Battle Cry by Melissa Snark
Loki’s Wolves Book 2
Publisher: Nordic Lights Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (363 Pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen
One man dares defy Fate.
Do viagra sildenafil 100mg something that gets you outside your comfort zone. Those who get admission in such institutes are allotted a proper college or learning center where weekly-basis classes are run. cialis generika 20mg What Gout Is, in the lives of millions of impotent males all discount viagra over the world. These simple tips are highly effective in enhancing your brain function, improve memory, improve concentration, improve mood buy cipla cialis and increase energy too. Survival demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.
Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake seeks the truth at any cost.
After losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren’t going to make that easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the Hunter King’s second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague Victoria.
When the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her unborn child, she’s not so sure they are wrong.
Sawyer Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn’t know whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he’s willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The hunter harbors a deadly secret he can’t reveal without risking the ceasefire and his life.
At Sawyer’s urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn’t end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria’s pack… or for their world.
Search Results for: battle cry
February Mystery/Supense, Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book of the Month Poll Winner ~ Battle Cry by Melissa Snark
Battle Cry: Loki’s Wolves Book 2 by Melissa Snark
Battle Cry by Melissa Snark
Loki’s Wolves Book 2
Publisher: Nordic Lights Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (363 Pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Cyclamen
One man dares defy Fate.
Survival demands sacrifices; healing requires forgiveness.
Men revere him; monsters fear him. Jake Barrett, the notorious Hunter King, values loyalty to family and followers above all else. When the daughter of his closest ally murders Daniel, his oldest son, it sets off a chain reaction of violence and destruction that claims the lives of both wolves and hunters. Determined to avenge his son, Jake seeks the truth at any cost.
In this method positive self-talk viagra 50 mg instead of negative can be encouraged. The buy generic levitra device helps an impotent gaining erection in quite natural ways. These pharmacies maintain huge collection of drugs, therefore provide huge choices to customers. pfizer viagra 100mg We just want you to know how to or are not capable of receiving a fantastic night time sleep at the proper time in order to maintain the safety level of our body which also according to our body structure. viagra without prescriptions http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/dog/page/4/ After losing her lover and then her mate, Victoria Storm simply wants to get on with building a new life in Sierra Pines, California. A vengeful Jake Barrett and his organization aren’t going to make that easy, especially with the unwelcome attraction between her and the Hunter King’s second son. Perils beyond the mortal coil plague Victoria.
When the Norse Fates predict Victoria will destroy the world, her duties as a priestess of Freya come into conflict with her responsibilities as a Valkyrie of Odin. When they tell her she will do it to save her unborn child, she’s not so sure they are wrong.
Sawyer Barrett has been trying to kill Victoria for so long, he doesn’t know whether he loves her or hates her. Desperate to end the war, he’s willing to take chances with everything–except his heart. The hunter harbors a deadly secret he can’t reveal without risking the ceasefire and his life.
At Sawyer’s urging, Victoria agrees to peace talks with Jake. All the while, an ancient vampire plots the destruction of wolves and hunters alike. If the embittered rivalry between hunters and wolves doesn’t end—and fast—there is no hope for Victoria’s pack… or for their world.
Victoria Storm, an alpha she-wolf, has tried to build a new life for her pack, but events quickly transpire that threaten not only her small decimated pack, but indeed the entire mortal world. If that weren’t enough, the Norse Fates predict that she will destroy the world in her attempt to save her daughter, as yet unborn. Worse than that, she suddenly finds herself in conflict between her duties as Freya’s priestess and her responsibilities as Odin’s Valkyrie.
Victoria is a very strong protagonist with a good heart. She’s well aware of the fact that there are no males in her pack and both that fact and the size of the pack make them all very vulnerable. She has a connection to the Hunters, but at the moment the alliance between the Hunters and the wolves has been broken because the head of the hunters, Jake Barrett, holds the wolves responsible for the death of one of his sons.
As Victoria and Jake try to sort out the truth of the past raids and also fight a horde of vampires, the reality of the situation begins to reveal itself. This novel makes brilliant use of the Norse gods and Norse mythology. The fact that the gods are involved, particularly Loki, adds a real depth to this plot. Both Victoria and Jake know what is prophesied, but will that be more apt to happen if they act? Or if they don’t act? There are tough decisions to be made, but one thing is certain. If the Hunters and wolves can’t re-establish their treaty and learn to work together, everyone will be destroyed.
This is the second novel in the series, but it can stand alone. I have read Hunger Moon, the first novel, and I do recommend reading them in order, but there is plenty of backstory woven into this one, so that new readers will be able to enjoy Battle Cry in all its excitement. The characters are well drawn and the plot is filled with action. It ends at a reasonable stopping point, as the stage is set for the next in the series. I hope the saga continues soon.
Fantasy lovers are in for a real treat when they read Battle Cry.
