the present and dark magic intoxicates her once again, Tree must take drastic matters into his own hands and attempt to save Carrie from herself. 

With Tree’s help, will Carrie be able to resist the allure of her new powers? Or will she plunge into the deep end and give into them?

Note to readers

Tangled Roots can be read as a standalone novel. I wrote it for the fans of the Beyond the Eyes trilogy because a lot of them are fond of Carrie and Tree, who are the two main characters in this tale. Besides, their story adds to the trilogy, where it’ll take you deeper into the rabbit hole. 

Enjoy! 


Beau Shapiro has spent his whole life being called gorgeous, handsome, sexy… every word imaginable to describe his outer appearance. But despite his popularity, he never once lets it all go to his head. He’s holding out for that one girl that has it all—beauty and personality. 

While out searching for his father, Beau meets Karoline—a woman cursed to be a beast. Striking a deal with her to save his father’s life, Beau is taken to Karoline’s home deep in the mountainous woods to live with her. During his stay, he finds that there’s beauty within the beast, and slowly, for the first time in his life, falls in love. 

Delve into the story of Beau and Karoline, a modern-day retelling of the classic tale Beauty and the Beast.

HIDDEN (MARCHWOOD VAMPIRE SERIES #1)Shalini Boland

Now an international bestseller. Fans of Twilight and Interview with the Vampire will enjoy this paranormal adventure that spans the centuries. On her sixteenth birthday, Madison Greene inherits a huge mansion house… but the house hides a secret. Eighteen-year-old Alexandre lives in 19th century Paris. Spoilt and bored, he longs for adventure, but he should be careful what he wishes for. Madison and Alexandre’s lives are about to collide… Falling in love has never been so dangerous.






Eternal Island - A place where vampires rule, witches play, danger lurks and dreams really do come true.

Eternal Island is a paranormal suspense novel, deeply rooted into myth. Vampires and magic form a unique backdrop to a love story with long-reaching consequences.

Human girl Ariana Lochalan finds herself transported from the relative calm of her ‘Nowhere, Arkansas’ life into a diametrically opposite existence when she discovers she is a powerful witch and meant to wed High Vampire of Eternal Island, Abe Cambridge. Despite first-sight magnetism, the two protagonists are being pushed apart, obstacles tripping them at every step, outside forces interfering and threatening their peace, and ultimately their lives.

A world rich in magic and intrigue, Eternal Island is the first installment of a saga which has love at its core and delves through the mire that is human nature in a turmoil of feeling and emotion.

Would courage, resilience and love be enough to bring together two soul mates?

How much would you sacrifice to save the one who owns your heart?


Gabby survives her ex-boyfriend’s brutal attack, only to be ripped away from her life by a complete stranger. She is thrown into the world of Immortals, where every nightmare out there exists and walks free. She can’t deny her attraction to this stranger, Neeko, but he must earn her trust before she will ever let him into her heart. Can she learn to love again? Will love be enough, or will everything come crashing down?

Neeko sees Gabby and immediately knows she is someone special. He makes a rash decision to kidnap her, because he can’t stop thinking about her. Now he must somehow prove to her that she is his mate and his soul’s other half. How can he have a human for a mate? Can he keep her safe from Demons? Or is he her biggest threat? 

When the missing pieces fall into place to reveal all their secrets, will they stand together or apart?


Uriel is one of God's Four Winds, the Archangel of Destiny. He has helped thousands of people throughout the ages find their destiny according to His will. This time however, what he doesn't realize, is that it's his own destiny he's supposed to fulfill. 
 
Heather is an exotic dancer, whose stage name is Heaven. It's not what she's always wanted to do, but it helps her pay the bills, and she's got a lot of bills, with taking care of her mother and her sister. When the mysterious Uriel comes into the club, she can tell he's different -- just how different will rock her world...

SAVE MY SOULK.S. Haigwood

Kendra Larkin had everything going in the right direction. Her life was seemingly perfect, and she wouldn't have changed a thing about it. Unfortunately, the course of her life was about to be forever altered. A tragic rappelling accident lands her on Dr. Adam Chamberlain's operating table. 

