Blog Tour: SLIME SPEWING VAMPIRE VELOCIRAPTORS by Kat de Falla with Giveaway

 

 About the Book

 

Title:

SLIME SPEWING VAMPIRE VELOCIRAPTORS (Moto Maddie BMX Portal #2)

Author: Kat de Falla

Pub. Date: May 10, 2017

Publisher:  Ravenswood Publishing

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 118

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

 

When Pea opened a portal and the alien cat, Max Gigan, jumped through from another dimension, he certainly didn't expect the talking tomcat to stay on as a family pet. He soon learns it can come in handy to have a fur ball from an alternate universe around when his friend re-opens the portal letting in vampire velociraptors who want to slime and eat the whole city!

 

Pea’s dad is one of the first infected. But his dear old dad isn’t the only one. The dinosaurs escape the museum where the portal opened, and rampage through Milwaukee. As Pea's dad gets sicker, the BMX gang joins together with the feline army to corner the raptors and use them to develop an antidote. But Pea's meddling step-monster brothers threaten to ruin everything! A city wide alert goes out for the misidentified "turkeys" while Pea and his gang try to stay ahead of the hunt.

 

Can the kids capture the dinos and get them home before they control everyone with their vampire powers? Will Pea’s dad remain infected forever? Join Pea and his gang in their battle against the SLIME SPEWING VAMPIRE VELOCIRAPTORS.

 

About Book 1

 

Title:

FLYING MUTANT ZOMBIE RATS (Moto Maddie BMX Portal #1)

Author: Kat de Falla

Pub. Date: December 2, 2018

Publisher: Kat de Falla

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Pages: 132

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, iBooks, TBD

 

Summer vacation is almost here! And Pea O'Neil is stoked to try out the new local BMX track which is finally open. He and his gang of friends can ride all summer long!

 

But when Pea tries a back flip, he unwittingly opens a portal to another dimension and hordes of flying mutant zombie rats are unleashed upon the city. With the help of an otherworldly talking cat sent to help prevent the demise of humankind, Pea and his friends must hunt down the hungry mutants and send them back before the portal closes.

 

But when the zombie rats attack a neighbor man, the boys have to enlist the help of a graveyard looney and the city's stray cats. With time running out, Pea and his gang track the monsters to the city's sewer system. But in the city sewer of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it’s eat…or get eaten.

 

About Kat

 

Kat was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she learned to roller skate, ride a banana seat bike, and love Shakespeare. She holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is happily employed as a retail pharmacist. She is married to her soul mate, composer Lee de Falla and raising four kids together ala the Brady Bunch. The Seer's Lover was Kat's first book and she is working feverishly on four different series at the moment!

 

Register for her newsletter to learn about her upcoming projects and find out about deals and giveaways at http://eepurl.com/MFZ55

 

Kat is so much an extravert that she has come full circle and enjoys her alone time as much as her social adventures. Connect with Kat (who does indeed love cats!)

 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

 

Giveaway Details:

One lucky winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card, International.

 

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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
1/28/2019- Kelly P's Blog- Excerpt
1/29/2019- Lone Tree Reviews- Review
1/30/2019- Savings in Seconds- Review
1/31/2019- Character Madness and Musings- Spotlight
2/1/2019- Dazzled by Books- Excerpt 

Week Two:

2/4/2019- FUONLYKNEW- Review
2/5/2019- BookHounds YA- Interview
2/6/2019- Adventures Thru Wonderland- Review
2/7/2019- Owl Always Be Reading- Excerpt
2/8/2019- The Pages In-Between- Review 

Week Three:

2/11/2019- Wonder Struck- Review
2/12/2019- Novel Novice- Excerpt
2/13/2019- Book-Keeping- Review
2/14/2019- Twirling Book Princess- Excerpt
2/15/2019- Always Me- Review 

Week Four:

2/18/2019- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt
2/19/2019- Good Choice Reading- Spotlight
2/20/2019- Parajunkee- Excerpt
2/21/2019- Jaime's World- Excerpt
2/22/2019- CoffeeCocktailsandBooks Blog- Review

Cover Reveal: Demon Magic and a Martini by Annette Marie

Demon Magic and a Martini
Annette Marie
(The Guild Codex: Spellbound #4)
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: April 12th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Urban Fantasy

When I first landed a bartending job at the local guild, I didn’t know a thing about magic. These days, I’m practically an expert on the different magical classes, but there’s one nobody ever talks about: Demonica.