Jordan’s Battle by E.A. West
Jordan’s Battle by E.A. West
Publisher: Astraea Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (49 pgs)
Heat Level: Sweet
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by FernComputer programmer Alaina Howard has a new office mate, and she couldn’t be happier that he’s handsome and unattached. Although initially uncertain of his position in the company, she quickly realizes that he’s good at his job and a valuable asset. If only she knew why the seemingly non-disabled man needed a service dog, things would be perfect.
Army veteran Jordan Blake is thrilled to get a job that allows him to pursue his dream of learning web development. The position is even sweeter thanks to the beautiful woman he shares an office with. The only drawback is that she seems suspicious of his need for a service dog to assist with an invisible disability.
Will Alaina’s suspicion and Jordan’s reluctance to talk about his disability keep them from developing the relationship they both desire?
If it happens, men can go with certain vasodilators available levitra uk on the market. The beauty of the viagra sales uk Acai Kapsule is that it contains phenylethylamine which stimulates the sex drive. Immediate medical help should be sought in case viagra store in canada https://regencygrandenursing.com/about-us/schedule-a-tour of serious effects while taking the medicine, be quick in telling your medical doctor about this so that early intervention could be carried out. Kamagra is the more popular generic counterpart of continue reading now viagra no prescription overnight which is available at lower price and is easily obtainable at local and online pharmacies. Alaina Howard enters her office one morning to find the other, previously unoccupied, desk now home to a rather good looking man. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Jordan Blake, Alaina goes to her uncle to try and find out why a man with little to no computer experience was now working in an IT department. Although her uncle explains his reasons Alaina leaves his office with more questions than answers. Surprised again when Jordan takes Abe—his service dog—for a walk, Alaina finds the more she sees of her new office mate, the deeper the mysteries around him grow. Caught somewhere between curiosity and suspicion, a volatile mix of emotions grow around Alaina and Jordan, creating a bond neither can deny.
Quite a number of times throughout the book I found Alaina came across as very judgmental– like her outwardly showing distaste for Jordan when she assumes (incorrectly) that he’s going outside for a smoke, or when she again leaps to conclusions that because Jordan isn’t blind he has “no need” for his service dog. Such instant reactions were in some respects understandable, but they left me with the impression that anything not crystal clear makes Alaina react with suspicion and distaste. This hit me particularly when she asked Jordan to leave his service dog behind when they go to the movies. Although Alaina didn’t know just how much Jordan relies on Abe for his physical and emotional health, the fact he had kept his dog with him every minute for the weeks of time they’d spent together should have tipped her off to what a monumental thing requesting he be left behind was. It felt unthinking of her, like she assumed she knew better than Jordan himself did.
I didn’t find Alaina to be anything like the common heroine, but this made me more intrigued as to where the plot and interactions would go. None of her reactions were aggressive enough for me to dislike her character, but it was a brave move on the author’s behalf writing her like this – and one that I feel strengthens the conflict within the story. Instead of being a wishy-washy, sunshine-and-roses style of book, it’s a lot sharper and more realistic. I really liked this and found these differences in plot excellent. Some readers, however, mightn’t feel the same and might find it difficult to relate to Alaina.
I also particularly liked how Jordan wasn’t your average hero who has made it back after time in the army. He’s not lost a limb or got disfiguring scars and needs the nurture and love of a good woman to make it all right. Instead he’s got a more difficult—and uncommon—problem to deal with, that of anxiety, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and a mixed bag of other issues. Again I thought this was a brave and excellent side-step from what could have become a story like many others. It made the plot feel fresh and deeply interesting to see how Alaina and Jordan would deal with things. I found myself turning the pages and deeply sunk into the story, engrossed. For those looking for a sweet story that breaks out of the more traditional roles one expects; this could well be a refreshing and wonderful read.
Comes the Wolf by Crystal Kauffman
Comes the Wolf by Crystal Kauffman
Publisher: Loose Id
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (170 Pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by MoonflowerHeiress Madeline Randall Forsythe is on the run for her very life, hiding in a small Washington town as “Randie.” Fleeing a deadly family secret, she plans to move on every couple of months to stay alive. But the night she’s due to leave Silver Creek, a blizzard, a crunched fender, and a rescue by a handsome stranger complicate her escape. While she knows relationships are impossible for a fugitive, she seizes her own destiny and lets Aidan rock her world, even as she knows the closer she gets to strangers, the more chance she has of getting caught.
Aidan Chase is a tracker who has never failed to find a target. He does his job and collects his paycheck, never getting personally involved…that is, until Randie Forsythe. There’s something off about her creepy old man, and something definitely on about sexy Randie. Looking at her, one would never believe she stole two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, especially when she’s in line to inherit millions from a sick father two paces ahead of the Grim Reaper. Against his better judgment, he puts the case aside to learn more about Randie, including discovering, quite by accident, she was a virgin before him.