She agrees to a deal proposed by a guardian angel to help save the soul of the man who is both her doctor and soulmate. If she is successful, she gets to keep her life. However, she later learns that it isn't just her life that's in jeopardy, but her soul as well. 

Even with the help of her handsome guardian angel, Rhyan, it seems there is no happy ending in sight. Torn between her newly discovered love of Rhyan, and the undeniable attraction she has for Adam, Kendra finds herself at a crossroad. With Adam's steadfast rejection of God, and his guardian demon conspiring against her, she fears her soul may already be lost. 

Will she find a way to overcome the evil her life is suddenly burdened with? Or will Adam's guardian demon win both their souls and make Kendra his own personal puppet in Hell?


They glittered and sparkled in the soft white light of the full moon. They came slowly at first, then built up momentum. Like confetti tossed over a bride and groom at a wedding, the most perfect snow crystals fluttered and danced on the gentle breeze and descended on and around him. Instinctively, he knew that something magical had happened tonight. 

The lives of best friends and cousins, Aidan and Donald, are largely successful in all but love. A Christmas shopping trip turns awry when a disturbed stalker latches onto them. Will they be able to escape her clutches and find real love, or will a woman with murder on her mind kill them both? 

Snow Crystals is a sweet romance with a paranormal touch, which takes the reader along on the trail of a mystery set in one of the most picturesque landscapes in Britain: the Cotswolds. Written in a no-nonsense voice, with beautiful descriptions, an addictive cast of characters and a light hint of thriller, this book would be a perfect trip down memory lane or for those who love stories set in England.

WEIRD: A HENRY IAN DARLING ODDITY: MISSIVE ONEJulie Elizabeth Powell

Henry Ian Darling is a collector of oddities, those that bring him closer to an enigma, one he hopes will be a great thing. But maybe it isn't? 








What is the significance of what Henry Ian Darling found in the boot of a car? And how did his wife know of the event? How could anyone be cruel enough to do such a thing? 

Find out where the discovery leads this collector of oddities and what it may mean for Henry’s ultimate quest - finding the enigma, that which will save or destroy all dimensions. 




Not many seventeen year old girls have a best friend who’s a ghost, but then Mary Hades isn’t your average teenager. 

Scarred physically and mentally from a fire, her parents decide a holiday to an idyllic village in North Yorkshire will help her recover. Nestled in the middle of five moors, Mary expects to have a boring week stuck in a caravan with her parents. Little does she know, evil lurks in the campsite… 

Seth Lockwood—a local fairground worker with a dark secret—might be the key to uncovering the murky history that has blighted Nettleby. But Mary is drawn to him in a way that has her questioning her judgement. 

Helped by her dead best friend and a quirky gay Goth couple, Mary must stop the unusual deaths occurring in Nettleby. But can she prevent her heart from being broken? 

The first in a series of dark YA novels, Mary Hades follows on from the bestselling Kindle Single 'My Daylight Monsters'. A spine-tingling tale with romance, readers will be shocked and entertained in equal measure. 

With some scenes of horror and some strong language, this book is best suited for readers aged fifteen and up.


28 year old writer, Vanessa Fortney, has travelled the world, living life to the fullest. When she comes home due to the unexpected death of her only blood relatives, she only has one regret; never finding a love that triumphs all others. 

In a beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains, Nessa finds herself wondering about a mysterious stranger who saved her after a nearly disastrous car accident. The mystery that surrounds Daniel is quickly replaced by the increasing attraction Nessa feels for him. 

Will she find that love that transcends all love or will an unforeseen tragedy keep them apart?

ENCOUNTER — Cherime MacFarlane

She never picks berries in the patch behind the cabin. That place almost makes her skin crawl. The old cabin has been in her family for generations. There is a mystery about the place the elders never said much about. All she knows it that a young couple living there vanished without a trace. 

He's not sure what he is hunting for. After waking next to the totaled all-terrain vehicle, he doesn't even remember who he is. What he does know is that a stand of trees on a low hill is drawing him to them. Can he find shelter there or will he die in the Alaska bush? It's stupid, but he is going to make his way to the knoll.