Turns out they have a good reason for that. My guild is strictly hellion-free, because who wants to risk life and limb to control the biggest bullies on the mythic playground?

Well, some people do, and now a demon has been loosed in the city. My three best friends are determined to slay it, but even badass combat mages are critically out-magicked. And that’s not all. The monster they’re tracking—it’s not hiding. It’s not fleeing. It’s not leaving a trail of corpses everywhere it goes.

The demon is hunting too. And in a city full of mythics, it’s searching for deadlier prey.

If we can’t unravel the demon’s sinister motivations, more innocent people will die, but finding the answers means digging into dark secrets … and learning truths I never wanted to know.

—
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn’t a reverse harem. It’s 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

—
THE GUILD CODEX: SPELLBOUND

Three Mages and a Margarita (#1)

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (#2)

Two Witches and a Whiskey (#3)

Demon Magic and a Martini (#4)

 

Add to Goodreads

 

Author Bio:

Annette Marie is the author of Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, its prequel trilogy Spell Weaver, and romantic fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast-paced adventures and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

Book Blitz: Piggybacker by Mikki Noble with Giveaway

Piggybacker
Mikki Noble
(Vessel of Lost Souls, #1)
Publication date: January 28th 2019
Genres: Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

TOO LATE TO SAVE HIS LIFE. NOT TOO LATE TO BRING HIM BACK.

Everyone thinks Marley tried to take her own life, that is, except Marley. After her mother sends her to a youth center for troubled teens, she starts hearing the voice of a boy who claims he was murdered and begins questioning her own sanity. The voice is Gavin, a seventeen-year-old boy who promises Marley he can help her find the truth about what happened the day she supposedly tried to kill herself—if she completes a resurrection spell in the next four days.

Upon discovering Gavin’s death in the newspaper, Marley realizes she’s not hallucinating, and that she has a chance to save Gavin’s soul and clear her name. The task seems simple: complete the spell, then she and Gavin are free, right? But a powerful, unseen force is determined to stop her, and soon Marley finds herself following clues from the universe to find ingredients for the ritual to save herself and her newfound friend, and most of all, to find the truth about what really happened that day.

Piggybacker is the first in Mikki Noble’s spell-binding Vessel of Lost Souls trilogy, and promises a thrilling mystery with powerful enemies, broken relationships, captivating magic, and two souls both caught up in a plot beyond any they could ever imagine.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

—

Are you a book reviewer?

Request a review copy here!

 

—

SNEAK PEEKS:

 

“I didn’t mean to shoot you,” Taylor says, pointing toward the arm he’s holding. That’s when I see the gun is still in her hand. “Besides, it’s only a graze. Don’t be such a baby.” Taylor demands, “Just let her go and we can forget this all happened.”

 

That’s when the second man jumps in the driver’s seat and the engine turns over. “It’s too late for that. You two are coming with us now.”

 

—

 

“What do I have to do?”

 

Follow the signs, he tells me. I see his lips move in the mirror, though I still hear his voice echo in my head.

 

Gavin’s reflection disappears and somehow, I know he’s gone. This magic thing is extremely annoying.

 

—

 

Abruptly, I plummet through the air. Panic sets in and my already racing heart begins pumping like a steam engine about to explode as I slash through heavy fog and closer to the ground. Dead people can’t die, I remind myself. The fall cannot kill me.

 

Knowing this, I still flinch as the ground closes in. I shudder to think about what’s going to happen and close my eyes tight.

 

Splat.

 

 

Author Bio:

As far back as she can remember, Mikki was creating characters and stories in her head. It wasn't until fate brushed the tip of its wings over her eyes that she began to see that writing was what she was born to do. She loves animals, reading, everything supernatural related, and enjoys spending her free time on social media whenever she can.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Book Blitz: Three Burning Red Runaway Brides by Kevin James Breaux with Giveaway

Three Burning Red Runaway Brides
Kevin James Breaux
(The Water Kingdom, #3)
Publication date: January 14th 2019
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Sabrina London is back! The fate of the Elemental Kingdoms rests in the hands of its newest ruler: Sabrina London. When last seen, the fairy princess had made a deal with the King of Filth to save the lives of her friends. Now she is fighting to live the life she wants while trying to save the lives of millions. A monster, more dangerous than any other she has overcome threatens both the human and non-human world. How will she restore the balance? Despite the risks, Sabrina enlists the aid of one of her people’s biggest rivals. She has spun a complex web of lies and deception, now trying to gain her freedom, unaware that everyone she allies with has their own plans. THREE BURNING RED RUNAWAY BRIDES is the action-packed third and final book in The Water Kingdom Series, following TWO POLLUTED BLACK-HEART ROMANCES and ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