This was probably the most “real” erotic romance I have ever read.
Even though this novel is paranormal in origin, I found the storyline believable and realistic. Circumstances, may have been larger-than-life, the rich girl running from her father and a werewolf tracking her, but it was their relationship that I found the most genuine.
Madeline has been on the run for six months. She knows her time is limited, but all she can do is try to stay one step ahead of her father. She wants to live and once her father catches up with her, she knows it will all end. Before she can move onto her next location she is stopped by a storm, a wolf and a stranger. With time running out she has to break free, but she is not sure if her heart can handle it.
Aidan is known as the perfect tracker. He always finds his mark, but something is off about Madeline’s case. His senses tell him her father is lying. From the moment he scents Madeline he can tell she is pure and an innocent, but there is more and he just can’t figure out what it is. Breaking one of his first rules, he gets involved. Now it’s not just her father he needs to protect her from, he needs to battle his own kind too.
Madeline and Aidan are two people with secrets that could destroy them. Madeline’s secret is heartbreakingly unbelievable and with Aidan’s secret he could lose his heart and soul. It is a race to find the truth behind the lies before their enemies take everything away from them.
There are two things that stood out for me in this book. While this is an extremely sensual novel, the love scenes were the most authentic I have ever read. Sometimes with explicit scenes, you think, “WOW, I wish I could find a lover like that”. This can sometimes create a rift in the relationship, as sex is considered the foundation of a strong and rock-hard erection of the penis and hence, the person under the effect unica-web.com generic cialis in canada of kamagra tablets enjoy higher blood flow in the muscles of their sexual organ and hence he finds himself able to sustain an erection. Additionally, computers and technology are always evolving, meaning that once cialis without prescription something has been made available, there is always a need to provide a prescription to buy these drugs online. viagra cheap price The item has gained absolute recognition among the consumers and rated as the best most efficient pills within the marketplace. This is the primary reason to buy the brand cialis sale usa unica-web.com name products as it would be just a waste of money. With Ms. Kauffman’s scenes, you think, “WOW, I have experienced lovers like that”. She writes truthfully and real. She doesn’t embellish or exaggerate. Her love scenes could happen tonight in your own bedroom. It is a nice change of pace.
The next selling point for me with Comes the Wolf was the mating bond. In most paranormal novels, the mating bonds are feral and compelling. Aidan and Madeline’s bond is natural and not forced. It flows sensually and believably. There is no animalistic posturing, just a sense of belonging. Don’t get me wrong, I love reading about the grrrrrr of the mating ritual. This was just so well written that I fell in love with Aiden, not just in lust. He was a beautifully written Alpha male.
While Comes the Wolf is a mystery/suspense, I enjoyed the romance the most. I was shocked with the reason behind the lies her father told, but I was not surprised by the outcome or how it all came about. So the mystery was a bit weak for me, but the romance more than made up for it. Ms. Kauffman told a great story. I am not disappointed one bit! I can see this storyline continuing. My fingers are crossed that it happens.
If you are looking for a truly different paranormal romance, then pick up Comes the Wolf. The story is a well told and steamy read.
Pondering the Muse by Eden Monroe – Guest Blog and Giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
When I thought about writing Who Buried Sarah, my first step was to decide on a provocative title and then write the story to fit that title. Next I briefly considered time periods in which to set this story, and quickly settled on the 1920’s, my source of inspiration very quickly coming into focus. First of all 1926 when the story begins as well as 1927 as it continues are important family milestones for me, as are the settings of Gondola Point and the neighbouring village of Rothesay. Both are very dear to me because my mother spent her formative years in that area, a poor girl and youngest child of a widowed mother who worked as a live-in maid. That meant Mum had to go to school with the sons and daughters of the Rothesay elite. Given my mother’s obvious economic and social limitations she naturally felt ostracized, and her natural inclination toward melancholy, which I inherited, did not make for an easy time.
Sarah and Fanny in Who Buried Sarah shared similar life circumstances, although I choose to help them rise above it. They would not suffer as my mother once did.
My father also briefly lived in Gondola Point, a small farming community on the Kennebecasis River, and met my mother selling strawberries door to door. So how could I have anything but a romantic heart?
My inspiration for Sarah’s fiancé, Connor McLagen, the son of wealthy businessman Pritchard Mclagen and his wife Agnes, is again a throwback to old-money Rothesay and the privilege of affluence. At one time Rothesay was a summer haven for the well-to-do of nearby Saint John, but following the great fire in June of 1877 that destroyed a major portion of that city, many who had summer homes in Rothesay chose to relocate there on a permanent basis – social standing intact.
Of course placing McLagen & Son Ltd. on the Saint John waterfront during Prohibition was a natural fit. I simply could not resist the easy pickings offered by this venerable old city, incorporated in 1784: the salty tang of ocean breezes, the bustling harbor and stately stone buildings – architectural triumphs – that rose in defiance from the ashes of the great fire. A story set in Saint John is certainly worth telling.