Whisper Cape is a town of secrets, and Addison MacKenna soon becomes tangled in a web of them. Plagued with nightmares of her father's sudden and brutal death, Addie struggles with her anguish and refuses to believe that his demise was accidental. But that’s not the only thing she struggles with. All of a sudden, the impossible seems possible, and it’s not clear whether that’s a blessing or a curse.

Cael Sheridan may be arrogant and mysterious, but he's also undeniably gorgeous. A member of a secret society, he is sworn to protect the woman he believes to be the daughter of his recently murdered mentor. In the process, he finds it impossible to resist her magnetic sensuality, complicating his efforts to shield and guide her as she learns to manage her newly acquired skills.

A powerful woman, an extraordinary man, and a murderous maniac who wants to destroy them. Fate has brought them together, but will it make them stronger or destroy them all in the end?


Nicholas comes up behind me. His breath on my neck sending chills through my body, causing my breasts to perk instantly. He gently runs his hands from my shoulders down to my panties, which is all I have left on, kissing my neck as he goes. 

He leaves a trail of kisses down my back and on my ass as he guides my panties to the floor. His hands explore familiar territory; as one cups my left breast, massaging it, and tugging lightly on the nipple, the right hand is busy kneading my sex and running his hand back and forth through my folds. 

I hear him whisper in my ear, “It’s time we make that baby you’ve wanted, so forget about that pill tonight.”

I don’t bother to go to the bathroom for my birth control. I just enjoy the pleasure of my husband. He gently leads me to the bed. “Can you get on your hands and knees, Baby?”

“Oh yes, anything you want sweetheart.”



Rebekkah Ford grew up in a family that dealt with the paranormal world. Her parents Charlie and Geri Wilhelm were the directors of the UFO Investigator's League in Fairfield, Ohio. They also investigated ghost hauntings and Bigfoot sightings in addition to extraterrestrial cases. Growing up in this type of environment and having the passion for writing stories is what drove Rebekkah at an early age to write tales dealing with the paranormal world. Her fascination with the unknown is what led her to write the Beyond the Eyes trilogy and Tangled Roots.

Rebekkah resides in rural North Dakota, in a farming community of about 1,800 and loves where she lives. She has an irreverent sense of humor, adores coffee, and yummy food makes her happy. She loves books, history, antiques, animals, connecting with her fans and other authors, and watching her favorite TV shows.

Rene Folsom, author of paranormal romance and erotica, lives in Florida with her husband and three kids. She has officially diagnosed herself with creative ADD and often has a million and one writing projects going at once. In addition to writing, she is also a graphic artist who enjoys creating custom book covers for indie authors. She is definitely an artist at heart and would love nothing more than to be elbow deep in clay during her waking hours.

Rene believes that all fiction is based on some form of reality—otherwise we would never have the inspiration or knowledge to dream up the realistic situations we portray with our words. She is proud to say that her personal experiences have been inspirational, though perhaps not always identical to that of her fictional characters. Where reality and fantasy diverge, however, must remain her little secret…

Shalini Boland lives in Dorset, England with her husband and two noisy boys. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer/songwriter, but now she spends her days writing dark adventures (in between doing the school run and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).

Kristie Haigwood (a.k.a. K. S. Haigwood) is currently writing her 8th novel. She lives in Arkansas, US. She is the mother of 2 awesome kids and 2 great dogs. She is happily married to her soulmate who thinks reading is a solid waste of time. Opposites attract. Kristie’s works include Save My Soul, Hell’s Gift, Good Side of Sin, Forbidden Touch, Accepting the Moon, Eternal Island, Eternal Immortality, Eternal Illusion. The Last Assignment, My Sweet Purgatory, Midnight Moonrising & Eternal Innocence are all coming very soon.