—

EXCERPT:

 

Chapter 1 – Perfect Body Double

 

There was a time when Sabrina London lived for this—the loud, thumping music, the bright, pulsating lights, the scent of perfume mixed with sweat—but that was then, not now. Crazy, just how much could change in six months—seemingly everything.

This was her first time back in civilization. Fitting that it was the hottest spot in Los Angeles on one of, if not the biggest, nights to party: Club Afterlife on New Year’s Eve.

Every year, the club hosted one of their famous masquerade balls. This year’s theme was Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death.”

Sabrina blended in, just another partygoer draped in a loose, crimson robe, with a stark white, full facemask on. The disguise allowed her to witness the events of the night anonymously.

She may have been there in secret, but she was not there alone.

Her partner had circumnavigated the long lines and gained entrance to the club with ease, then singled out her target and made her move. After months and months of development, the plan was finally in motion.

Sabrina watched from across the crowded club. Her double had done a good job, maybe even too good a job. Jackson had been easily seduced.

Her double had commandeered a VIP booth and then slyly fucked a man Sabrina had feelings for. Sabrina had not realized until then, when her nails cut into her sweaty palms, that she had made two tight fists—one for each of them.

Skipper sauntered back, although clearly uncertain on her heels and clumsy in her billowing, Victorian-style dress. Sabrina had nicknamed her body double Skipper for many reasons. One was to remind her of her place—Skipper was always Barbie’s lesser and Sabrina hoped the name reminded the girl of just that.

Just as Sabrina felt her blood heat, Jackson called out her name; the ruse had worked.

Sabrina waved to Skipper from where she hid around a tall marble pillar. When the girl got there, Sabrina could hear her panting—she was almost out of breath.

“I didn’t tell you to fuck him. Here. In front of everyone,” Sabrina snapped. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“You told me to seduce him,” Skipper said over the loud dance music. “I did, and it worked.” She smiled as she fixed her lace Venetian masquerade mask. “You heard him, right? He just shouted out your name.”

Sabrina settled herself quickly. She could see Jackson approaching through the dense crowd. “Fine. Time to take this to the next step. He needs to see you. All of you.”

Skipper nodded.

“He’s coming,” Sabrina’s guard interrupted.

“Already did,” Skipper said under her breath.

“Remember the plan. Get him to take you home,” Sabrina repeated for what felt like the thousandth time. “Do whatever it takes to convince him you are Sabrina London. He needs to…one hundred percent…believe the lie.”

“And if he doesn’t believe me?”

“You know that answer. Don’t make me say it again.”

Skipper nodded.

“Good. Go. Run out the door. He’ll follow you.”

“Will you be okay here?”

Sabrina made a sour face as she glanced about, like it all—the music, the lights, the crowds—disgusted her. “Me? I’m leaving.”

“Okay. Wish me luck.”

“Good luck, Skipper.”

With that, Sabrina’s double stepped into the crowd, caught Jackson’s attention and then dashed for the door. Sabrina stared longingly at her former lover as he passed her by, but he didn’t even glance her way. Even if he had, all he would have seen was another person dressed as Red Death.

“We should get you to the roof,” Sabrina’s guard urged. “Dunyasha will be waiting for us.”

Sabrina gazed at the ceiling, as if she could see the vampire through it. “She’s pacing. For someone with so much time at her disposal, she’s incredibly impatient.”

“My queen?” her guard prompted again.

“Yes, Voss, let’s go home. I’ve had enough of this place.”

Author Bio:

Kevin James Breaux has written nine books and devoted the past twelve years of his life to crafting short stories and novels. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Paranormal Romance Guild, and other groups.

Breaux is always enthusiastic about the challenge writing presents. He lives by the motto "Write Makes Might!"© and sees each new page as an opportunity to improve and advance.