To help breathe life into my characters I cast their roles from the ranks of TV and cinema to star in Who Buried Sarah. Going about it that way, as I always do, helps dialogue flow more easily while I get to know everyone better. When the characters are fleshed out so to speak and I hit the groove, it makes for a much more relaxed experience. I become the spectator, or however they wish to put me to good use to get their story told. But even those stars who’ve been cast must continue to inspire me, or I will find someone else to play the part. It has certainly happened before.
I’m also heavily influenced by music – inspired by a song I hear on the radio or wherever. If I am greatly moved by a song, if it touches that spot deep within me, a book idea is immediately born. I don’t even have to write it down. I will never forget the emotion it evoked in me. Emotions are one of my best inspirations, as are passions. For example, my passion for roses became Sarah’s passion for roses in Who Buried Sarah, her independent spirit my own battle cry.
Sarah, the only child of Rev. and Mrs. Cranston Estey, was betrothed to Connor McLagen of the affluent McLagen family. The McLagens were socially revered, although there were rumours of nefarious underpinnings to their substantial wealth, and the God-fearing Esteys were not in favour of the marriage.
Three days before the June 1927 wedding, Sarah disappeared. Her note said she’d changed her mind and decided to leave town.
A week later she was found, buried in a rose garden, the gruesome and sensational discovery knocking New Brunswick prohibition wars out of the headlines.
There were many with secrets to keep…
Enjoy an Excerpt
“Then stop playing with fire. Look, I like it that you want to … go further … but not now, darling. We have to wait for the right time and I promise to live up to your expectations. There will be nothing holding us back then, but I promise I will be gentle.”
Shifting away from him slightly, she gazed out across the river. “I understand that. I’m not exactly inexperienced about such things, Connor.”
Had she really just said that aloud? She was aghast that the secret she knew she had to share with him at some point had spontaneously bubbled to the surface. This was probably the worst time for such a revelation, but there was no turning back now.
There was silence as she waited for the fallout from the bomb she’d just dropped, not daring to look at him.
“Excuse me?” he asked after a moment, his voice gone hard. “What did you mean by that, Sarah?”
Apparently this had unexpectedly become the time for truth telling. She was as surprised as he was it was happening, but she loved him too much not to be completely honest. She’d just thought it would somehow be easier to do. “What I mean is … I’ve … ahhh … been with a man before.”
He was deadly calm. “In what way?”
About the Author: 
Eden Monroe writes about real life, real issues and struggles, and triumphing against all odds. A proud east coast Canadian, she enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, and a good book.
Buy the book at Amazon.
Do It for Chappie: The Ray Chapman Tragedy by Rick Swaine
Do It for Chappie: The Ray Chapman Tragedy by Rick Swaine
Publisher: Tucker Bay Publishing
Genre: Fiction, Historical, Historical Re-Telling
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea“Do It for Chappie: The Ray Chapman Tragedy” is an authentic account of the Cleveland Indians’ 1920 season and the incredible obstacles they overcame to beat out Babe Ruth’s destiny-favored New York Yankees and Shoeless Joe Jackson’s ill-fated Chicago White Sox for the American League pennant – most notably the devastating loss of their popular team captain and star shortstop, Ray Chapman.
Chapman, one of the most popular players in the game, was fatally beaned by the New York Yankees’ Carl Mays, a reputed head-hunter and one of the league’s most reviled characters, late in the season. Tied with the Yankees for the league lead at the time of the incident, the Indians all but fell out of the pennant race before taking up the battle cry “Do It for Chappie” and storming back to win the American League pennant – and subsequently the World Series.
Ironically, the 1920 season was supposed to be Chapman’s last as a player. The son of a poor miner, he’d married the daughter of a wealthy Cleveland family less than a year earlier following a storybook romance. Though still in his prime, he intended to retire from baseball when it came time to raise a family. He had found out his new bride was pregnant just weeks before he was killed.
No account of the 1920 season would be complete without the story of the infamous “Black Sox Scandal” in which the Chicago White Sox were accused of fixing the previous year’s World Series. The scandal’s exposure during the 1920 season had a direct bearing on the pennant race in which the Sox battled the Indians and Yankees down to the wire.
This book is written in the historical novel style, which allows the story to be told in the present tense through the eyes of the characters involved, portrayed as they are known to history. No documented facts are knowingly misrepresented or omitted. However, plausible dialogue, musings and minor scenarios are constructed to flesh out the characters and impart the rich flavor of baseball as it was played in the formative years of the modern game, just as the turbulent decade of Roaring Twenties was beginning to unfold.
A post-1920 epilogue and profiles of key characters are included.