Ella Medler is a U.K. author, editor and publisher who lives in a corner of Heaven, on the south-west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic. She writes fiction in many genres - some after her own tastes, and some to make her readers happy. Sometimes, those two happen to coincide. Besides the Eternal series, her works include the clumsy superhero Martin Little series, the Hunter action thriller series, the Addicted to Love romance collection (stand alone romantic suspense), the Lionheart Series of contemporary romance and the Fly With Me time-travel romance series. Ella also writes non-fiction how-to guides for writers, available for free from the Paper Gold Publishing website.

Tiffany Flowers is a wife and mother of 3 beautiful angels. She lives in a really small town in Alabama. When she started out writing, she was uncertain with where things would lead. But after a year of writing, she is now a published author of TWO fantasy/paranormal stories and is hard at work on yet another that she hopes will be loved as well.

Anne Conley has written her entire life and has the boxes of angst-filled journals and poetry to prove it. She's been writing for public consumption for the last four years. Currently she is writing three romance series. In Stories of Serendipity, she explores real people living real lives in small town Texas in a contemporary romance setting. In The Four Winds, she chronicles God's four closest archangels, Uriel, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael, falling in love and becoming human. In Pierce Securities, she gives us Ryan, Evan, Miriam, Zack, Quinten, and Simon. She lives in rural East Texas with her husband and children in her own private oasis, where she prides herself in her complete lack of social skills, choosing instead to live with the people inside her head.

For Kendra Hale, who has lived in Canada, the USA and on the European Continent, Great Britain, or the UK, will always be home. Her love for the UK is apparent in The Snow Crystals, and her other/future books, which are all set here. Kendra’s knowledge and life-long interest in the world of antiques, collectibles and such, finds its way into her writing. She writes fiction in different genres.

Julie Elizabeth Powell lives in a small town in the south of England. She has a BA (Hons) in Combined Studies (inc: English, History, Media & I.T.) and qualifications in teaching and Information Technology. Writing is her passion.

Sarah Dalton grew up in the middle of nowhere in the countryside of Derbyshire and as a result has an over-active imagination. 

She has been an avid reader for most of her life, taking inspiration from the stories she read as a child, and the novels she devoured as an adult. 

Sarah mainly writes speculative fiction for a Young Adult audience and has had pieces of short fiction published in the Medulla Literary Review, PANK magazine and the British Fantasy Society publication Dark Horizons. She is the author of the popular YA dystopia series The Blemished, Amazon bestselling YA horror series Mary Hades, and YA fantasy series White Hart.

Traci Hayden is a proud mother of four beautiful girls. She is also extremely lucky to be a grandmother to a multi-talented little girl and an adorable baby boy. She has always had a passion for reading, but recently the obsession for writing has taken over. As a Nova Scotian native now living in British Columbia, Traci has traveled across Canada, fueling her imagination from coast to coast. Along with two dogs and two cats, Traci's home is shared with her partner of 18 years. He is her rock and constant support. Traci has currently taken to helping, supporting and promoting other authors. The joy of her trades and the support from her family make her world complete.

Cherime MacFarlane: Born in New Orleans, I am proud to call myself an Alaskan. I have lived here for 38 years, I have seen -40 degrees, hauled water, made bear bacon and still live in a cabin. I have used a fishwheel to catch salmon coming up the Copper River. I have cut firewood on shares and worked as a cocktail waitress during pipeline days in a small lodge on the Richardson Highway. I was my second husband's chief mechanic's helper and roadie.

My second husband, a Scot from Glasgow, was the love of my life. When I write Scots dialect, I personally experienced hearing it from my in-laws. When my husband got on the phone to Scotland, after 5 seconds I could barely understand a word.

We moved to Wasilla to get warm. It barely drops past -25 degrees here in the winter. I became a paralegal and worked for over 26 years for the same firm. Thousands of documents I have written have been before various judges all over the state.

Alaska is my home. I never thought I would love it so much I’d never want to leave. The beauty of Alaska is a draw I cannot resist. I love the people and the history. I have been captured by a place I came to under duress. Life does play some interesting tricks on one. I lost my first husband to alcohol. My second husband, the love of my life, died as a result of disease. We were not apart more than 24 hours for 20 plus years. I never wanted to be anywhere but with him. He was a man to run the river with and was my biggest fan.

