Spotlight & Excerpt: Blackheart’s Treasure + Giveaway

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Blackheart’s Treasure
Blood Moon Series Book 1
by Gail Koger
Genre: Paranormal Romance

 

Aiden Blackheart is the most powerful werewolf ever born. He’s a bit surprised when he discovers his mate is an ordinary meter maid with some baggage. Okay, a lot of baggage, which includes a million-dollar bounty on her head, and she’s not quite human. What is she? Even she doesn’t know.
 
Like to laugh? Love mayhem? Do hot, sexy love scenes turn you on? Wanna know if a not quite human meter maid can find love with a billionaire Alpha wolf. Or will her enemies cut their romance short?
 

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blackheartstreasure - excerpt

I climbed into the Monte Carlo, careful not to sit on the spring poking through the torn seat cover and started it up. The car shuddered violently, backfired, and belched a cloud of thick, black smoke. Oh swell. This car was a motorcycle cop’s wet dream. I put the Monte Carlo in gear. The belts squealing loudly, the car lurched down the street.

“Don’t attract attention to myself, he says, kinda hard not to in this car,” I muttered and flipped on the air-conditioning. Dirt, dust, and hot air blasted from the vents, turning the interior of the car into a mini sandstorm. By the time I managed to turn it off, I was coated in muck. Morales had a nasty sense of humor.

A big, hairy spider crawled across the dash.

“Holy shit!” I did a kamikaze cut across two lanes of traffic.

Horns honked, tires squealed, and people shouted profane curses as I zigzagged wildly around their cars. Skidding into a Safeway parking lot, I managed to stop the Monte Carlo an inch from the front bumper of a black Ford F450 truck. Whew! That had been too damn close. The demon car shuddered violently, and the engine died.

The spider hopped up on the steering wheel.

With an ear-shattering shriek, I bailed out of the car. “Oh my God. Oh my God.”

“Have you lost your fucking mind?” An angry male voice bellowed.

“Spider,” I hollered back. My actions might seem extreme to most folks, but they hadn’t been locked in a shed with hundreds of arachnids crawling over them. In the dark. For hours. Daddy dearest said it was to break me of my fear of spiders. His therapy made it worse. I grabbed a bat out of the backseat and knocked the creepy crawly out of the car.

It landed on the man’s shiny black boots.

I raised the bat.

The bat was yanked out of my hand. “Are you off your meds?”

Ignoring angry guy, I did the Cha-Cha on the spider’s hairy ass. A zillion baby spiders ran in every direction. “Shit! Shit! Shit!” I jumped on the hood of my car.

“You’re fucking nuts.” Angry guy stared down at his scuffed-up leather. “You’re paying to get my boots shined.”

“Sure. Whatever.” I watched the spiders crawl up his pants legs. “Just keep your distance.”

“And if I don’t?”

My gaze snapped to angry guy’s face. The first thing I noticed was his eerie silver blue eyes and how he towered over me. Crap, he made the General look like a midget. Shaggy black hair framed the sculptured perfection of his face. Yowzers! He was hot. I studied his hard body. Those muscles hadn’t come from a gym. Nope, he had earned them, but how? Was he a soldier? Or a bounty hunter? Or maybe a cop?  He oozed authority.

In a quiet, scary voice he commanded, “Move your car, lady.”

“I can’t.” I slid off the hood, keeping out of his reach.

Angry guy gave me a smile fit for a bloodthirsty maniac. “Can’t or won’t?”

“I’m allergic to spiders.”

He took a menacing step toward me and wrinkled his nose. “Have you been dumpster diving?”

“God, no. I’m not that hungry yet.”

“Why do you smell like rotted food?”

I sighed. “It’s the car.”

“The car?”

The disbelief in his voice made me want to scream. “I’ll have you know; I didn’t look or smell like this ten minutes ago. That car is possessed,” I snapped.

“Possessed?” He cocked an amused eyebrow.

“Yeah. It is.” Figured. The first hot guy I meet, and he thinks I’m an escapee from the nut house.

“Move the damn car. I have an appointment in ten minutes,” angry guy growled.

“The keys are in the ignition. Move it yourself.”