A man, baseball and a bad accident…
I picked up this book because I’d watched Ken Burns’ Baseball and learned about Ray Chapman. He was beaned by a pitch in the 1920 baseball season. As a result of being brained by the ball, he died. It fascinated me that someone could be hurt that way–although not surprising–and I wanted to know about the player, not just the incident.
This is a historical re-telling, so some liberties are taken with the characters. I won’t lie, it can be a bit jarring because I expected the story to be more factual, not so much a fictionalization. That said, it’s still interesting and I read it over the course of a couple days.
Ray is a sympathetic character because he’s just gotten married, is happy and his wife is now pregnant, but it’s been suggested by his in-laws that he give up baseball. All he wants to do is get through this season and he’s done. Except this is the era of no batting helmets and dirty baseballs roughed up to make them curve, twist and make them nearly invisible when pitched.
I felt so bad for Ray and his wife. They had big plans, and no one came out unscathed. I felt for his team, too. They were shattered, but at least they rallied for their fallen comrade.
If you like a good baseball story, an underdog story and one that will stick with you after the last page, then this one is for you.
Tiger Stripes by Hannah Renae – Spotlight and Giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Hannah Renae will be awarding a $100 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Four psychiatric wards
Three rehabs
Two jail cells
And a suicide attempt…
Hannah was told she would not make it to 25 with the way she was living. She had struggled with mental illness her entire life, but at 22 her demons came to a head at the grips of severe substance abuse, life-changing trauma, and two major deaths in her life.
Hannah’s struggles land her places no one ever hopes to grace; jail and psych wards lead her to the brink of death. Running out of options she’s left with two choices: live or die. This heart-wrenching memoir combines recovery with bittersweet romance told in a raw presentation that immerses the reader into the author’s dark state-of-mind in every page.
Tiger Stripes is going to add a valuable voice to the conversation about women’s mental health issues.
Enjoy an Excerpt
THE LETTER H
October 7, 2019
“HENRY! HENRY! HENNN-RYYYY!!!!”
I am screaming at the top of my lungs and can feel my throat tearing, becoming raw. I don’t know how many times I have said his name now, but it is all I know how to do because nothing is making any sense.
I am in a locked room and flashes of images are going through my head, but there is only one thing, one thought that I can focus on, that is pounding through my brain throughout this confusion and that is pouring out of my lungs to the point that my chest feels like it is going to rip.
“HENRY!” I choke on his name and a sob.
He cannot hear me, and he is not coming. He doesn’t know where I am and I don’t know where I am, but I know I am not supposed to be here—and I have to get out.
I beat at the metal door that barricades me from something unknown and choke on words that begin with H.
“HENRY!”
“HELP!”
“HENRY!”
“HELP!”
I repeat these words for what feels like a lifetime, until I forget how to speak and my begging turns to carnal screaming—shrieking.
No one comes. No one answers. I wait for footsteps, for the sound of the door unlocking, but all I can hear is the sound of my frantic breaths and the echoes of a lamentation that is anything but human.
I look down at my body. My feet are bare against the concrete floor; I cannot feel them. The jean shorts I am wearing show off my slender, scratched legs and remind me that I am small and feeble at this moment, but in an act of desperation, I put all of my faith in the power of momentum and I run. I fucking run as fast as I can from the three paces it takes to get from the wall to the ominous looming, locked door and attack it with my entire being, letting out my most vicious battle cry as I fumble towards it.
The door wins.
I try again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
And again.
I am degraded to a crumbling, bruised ball of flesh.
I can barely speak, my throat reduced to sandpaper.
Everything hurts and I can taste the bitterness of blood in my mouth. The floor is like ice against my bare legs. Through the tears in my eyes I see the moon shining through a window at the top of the room. It is full and brilliant and illuminates the white of the brick walls that surround me. I realize that there is writing on them. People have been here before me. People will be here after me. Why am I here though? I should not be.
I should be home, where I belong. In bed, with him. Safe. I feel anything but that word in this moment, as terror sweeps through every single one of my nerves.
I whisper in one last futile attempt:
“Henry?”
But there is silence. Horrible, deafening, fatal silence.
And it seems to last forever, until I hear it, or think I do. A click, the door unlocking, and the small room is suddenly filled with light. Fluorescence suffocates me.
When I dare to open my eyes, they do not find Henry. Instead I find a police officer looking back at me. He wears broad, black framed glasses that are too big for his face and he looks eerily familiar. A sudden memory of lying in a hospital bed comes to me but does not fully resonate. His face is forlorn and almost disappointed, as if he expected more out of me.
“I thought you were going to hurt yourself,” he tells me. “Promise you’ll stay calm and you can come out for a bit. We’ve got to get you fingerprinted.”
It’s then that I have the shattering realization that I am drunk and in a holding cell at a police station. The reason why escapes me though, as I try to grab onto flashes of sober memories but drown in my current state-of-mind.