Susan Griscom writes paranormal and contemporary romance. She's hooked on gritty romances and is a huge fan of superheroes and bad boys confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers, and abilities beyond the norm mixed with steamy romance, of course. 

She loves those days when she gets to sit around in her sweat pants, doing nothing but writing emotionally charged stories about love and violence and drinking coffee. 

She lives in Northern California with her romantic husband and together they have five great superhero kids and eight mini-superhero grand kids, so far.

Marissa Storm: This Author has a few other published books in circulation today:

Storm Warnings, a fiction love story adventure

And What Happens to the Children, a book about the price the children pay when the parents split their lives in half.

I now write under a Pen name for personal reasons.

I love to meet with fans and will be making personal appearances in the near future. From NC, enjoys family and friends and the love of God as well as the blessings He brings.


magicofbookspromo@gmail.com

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Kari Peterson - Journey Through Morowak - Virtual Book Tour


Fantasy / Adventure
Date Published: 4/25/15
It is medieval times in the land of Morowak.  Kings and Queens maintain sovereignty, and wielders of magic and fire breathing dragons are real.  Nobleman's daughter, Arabella Wallington, is about to embark on a journey across the kingdom to meet her betrothed.  Stengar McKinnon is a titled soldier in the King's army and she is assured a life of wealth and bliss. Arabella is herself a gifted war maiden, yet she follows her father's orders and employs someone to protect her along the perilous crossing.  She chooses a man named Briol, whose magical abilities are tested throughout their adventure, and an enigmatic bond forms between them. Briol realizes there is something unique about Arabella, and it is brought to light.  A new unforeseen path now lies ahead.  This journey challenges everything Arabella has ever known. 

 
 I am not your average gal.  I didn't grow up playing with Barbies or dressing in my mother’s clothes, jewelry or makeup.  I drove my matchbox cars over obstacle courses, climbed trees, built forts, dreamt of owning my own horse, and pretended to be an elven princess.  I continued to live my life on my terms, while staying true to my old fashioned values and respect.  After completing high school, I took on a full-time job and put myself through college.  In just under three years, I earned a degree in computers.  I try to use that knowledge as often as I can.

In 2006, before I had even discovered my passion for writing, I married a wonderful man named Mark.  Our love story is blissfully unique.  We now live in Washington State with our three rambunctious boys, a beautiful chocolate lab, a bouncy min pin, and a tubby tailless kitty.  I am as passionate about my books as I am of my family.  This is exactly where I'm supposed to be right now.
 

 
Contact Information

Monday, October 26, 2015

MR. BLACKWELL by AB Novak





 
 




In the deep, bice, swampy waters of Louisiana, novice journalist Vivienne Gray falls head over heels in love with a man she supposed to be interviewing, Jase Blackwell. When Vivienne saves Jase’s life they are pulled into an ancient curse that has plagued the Blackwell family for years. There is a reason behind superstition. It's because it's all true. Not believing does not make it go away.

Unsure whether I was making a mistake or not, I sat back down and, from the moment we restarted the interview, it went pretty well. Jeffery and Julius answered most of my questions, and Father Joe commented here and there. Jase was the only one who didn’t talk or seem interested in the conversation. Everyone else was cooperating, though, so I didn’t mind.

That was until Julius brought up Jase’s snakebite. I learned that in the springtime, just a few months ago, Jase was bitten by a diamondback rattlesnake and had survived on his own, for about a day, in the swamp. The snake bit him in his lower abdomen, and he almost died. When they found him, he was barely breathing and had to be flown to the hospital to receive twenty-two anti-venom shots.

My reporter's brain started spinning fast. Intrigued by his survival story and desperately wanting to know more about this man, I asked if he could show me how, what, where, when, and how he survived. He was hesitant, but in the end, the family made him do it, most likely just to make it up to me. That's why I ended up in a dark corner of the Blackwell hunting cabin, cradling my plate, and waiting for him to say something, anything.

He must have known I’d wanted to clean my plate because he got up, walked over to take it from me, and exited through the only door. I heard him scraping both plates and then running water. He came back with two clean plates.