Breaux was formerly represented by Marisa A. Corvisiero, the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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Book Blitz: Bound By Obsession by Trish McCallan with Giveaway

Bound By Obsession
Trish McCallan
Publication date: February 21st 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

When Navy SEAL Brett (Tag) Taggart’s ex-love is kidnapped during her wedding—to another man—Tag joins his SEAL brethren to rescue her. The mission reveals why Sarah walked out on him two years earlier, a revelation that serves to inflame the baggage between them. This time—after the danger settles and Sarah is free, will Tag be the one to walk away?

Goodreads / Amazon

 

—

EXCERPT

 

“You shouldn’t be here.” Her voice was flat, a careful monotone.

 

He locked down a flinch. That even, cautious tone was another departure from the free living, expressive spirit she’d been back then.

 

“We need to talk,” he said, channeling that same flat monotone.

 

“There’s nothing to talk about.” She backed up a pace, as though she were about to slam the door in his face.

 

“Then you can listen.” He stuck his foot in the doorframe and locked down every ounce of emotion. “Look, I’m not here to get you back, okay? That ship sailed a long time ago. But you used to be a friend, and you’re about to make a big mistake. That’s something I can’t walk away from.”

 

“This isn’t your business.” The skin around her eyes tightened.

 

“I’m making it my business.” He forced the next words out, all too aware that the bearer of bad news was usually the one skewered and strung. “You don’t know what you’re getting into. Mitch isn’t the guy you think he is.”

 

“I know exactly the kind of man he is.” She contradicted him, her voice even tighter than before.

 

“Do you?” Tag asked grimly. “Then you know your loving fiancé is fishing at the BU and taking a new catch home every night?”

 

Something slipped through her eyes. But it wasn’t pain. It was more calculating than that.

 

“I don’t care.”

 

Tag rocked back on his heels. She didn’t care? That didn’t sound like the Sarah he’d known.

 

She must have seen the surprise on his face, because she leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping with intensity. “Look, nothing you say is going to change my mind. Nothing. Just go.”

 

He shook his head, disoriented. Could she really have changed that much over the course of two years? The Sarah he’d been in love with would never have put up with Mitch’s bullshit. Not if she’d known about it. The Sarah he’d loved had too much pride for that.

 

With a lift of his eyebrows, he cocked his head, studying her. Every freckle stood out like flecks of gold on her white face. He regrouped, frowning. There was something off here. Way off.

 

Author Bio:

Trish McCallan was born in Eugene, Oregon, and grew up in Washington State, where she began crafting stories at an early age. Her first books were illustrated in crayon, bound with red yarn, and sold for a nickel at her lemonade stand. Trish grew up to earn a bachelor's degree in English literature with a concentration in creative writing from Western Washington University, taking jobs as a bookkeeper and human- resource specialist before finally quitting her day job to write full time.

Forged in Fire, the first book in her Red Hot SEALs series, came about after a marathon reading session, and a bottle of Nyquil that sparked a vivid dream. She lives today in eastern Washington. An avid animal lover, she currently shares her home with four golden retrievers, a black lab mix and two cats.

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Book Blitz: Wicked Obsession by Patti O’Shea with Giveaway

Wicked Obsession
Patti O’Shea
(The Paladin League, #1)
Publication date: January 22nd 2019
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Blue-blooded woman

As an ambassador’s daughter, Langley Canfield has lived all over the world, but she’s never fit in—not abroad and not at home. She thought she found a man who loved her for who she is, but when it becomes obvious that she’s the only one with deep feelings, Langley breaks up with him and heads across the country for a friend’s wedding.

Blue-collar guy

Special Forces Sergeant Ryder Pienkowski knew that he’d never be able to hold on to Langley Canfield, that she was completely out of his league, but it still stuns him when she ends things between them. He’s trying to get her out of his head when her father arrives and tells Ryder there’s a death threat directed at her. Without hesitation, Ryder hops on a plane and flies out to protect Langley. She might not want him anymore, but he’s not letting anyone hurt her.

Goodreads / Amazon

 

—

Behind the Scenes of Wicked Obsession

 

Some books don’t have much of a behind-the-scenes story, but that isn’t the case with Wicked Obsession. Here are some things that went on with this book.

 

Ryder and Langley weren’t supposed to be first in The Paladin League series. One of Ryder’s friends and that guy’s heroine were slated for that spot, but when my long-time writing buddy, Trish McCallan, asked if I was interested in doing connected stories, Ryder arrived.

 

Originally, Trish and I planned to write novellas, but both our stories expanded until they were novels. Oops! We decided to go with full books and forged onward.