I try to breathe with intent as I remember every single arrest-cliché in the book, and I cling to the fact that I am going to get my phone call. They will probably let me go—they have to. If anything, they will make me stay the night at the most.
I remember the silent promise I had once made myself—that the moment I got a DUI that I would put down the bottle for good. Jail was the worst it could get. It had been my crowning achievement at my last three rehabs that I had never graced the inside of a jail cell and I never planned to.
“Continue down the path you have been,” one of the staff members at my second treatment center had told me after sharing her own story about prison, “and jail is a guarantee.”
And here I am. Her words have come to pass, as promised.
I then remember what else she told me as we talked over a pack of Marlboro Reds on a warm Orange County night.
“Finish the 90 days,” she had said, “Or you will not make it and there will come a day where you will no longer be able to cry out ‘I’m a good person!’. You will lie. You will steal. You will become someone and something else. You will hurt everyone you love. You will lose everything, and just when you think you have lost it all, you will lose something else.”
About the Author:
If there is anything Hannah believes in, it’s hope, but that wasn’t always the case. For a long time, chaos was comfortable for Hannah, but at just 22 she would have to make her hardest decision yet: was life really worth living? Since picking up a pen Hannah has had a love for writing, and as an adult it would become her greatest tool in healing from an almost decade-long battle with severe mental illness and substance abuse. Her first book, Tiger Stripes, is a harrowing, raw telling of her year in and out of hospitals, treatment centers, and jail that finally led her on the road to recovery and freedom.
Hannah was born in Orange County, CA but has lived in the Los Angeles area for several years. She now lives in West L.A. with her boyfriend. When she is not writing she can be found reading, running, cooking, or finding the best vegan eats in L.A.!
Buy the book at Amazon , Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks, The Book Depositogry, or Chapters Indigo.
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A Look Back by Jeny Heckman – Guest Blog and Giveaway
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeny Heckman will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Hello everyone and thank you so much for joining me today!
When I thought of a guest blog to write I was trying to think of something different. Something that isn’t what you read every day. I know I should write about The Warrior’s Progeny, my new release. However, if you’ve been following me on my blog tour, you know quite a bit about it already now. If you haven’t, we’ve had a lot of fun, so check it out!
Anyway, in trying to think about a blog post I kept coming back to the first of the year. Do you remember that far back? It seems like so long ago now. A fellow Wild Rose Press author, Stephen King (no, not that one), sent out a call to action on our publisher’s loop. He’s from Australia and the wildfires were burning out of control then. He wanted to put an anthology together and donate all the proceeds to the wildfire victims. Stephen asked if anyone wanted to contribute to it, and so many people said yes, there was soon enough for not one anthology but three volumes, entitled Australia Burns. I work with a lot of charities and fundraisers and immediately said yes as well. Now, I just needed to write a short story.
I must have stopped and started a hundred of them trying to figure out something interesting to write for a short story. However, nothing felt right and we were on a very tight deadline. I was telling my daughter about it and she said why don’t you write about Vegas. I froze.
You see, my family was at the Route 91 concert in Las Vegas at the time of the massacre, where fifty-eight souls were murdered and eight-hundred and sixty-nine were injured, not to mention the thousands affected, mentally and emotionally. My two children were survivors of the concert. My husband and I chose not to go to the festival that night. Instead, he went to the casino floor to gamble a little, while I went up to our room in Mandalay Bay, to pack us all up for the next morning flight. I was five floors below the shooter, Stephen Paddock.
I knew at some point I’d write about the experience we all had that night but I always thought it would just be for our family and the friends we were there with that weekend. They all asked me to. I never wanted to profit from it though, so knew I probably wouldn’t be publishing it for mainstream consumption. When King, sent out that call to action and my daughter said, why don’t you write about Vegas, a flood of emotion enveloped me and after a long time I decided I would write it, because:
A) I wouldn’t be profiting from it
B) We were helpless that night and the thought of helping others in a helpless situation was appealing to me. It could benefit them.
C) The story needed to be told.
I immediately sat down and didn’t leave my office for two and a half days. The story flooded from me like a river and cleansed my heart. Obviously, I’ve never in my life experienced something like that tragedy before. Suddenly, we were all in a club. A club of other survivors having endured something horrific.
I thought I understood it. After all, when 9/11 happened or the various shootings across the country, you look at the people running, looking dazed and confused, and you empathize with them from the safety of your living room. You imagine what you’d do in a similar situation. However, you don’t realize the aftershocks of it with follow you through your life. That to most people October 1st is just another day, but to you it was the day you almost lost both of your children in a single night and, for fifty-eight sets of parents, they did. Of course, this night brought us closer together as a family, and of course, we were determined to change our lives for the better. We don’t take things for granted, not a single day. We don’t say I love you occasionally; we say it multiple times, every time we leave each other or hang up from a phone call. We make sure the batteries on our phones are charged and, if you receive two phone calls from someone in a row, you drop anything you’re doing and pick up. If you read the story you’ll see the experience became about hope, and determination and a whole lot of love.