Not wanting any more silence, I spoke up. “So is this where you were bitten?”

He put the plates away on the shelf above the fireplace then strode back to the table, and sat down in a bit of a huff. He ran his fingers through his auburn hair and rubbed the back of his neck a few times. 

I kicked an invisible piece of dirt on the ground, pretending I wasn’t watching his every move. Another shiver went down my spine. I reached up with one hand to untwist my necklace, thinking once more I shouldn’t have come out here. 

Again, I barely heard him speak. “No, it’s a two-mile hike from here. I’ll show you in the morning. We got a late start today. I’m not taking you out there at night. We’ll leave at first light and get you back in time for your flight.” 

My mouth felt dry. I liked his slow, southern way of speaking. Shaking my head a little and deciding to take a chance, I went to my bag and pulled out my pen and pad. I didn’t really need to take notes because I knew that nothing he said would be forgotten. I sat back down at the table, gave him a reassuring nod, and he began. 

He focused his piercing eyes on the fire across the cabin. “As I said, I hiked about two miles east from here. I was looking for some wood for a bow I was working on. The rattlesnake must have just shed its skin or the rattle was broken off because I didn’t hear or see it until I was right on top of it. Mating season makes the snakes more aggressive. He got me here.” 

Leaning back in the chair, he patted his lower, right abdomen. I was hoping he was going to lift up his shirt, but he didn’t. A girl can dream. Pushing those thoughts out of my head, I pretended to make a note. “You have to stay calm when you get bit like that. You don’t want to get your blood pumping too fast because the venom will spread faster. By the time I made it back here, I was feeling the effects... bad.” His deep voice was extremely attractive. 

He got up effortlessly from where he was sitting at the old wooden table, walked across to the fire, and poked at it with a stick of some sort. Feeling myself shiver, I slowly walked over to where he was by the fireplace and sat down cross-legged, needing the heat. He glanced sideways at me and put down the makeshift poker. He sat, too, resting his weight on his hands behind him and stretching out his long legs. The fire danced in his eyes. They were normally a deep royal blue, but when they mixed with the yellow firelight, they seemed emerald in color. Every hair on my body felt like it was standing on end, ready to ignite. 

“My head was throbbing, my right leg was numb, my back ached, and I was getting sick to my stomach.” He reached up and touched his forehead as if the pain was still there. It wasn’t me making him act this way; he was reliving the horrifying experience. He’d thought he was going to die out here. 

I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him to stop. He didn’t have to tell me any more. I couldn’t stand to hear the pain in his voice anymore. But before I could say anything, he continued. “I crawled to the boat. I don’t know how I was able to start the motor, but I did. I hoped I'd pointed it in the right direction down river. I don’t remember anymore. Dad found me a few hours later. The boat was grounded on the riverbank a few miles up from here.” His eyes became distant as his thoughts engulfed him. 

I never wanted him to feel that way again and changed the subject, quickly. “So since you’ve caught my gift of gab, Jase, why don’t you tell me more about your gift of silence?” I liked the way his name slipped easily off my tongue. I smiled at him, hoping he found the humor in my words. He closed his divine eyes for a moment then he was back from wherever he had gone. I got my first real smile from him, and it took my breath away. 

I watched as his sublime lips parted, and he began to speak. “I find that if you listen, you learn a lot more than when you talk.”

“Ouch,” I said. “You really don’t like me, do you?” I asked, tapping my pen on my notepad, trying not to sound hurt. But I was. 

“You don’t understand what I’m saying, Miss Gray,” he chuckled, sitting up and poking at the fire again. 

Feeling as if he’d just called me brainless, I lashed out. “I see and understand everything, Jase Blackwell. I can comprehend everything you’re saying. You think I’m some young, dumb, blonde girl who has no business being out here. Hate to break it to you, bud, but I think you’re more afraid out here right now than I am.” His eyes never left mine during my rant. I felt my body moving involuntarily closer to him as I watched his eyes light up with amusement. “What’s so funny?” I asked in the meanest tone I could muster. 