“You’re a real piece of work.” Angry guy crammed himself into the driver’s seat and winced.

“Watch out for the spring,” I called about thirty seconds too late.

Angry guy bared his teeth at me.

Huh? It almost looked like he had fangs. I shook my head to clear it. I hadn’t slept in two days. Was I starting to hallucinate?

Vulgar curses filled the air.

I smothered a laugh. Angry guy’s knees were jammed under the steering wheel and no matter how hard he tried to move the seat back, it wouldn’t budge.

“Told ya. It’s possessed,” I yelled.

“When’s the last time you did any maintenance on this piece of crap?”

I shrugged. “Never. Just bought it.”

“Not too bright, are you?”

After the week from hell, I was done with arrogant males. I gave him the one fingered salute. “Fuck off. The Monte Carlo fits my budget.”

“You’d be better off taking the bus,” Angry guy said and started the engine. The minute he put the Monte Carlo in gear, the air-conditioner kicked on, and a cloud of dust whooshed out of the vents, blinding him. The engine revved like a race car. Vroom. Vroom. Vroom.

“Easy buddy. It’s an old car,” I shouted.

The vehicle suddenly zoomed forward, then veered to the left. Boom! The Chevy hit a yield sign. A geyser of steam gushed from under the hood.

I threw my hands up in the air. “Who taught you how to drive asshole?”

Angry guy climbed out of the Monte Carlo. His face was caked with dirt and his once pristine white dress shirt was a grimy mess.

I smothered a laugh. If looks could kill, I’d be dead. “Now do you believe me?”

Howdy. My name is Gail Koger and once upon a time I was a 9-1-1 dispatcher. Too many years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an uncontrollable craving for chocolate. I took up writing science fiction romance to keep from killing people. So far, it has worked.

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!
 

$25 Amazon gift card,

Aqua Pendant, ebook copy of Shenanigans,

1 winner each!

Spotlight & Giveaway: Small Places, by Matthew Samuels

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Small Places
by Matthew Samuels
Published: August 3, 2021
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 325

CW: Strong language and violence throughout, with some graphic injury detail, scenes of involuntary restraint, giant spiders, dead animals, implied cruelty to animals, and some fantastical creatures of a horrifying nature

TW: Cancer, mention of previous self-harm and an instance of a drink being tampered with

POSSIBLE ULTIMATE TOUR EXPERIENCE TICKETS: An Unforgettable Sidekick, Represent, Elves And Orcs And Dwarves, Oh My, It’s All About The Journey, The More The Merrier, A Villain You Love To Hate, Bring On The Magic, A Gate To Another World

Small Places - Matthew Samuels

Small Places is a no-nonsense urban fantasy fairy story. Jamie, a shy, lonely boy, runs an errand for a witch as a child, helping them ease a family friend’s experience of cancer. Thirteen years later, Jamie’s own mother is suffering from terminal cancer as well, and he’s come back to his childhood village to spend more time with her before the end. He receives a card from the witch, Melusine, asking for his help – and casting his mind back to his childhood experience – goes to see her, hoping she can help his mother. Amidst freak earthquakes and storms, he’s drawn into working with the bad-tempered Mel in an effort to find out what’s wrong with Gaia, the earth spirit, as they visit the Seelie and Unseelie courts, finding the former racist and the latter paranoid, meeting stoned fauns and beer-brewing trolls along the way. It’ll appeal to fans of Ben Aaronovich’s Rivers of London series, Charles de Lint’s work or Clive Barker’s Abarat series.

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Giveaway:

Prize: One of three physical copies of Small Places International
Starts: August 1st, 2021 at 12:00am EST
Ends: August 8th, 2021 at 11:59pm EST

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Author Info

Matthew Samuels is a science fiction and fantasy writer based in London, UK. His first novel was the Sci-Fi Solarpunk / Hopepunk adventure story Parasites, the first book in the Navigator Series. He enjoys reading, gaming, running, walking, EDM and perversely, quiet.