Today, as we muddle through the craziness of our country and the pandemic, eventually we’ll come out the other side. For most of us the memories will fade and we’ll return to normal life. Maybe some things will be different, maybe they won’t. For others, their entire worlds changed with the loss of someone they loved. Their pain is real. Hopefully over the past few months you’ve been able to find joy in small things again. I mean, really, how often does the entire world get placed on hold for you to reevaluate your place within it?
It’s my hope we can all move forward with a little more compassion, and try to remember we are all human beings with things to offer.
If you want to read the story, it’s entitled “Dancing Through Tears,” and it’s in The Australia Burns Anthology, Volume Two.
May all your days be blessed, and thank you for joining me today! Want to hang out? Come visit me on my website. Thank you to Long and Short Reviews for hosting me; it’s been an honor!
Colton Stone is a newly traded tight end whose reputation is as battered as his football helmet. When he receives a vacation invitation from his new teammates, he accepts. There he collides with Dr. Lillian Morgan, a pediatric cardiovascular surgeon, and doesn’t know what to think.
A widow with two children, Lilly travels to Kauai to attend the wedding of a friend and witness the union she lost three years prior. When she meets Colt, she struggles between letting go of her perfect past for an uncertain future.
Strange events begin to occur, out of the realm of normal consciousness. Black energy touches their world and the couple become pawns of the immortal Greek gods. Is the love between them real, or part of a larger prophecy?
Enjoy an Excerpt
Colt’s body temperature heated until his helmet, now that of a Trojan, melted and became part of his skull. Painful, thick, fire plumes ignited from the sides of his head and curved toward the sky, until they solidified in a solid line down the middle of the helmet. Black snake-like smoke wafted up from the earth and encircled his ankles and wrists, locking him into place.
The smoke turned into bindings and massaged tentacles over his chest and phallus.
He looked over at Lilly, who now knelt helpless as her skin became dusky, then turned a brilliant shade of blue. However, the color became an iridescent hue that reminded him of something just outside the confines of his mind. Her skin bubbled, separated, and formed into thousands of compact hairs. Small points protruded from her shoulders and down her arms until they freed themselves from the surface of her skin, as she screamed. Several long, hollow shoots grew, lengthening into the elegant, arching rods, as more buds sprouted from them and turned into thready feathers. As the feathers lengthened, green and blue eyes opened in intervals. At a screech of transformation, Lilly turned into a peacock, whose tail plumed out in a perfect fan. A feathered diadem lifted from her skull and the beautiful eyes all blinked at him. He wanted to mate with her, devour her, possess her, and bellowed out an unearthly warrior battle cry. Breaking his bonds, he charged at her.
About the Author:
Award-winning author, Jeny Heckman, was born in Bellingham, Washington, and was the youngest of two daughters. She met her husband, Jeff, in August 1992, and eloped three months later, at Magen’s Bay, on St. Thomas, U.S.V.I.
She wrote her first book, the Catch, in a few short months but took several years before she gained the courage to self-publish it at her son’s urging, and her love for writing began.
In 2018, Jeny knew her next project would be a series that showed adults could have adventures in the paranormal-fantasy genre too. So, she created the Heaven & Earth series, a story of doomed Greek gods and their only salvation, their modern-day descendants. Her first book of the series, the Sea Archer, was immediately picked up by the New York publishing house, the Wild Rose Press, and won, “Best in Category” from the 2018 Chanticleer International Book Awards.
In the year 2020, Jeny released, Dancing Through Tears, a short story from the anthology, Australia Burns: Volume Two, highlighting the Route 91 massacre from the perspective of one family at the concert, and at Mandalay Bay. She also intends to release, the Warrior’s Progeny, and Dee’s Cornucopia, in 2020, continuing the Heaven & Earth Series.
Jeny lives in Washington State with her husband of over twenty-eight years.
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or iBooks.
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Winter Blogfest: Kate Hill
This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest.
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free download of Sofia’s Silver Bullet (Silver Hearts 2).
Watching Holiday Horror by Kate Hill
Delicious meals, decorations, music, family gatherings. Most people have holiday traditions they look forward to. For me, December is the time to indulge in Christmas horror movies. I am a huge fan of horror, and I anticipate watching winter-themed holiday movies every year. When I think of December, I imagine dark nights of snuggling by the warmth of the wood stove while strange, scary, and sometimes funny holiday movies flash across my TV screen.
I definitely have favorites that have become my staple holiday movies, but every year I also look forward to watching a few new ones.
For me, it wouldn’t be the holidays without seeing A Christmas Horror Story, Stalled, and Christmas with Cookie. A more recent favorite I’ve added to my holiday watch list is Slay Belles. I also don’t let the holiday season go by without watching the Tales from the Crypt episode And All Through the House.