What’s with me? One minute I’m captivated by this man, and the next I want to slap him across his bearded face. I sat back with a huff then got up and walked back to my dark corner. I was ready to tell him to just forget it. 

He stared into the fire and spoke quietly. “I’ve learned that when you’re nervous, you don’t know what to do with your gentle hands. You often reach up to make sure your necklace is there. It must be of some importance to you. When you get mad, your eyes narrow, and I can almost see the fire burning inside you. I can tell you’re in good shape because most people don’t hold up well in temperatures like this unless they’re used to it. You don’t mind the dirt and grime that comes with spending a night in the swamp, so I’m guessing you’re not from the city like my dad thought. The big bugs freak you out... a lot. And when your yellow hair blows in the breeze, it reminds me of sunbeams, and when you’re embarrassed, your fair skin turns my favorite shade of red.” 

I stood there, not knowing what to say. If he could see my cheeks in the shadows, he’d probably be happy. Trying to shake off the chill and yearning for the heat of the fire, I emerged from the darkness. “Well, that was honestly the biggest flying monster I’ve ever seen. It was huge. It wouldn’t leave me alone. It kept coming back, and it stung me twice.” I snatched the poker out of his hand and poked at the fire with it, not wanting to talk about me. “It’s your perfume. It’s very sweet. I should’ve warned you before we left the house.” He grinned, sniffing the air with his absolutely perfect nose. 

I stopped fiddling with the fire and glanced at him out the corner of my eye. I wasn’t sure if my face was giving anything away, but I was certainly doing back flips on the inside. “I don’t wear perfume. I’m allergic.” 

His piercing eyes looked like he had just revealed a secret that he wasn’t supposed to, and his lips parted slightly as we once again locked eyes. My skin was on fire again, and the urge to reach for him was back. 

Shaking his head slightly, he stood up, went over to our gear, and started laying out our sleeping bags. I saw him pull out a large, silver knife and place it next to his sleeping bag. Next, he moved his bow and arrows closer to the fireplace. 

My eyes grew wide, and my heart beat rapidly. So consumed was I with trying to figure out Jase Blackwell that I’d forgotten I was miles away from civilization in the middle of a Louisiana swamp with a man I had only known for a few hours. He sensed my sudden edginess. 

He lay down and said, “Don’t worry—you’re safe with me. I’ll never let anything happen to you.” It was as if he was stating a fact he had known all his life. 

And I believed him. I did feel safe and warm when he was near. No man had ever made me feel this way. I should be afraid, but I wasn’t. I should want to be boarding that plane back to Baltimore, but I wasn’t. For some unknown reason, I knew I didn’t want to be anywhere but next to him. He laid a muscular arm over his face to block out the moonlight coming through the front window of the cabin. Or maybe it was just a sign for me to stop talking. 

“Good night, Miss Gray,” he whispered. 

“’Night, Jase,” I said. It was all I could manage. 

With that, I went to my bag and pulled out a hair tie. I braided my long, blonde hair back as I did every night, took my boots off, and slipped into my sleeping bag. For a while, I just lay there in the moonlight, watching Jase’s chest rise and fall and thinking about how satisfying it would be to touch him. I thought about what his beard would feel like if I ran my fingers through it and gave it a tug. I thought he’d like it. I didn’t care if he saw me watching him—I couldn’t help myself. I kept my hands pinned under my head just in case I got the urge to reach out for him. All the emotions that had been running through me simmered as I realized I was lovesick for Jase Blackwell.




A.B. Novak grew up in Northern Maryland. She graduated from college with a degree in Fashion Design. In 2009 she married her college sweetheart, moved to a farm and had two beautiful children. She is an avid horse rider, author and business owner with her husband.

   


Saturday, October 24, 2015

Author Kathy McKenzie Runk

Kathy McKenzie-Runk
Member:  Mystery Writers of America, Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators, the Writers Network of South Florida, and Leader of East Pompano SCBWI Critique Group.

Kathy sold her first article when she was 8 years old to the York Junior Dispatch, a publication in her community that encouraged children to write. As she grew older, many of her articles were published.  Her fifth grade teacher said "Kathy's favorite thing to do is to write compositions."