 

As I wrote, Straight Up by Paula Abdul continually played in my head and it became the theme for this book. I’ll never be able to hear it again without thinking of Ryder and Langley.

 

In the first draft of Wicked Obsession, chapter 6 was the opening chapter. I needed to back up because too much happened before that point. Sometimes it’s hard to tell where to begin writing, and this was the first story I’ve tackled since I lost my mom to breast cancer. It was hard to get back in the swing of things.

 

My characters tell me their names—I don’t get to pick them. Ryder was straightforward and gave me his full name right away. Langley provided her first name immediately, but her last name changed multiple times over the first few chapters.

 

I always find pictures of my hero and heroine early in the writing process. By then I know them well enough to find a person who looks like them and that image also helps reveal things about my characters that I didn’t know at the start. With Ryder, I knew he was Polish from his surname, but I didn’t realize he was also half Italian until I found his picture.

 

In the series arc for The Paladin League, the hero from book 3 showed me a whole lot of attitude. I didn’t know what his problem was, and since I wasn’t working on his story yet, I didn’t try to find out. Wicked Obsession showed me why he acted the way he did.

 

No two books ever seem to write the same, and this one blazed its own trail. Sometimes it frustrated, but I enjoyed Ryder and Langley and I’m glad I was able to tell their story.

 

Author Bio:

 

Nationally bestselling author Patti O'Shea has won many awards for her writing and been nominated for even more. Her books have appeared on the Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, and Borders bestseller lists and have earned starred reviews in prestigious publications such as Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

 

At various points in her life, Patti O'Shea wanted to be a doctor, a pilot, an archeologist, an astronomer, a figure skater, a ballerina, an oceanographer, a marine biologist, and a photographer before she discovered writing at the age of fourteen. That's when she knew what she really wanted to be when she grew up.

 

By the time she entered the University of Minnesota, she realized she'd need a practical career. She chose the School of Journalism and took classes in nearly every discipline the college offered. After graduating with a degree in Advertising Copywriting (and far more credits than she needed), she promptly went to work for Northwest Airlines—in accounting. Since then she's moved throughout the company, working in departments like Technical Records, Tech Publications, and 757 Engineering. After the merger with Delta, her job was moved to Atlanta and Patti followed it. She works in TechOps in Maintenance Programs.

 

Born with a need to see everything, Patti has traveled to far off and exotic places like Papua New Guinea, Fanning Island, and the Yukon Territory in Canada. Along the way, she's had the opportunity to experience a lot of cool things. In Alaska, she saw a humpback whale breach near the catamaran on which she sailed; she's visited a salt mine in Austria and traveled to a lower level by sliding down a wooden rail; and she's seen a shark fin break the water in Australia right next to the small boat she was on. She's visited just about every one of King Ludwig's castles in Germany; watched the cliff divers of Acapulco; and was nearly mugged in a parking lot in Los Angeles.

 

With her wanderlust sated, Patti finally decided to get serious about writing. She quickly discovered that her travel and her eclectic education were all training to become an author. It's helped her to know a little bit about a lot of things since she's had characters that have been computer geeks, army officers, private investigators, demons, thieves, and other assorted careers. She's even managed to incorporate pieces of some of the places she's visited into her stories.

 

Website / Goodreads

 

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Book Blitz: No Cowboys No Angels by Petie McCarty with Giveaway

No Cowboys No Angels
Petie McCarty
(Mystery Angel Romances #1)
Publication date: November 28th 2018
Genres: Adult, Mystery, Romance

. . . a cozy romantic mystery with suspense from The Mystery Angel Romances series. An angel hidden in every book, waiting for the reader to figure out who . . .

Kellen Brand’s inheritance turns out to be a whopper — one dilapidated farm in West Virginia and one guardian angel! Since Kellen is convinced no sane woman would choose to live in Riverside, she vows to sell her farm and quick.

Her handsome and reclusive neighbor Luke Kenyon must block the farm sale or risk exposure of his family’s secrets. While Kellen has located one potential buyer, she faces a town full of objectors. Someone is trying to frighten her off, and Luke is forced to step in and rescue her more than once.

Unfortunately, Kellen can’t seem to stay out of trouble. She stumbles onto a clandestine hazardous-waste-dumping operation next to her farm, and she prays Luke has one more rescue up his sleeve. It’s her only hope of staying alive.