As you can see, I especially enjoy indie movies and horror comedy.
If you’re also a fan of holiday horror, or if you’d like to try some holiday horror movies, I’d recommend the following ones. They’ve brought me many scares or laughs, and sometimes both.
A Cadaver Christmas – A janitor and a group of oddballs battle zombies (cadavers!) on Christmas Eve.
A Christmas Horror Story – This horror anthology includes individual scary stories that focus on citizens of the same town. Ultimately, their stories relate.
Sint (AKA Saint) – This unsettling holiday horror movie focuses on a terrifying Christmas legend.
Stalled – In this horror comedy, a janitor trapped in a woman’s rest room and an office worker struggle to survive a zombie attack during a Christmas party.
Are you also a fan of holiday horror? If so, I’d love to hear about some of your favorites so I can add them to my watch list.
Stalker – I’m a rogue wolf. No club. No gang. No pack. I’m free, and that’s how I like it. Roaming the streets in a Santa suit to antagonize demons into a fight, I meet her—the Wild witch who changes my life. I want Sam the moment I see her, but can a lone wolf fall in love at first sight?
Sam – I’m a Wild. That means I have warrior witch blood in my veins. I messed up, though, and someone I care about got hurt. To fix the situation, I’m in what’s left of Boston looking for demons so I can test a new spell. I’m not expecting a gorgeous silver wolf to protect me, and I’m not trying to fall in love, but one look at Stalker, and I know we were born for each other.
Note: Sam’s Silver Wolf is a very short age gap paranormal insta-love story with a little plot, a lot of heat, and a HEA.
Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who loves writing romantic fantasies. When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, watching horror movies, and researching vampires and Viking history. She runs the Compelling Beasts Blog that is dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal creatures. Kate also writes as Saloni Quinby.
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Buy the book at Amazon.
Death In The East by Abir Mukherjee
Death In The East by Abir Mukherjee
Publisher: Penguin Random House UK
Genre: Historical, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern1905, London. As a young constable, Sam Wyndham is on his usual East London beat when he comes across an old flame, Bessie Drummond, attacked in the streets. The next day, when Bessie is found brutally beaten in her own room, locked from the inside, Wyndham promises to get to the bottom of her murder. But the case will cost the young constable more than he ever imagined. 1922, India. Leaving Calcutta, Captain Sam Wyndham heads for the hills of Assam, to the ashram of a sainted monk where he hopes to conquer his opium addiction. But when he arrives, he sees a ghost from his life in London—a man thought to be long dead, a man Wyndham hoped he would never see again. Wyndham knows he must call his friend and colleague Sergeant Banerjee for help. He is certain this figure from his past isn’t here by coincidence. He is here for revenge . . .
After finally admitting his addiction problem, Captain Sam Wyndham has headed into the remote countryside of India at his doctor’s advice, to stay at an Ashram well known for its success in curing addicts. While there, Wyndham has many demons to face, and not all of them drug related. After finally coming out the other end, Wyndham realizes what he first mistook to be hallucinations caused by his getting clean are actually very, very real. Wyndham calls for his friend and colleague, Sargent Banerjee and together they can hopefully make things right again.
I was quite pleased the author didn’t skimp on the complexities and serious nature of Wyndham fighting – and beating – his addiction. This has been a slow burning plot from the very first book of the series and while I can understand some readers mightn’t be pleased that nearly the first three quarters of the book revolves around the Ashram and Wyndham fighting this particular battle I strongly felt such a long running – and life altering for Wyndham – plot deserved a good chunk of the story.
Indeed, the author managed to blend this “current” timeframe of Wyndham in 1922 with one of the very first cases the freshly minted police constable Wyndham ever came across back in 1905. At times I grew a little frustrated with the back and forth between the two timelines – I’m usually not a fan of this style of storytelling – but for the final quarter of the book it became crystal clear why the author had laid everything out in exactly this manner and I was quite pleased with how the two storylines dovetailed together and drew to the climax of the story.
I really love how this series crosses quite a few genres – it is a very well written historical series, also set in Colonial India, which has quite an injection of exoticness about it. It is also a very well plotted British police procedural style of murder mystery which is always a favourite of mine. I definitely feel this book – and the series as a whole – should appeal to quite a wide range of readers. This particular book might be better read in conjunction with at least a few others in this series. I do feel for the best emotional investment and appreciation of how hard this fight and resolution was for Wyndham – getting rid of his drug addiction – some of the background in previous books should give the reader a stronger attachment to this conclusion, but I have to be honest and I do feel this book would read quite well just by itself as well. Readers who find this book by itself shouldn’t hesitate to read it simply because it is one in a series – it holds up I feel exceptionally well just by itself.
Readers looking for a different style of murder mystery or police procedural definitely should give this a go. I enjoyed the plotting, characters and different setting and feel it’s a good book and well worth the read.