Kathy was always writing plays for her cub scout group to perform at holidays. She also wrote dialog to be read at social events for some of the groups she belonged to. One of her specialties was to write a rhyming story tailored to each member of the group by their interests and hobbies.  Kathy always had dreams of becoming a Romance Story writer.

As a young married, she had time on her hands and wrote many stories, poems and articles. Kathy was a writer/producer for numerous Public Television shows in York, Pennsylvania, including a series on Home Computing, Senior Singles, Creating Stained Glass Windows and others. Kathy wrote a weekly newspaper colmnn for the York Sunday News in the York, Pennsylvania area.  She wrote her first children's book "So You're Going to be Adopted" after finding this resource lacking for her family and adopted children. Discouraged by the accumulated rejections, she stopped submitting her work.

 After moving to Florida, she created a monthly newsletter for her condo association. Kathy currently writes a newsletter on endangered marine mammals and turtles in the Caribbean. "My Ocean Treasures Marine News" is available free and contains information and statistics on Manatees, Sea Turtles, Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins and the ocean enviromnent they inhabit. As part of her job, Kathy edits a monthly newsletter for her church.  

 Kathy wrote her next children's book and submitted it to a contest.  Not winning any prizes, she decided to self –publish with illustrations done by an artist in Connecticut.  It is the story of the McKenzie Family dog and how she became a member of the family. The miscolored Saint Bernard pup paralleled the life of some of the adopted children, not perfect, but wanting to be part of a family. ''Puppy Gets a Family" is available online and can be viewed/purchased at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/85806  Her current picture book for children ages four to eight is “A Dolphin’s Tale,” the true story of the rescue of a baby dolphin off the coast of Florida with factual sidebars and a “Fun Facts About Dolphins” section.  Kathy joined the SCBWI after multiple courses in writing for children and magazines.  She continues attending conferences, taking courses and of course, reading, reading, reading.

Kathy's specialty today is in non-fiction works for children and families. She has recently completed articles including:  Five Easy Steps to Scrapbooking, Everything you always wanted to know about Cruising, Ten Christmas Crafts to Create with your Children, and others. Her article “My Cure for the Common Rejection Letter” was published in the Working Writers newsletter recently.

Nearing retirement age, Kathy wanted to leave a legacy for her ten children and seventeen grandchildren .  "And Baby Makes 9" is a memoir of her life, through eight adoptions, sponsoring a family of nine Vietnamese, two birth children, fresh air children from New York City and fostering numerous boys and girls throughout the years.  "Flight to Freedom" is the story of her Vietnamese son's exit from Vietnam, submitted as Historical Fiction for children in grades six up.  This story is part of the memoir she is writing. It won 12th place in the worldwide competition of Writers Digest, 2011.

Her first mystery novel for adults, is named "Blood Ties" and is the story of a sheriff, adopted as an infant, who finds the killer's DNA profile matching his own.  The series now includes four completed books and a fifth, "Murder at the Rectory" is in editing now.  "Murder at the Museum" is due to be released in 2015.

 

Amazon~ Kathy McKenzie Runk

 
 


Award-winning story based on the rescue of an Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin in Florida.  WINTER lives at the Clearwater Aquarium.  Side bars with true dolphin facts for parents and teachers.  Newly release in July 2015.

PaperbackE-book

My New Brother Doesn't Speak English



Released in paperback and as an e-book, "My New Brother Doesn't Speak English" is a children's illustrated true story of the adoption of a Vietnamese Orphan from the point-of-view of six-year old Krissy.  A touching story for any family interested in an international adoption and how their children might react.  Suitable to be read to younger children or for the Early Reader (ages 4-8) in your family.  A perfect gift for the children of your friends and family.

Paperback   ~  E-book    
 

Picture

A fully illustrated children’s picture book of the puppy who didn’t meet breed standards.  Follow along as she finds her loving family.  Perfect for the children in your family.  Appropriate for children of all ages.

 
 
Paperback  ~   E-book