Unless her mother really did leave her a guardian angel . . .

Book 2–No Angels for Christmas–coming April 2019
Book 3–The Angel and the SEAL–coming June 2019

Goodreads / Amazon

 

—

EXCERPT

 

The frigid water closed in over Kellen, and she lashed out with both arms to force her head above the surface for a desperate breath. Her hiking boots would sign her death warrant. They already felt like concrete blocks. She had only minutes, maybe seconds, to keep herself afloat. She thrashed again, and this time her face barely cleared the water’s surface. She was ready and screamed with all her might.

 

Icy water filled her eyes, and her arms stroked hard to keep her mouth above the water long enough to grab a precious lungful of air. She scissored her legs to help her dwindling buoyancy, but the physical act was so difficult with the boots on, her muscles screamed with the effort.

 

How many more times can I get a breath? Two, maybe three?

 

Her arm muscles strained in revolt as she scissored her legs again. She plummeted farther after each thrust, and her best effort barely pushed her mouth and nose above the surface. She didn’t scream again. There was no one around to hear, and she couldn’t spare the strength. Less than a minute had passed since she’d hit the freezing water.

 

Downward she stroked her arms hard, but the heavy flannel shirt dragged against the motion. She opened her eyes to see the surface, and at the peak of her thrust, her lips were still underwater. She tried to scissor her legs, but she had nothing left. She feared she would sink and flailed both arms upward. Death hovered at her shoulder, near as the blackest of shadows beneath the dock, tangible enough that she could reach out and touch the darkness. Another stroke downward, and she jerked her head back, ready to grab a breath. She could see a blurred shadow moving overhead. Hope buoyed her efforts to escape from the frigid arms of the river drawing her down, and she forced her way to the surface.

 

A huge hand plunged into the icy water and grabbed her right arm. Kellen felt her body straining toward the surface. The second her mouth was exposed to the air, she gasped for a breath. A cough wracked her frame and threatened the tenuous hold of the mighty hand on her arm. She sunk back down, her eyes filled with water, and her vision blurred. She knew she weighed a ton—with the soaked clothing and boots—and panicked thinking the hand couldn’t hold on. Yet she was dragged higher until another hand grabbed the back of her shirt, and her body careened up and sideways onto the deck. The mighty hands released her, and she clutched at the wooden planks to be sure she was far enough from the precipice to the icy water. She heaved two successive gasps, and a hard sob wracked her frame.

 

Two strong arms tugged her upright. She blinked rapidly to clear her blurred vision and saw Luke’s face, his dark eyes wide. Nothing had ever looked so good to her in all her life. With another hard sob, she threw herself into his arms and broke into tears. The brush with death shattered all her resolve and kindled emotions buried in the deepest recesses of her heart.

 

He yanked her roughly to him and clutched her tight to his chest, mumbling soothing words into her ear. His warmth seeped into her, and she clung to him like her lifeline, digging her fingers into his back, unwilling to let go and unable to stop crying.

 

“I almost d-drowned,” she stuttered, her face buried against his warm and now soaked chest.

 

“Good Lord, I know,” he rumbled and crushed her even tighter against him.

 

“If you had been a minute later,” she wheezed and tried to look up at him.

 

“Don’t even think that!”

 

She flinched and leaned back. His gaze looked hard and unyielding.

 

“Just be glad I got here in time,” he whispered harshly, and his eyes went black as onyx. He cupped her cheeks, lowered his mouth, and gently brushed his lips against hers.

 

The sizzle of heat shot straight to her heart and warmed her from the inside out. All she could manage was a nod. His kiss twisted all her wild emotions into a spinning vortex, allowing her only to react without thought, and she leaned in to kiss him again.

 

Author Bio:

Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World -- "The Most Magical Place on Earth" -- where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her "day" job to write her stories full-time. These days Petie spends her time writing sequels to her regency time travel series, Lords in Time, and her cozy-mystery-with-a-dash-of-romantic-suspense series, the Mystery Angel Romances.

Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and a noisy Nanday conure named Sassy who made a cameo appearance in No Angels for Christmas.

My first two books released by the now-closed Desert Breeze Publishing--Everglades and Catch of the Day--are temporarily unavailable while I change publishers. You can contact me at petiemccarty@gmail.com for updates on their re-release.

Visit Petie's web site online at petiemccarty.com or her Facebook page at Facebook.com/petie.mccarty.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

 

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