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Spotlight & Excerpt: Baited, by Jennifer Dean

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Baited
Bound Series, #3
by Jennifer Dean
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Little Fish Publishing
Date of Publication: August 3, 2021
ASIN: B093DT23XS
Number of pages: 230
Word Count: 52,000

 
Normal seniors worry about if they will get rejected from their dream school, what they are going to wear to their last prom, or if it’s possible to stay close with the friends they grew up with after high school.
 
But Emma Morgan has come to learn that normality is a thing of the past. 
 
Especially when her eighteenth birthday is a mere reminder of the newly accepted deal she has made to lure a vengeful immortal named Thomas back into Alexander territory. A plan that will certainly make the humans of her world safer but comes with the risk of not living to see graduation.
 
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Excerpt:

Despite the coldness of my tone, I heard a few light chuckles around the room. My gaze shifted to the ground before I dared to look back up at the many bright, expectant eyes surrounding me.

“I know I can’t do much, but I can do this.”

“Are you sure?”

I turned back to Liam as I heard the concern in his voice. I imagined that if the roles were reversed, I would carry the same worry for him.

“Yes,” I said, squeezing his hand to convey my assurance.

Once again, I turned my body to face Jane, bouncing my eyes up with a readied stare.

“What do I have to do?”

“I need you to know that what I’m asking comes with risk.”

“I understand.”

“No, you don’t,” Sean said. “By risk, she means you’re willing to accept that this help may come at the cost of losing your life.”

“He’s right,” Jane said. “I’m prepared to risk your life if it ultimately means bringing an end to Thomas.”

“Well…at least you’re honest,” I said with uneasiness.

 “I may be a bitch but at least I’m an honest one,” Jane said.

It was hard to not find humor in her words, as if she were reading the tagline from a movie written about her.

“Look, as much as your presence annoys me, I don’t wish to see your death. But I need you to know that this plan is about commitment. That goes for me as well. I’ll need to play my part just as much as you will yours. At times, you may even question my loyalty. However, we must rely on trust because it’s all we’ll have until we see this through.”

“So, you’re saying it’s going to get worse before it gets better.”

It wasn’t a question but a realization of the danger I was agreeing to dive into.

“Yes. This isn’t going to be easy. He’ll be seeking every opportunity for revenge for Liam’s betrayal. A revenge that will create a blood trail straight to you. One that could lead to your death.”

I caught sight of Mary’s bright stare across the room. Her first words to me echoed in my mind. Being with Liam means you will always be a target. I bit my lip with squinted eyes of confusion as I looked back at Jane. Before I could speak, my brother’s outburst interrupted me.

“You want us to just sit back and leave her for him like some immortal bait?”

Sean’s voice cracked with incredulity.

“He has to believe he has the upper hand. The only way that can happen is if you play your parts in leaving her vulnerable. From the moment I leave this house, you must portray a belief that the threat is gone.”

“By leaving her to be killed!”

Jane closed her eyes in frustration before turning to face Sean. Her neck stiffened with impatience but she paused in speaking, as if waiting to gain the composure that one needed when speaking to a petulant child.

“Thomas is a sadistic prick who likes to play games. His immediate goal won’t be to kill her but to show Liam and you that he can if he chooses to. You have to make it seem as if he’s in control. Being overprotective isn’t an option, Sean.”

“I understand what you’re saying and I even agree with your theory but as her brother, I can’t just…”

 Sean shook his head, clearly hoping to distract himself from the images circling his mind before turning a newly placed anger on Liam.

“You’re ok with this?”

“Of course not,” Liam said with an offended grimace. “I hate the idea of her being in any kind of harm’s way. But she’s going to do it whether I’m okay with this or not.”

As Sean rolled his eyes, Liam continued with a small grin, as if the behavior only proved his point.

“You only disrespect her by not allowing her to make this choice. So, regardless of your inability to accept it, I’ll stand by whatever she decides.”

“Thank you,” I said.

It was all I had time to say before a thud caused me to snap my neck back around. Sean stood facing the wall with his palms flat against it. He refused to look at anyone behind him. My eyes traveled up to a spot near his left hand, where I saw a deep hole the size of his fist.

The tension in the room lingered as I met his gaze. I had barely blinked before he moved to a kneeling position in front of me, his hands reaching out to hold mine with comforting warmth.

“Please don’t do this. I know you hate me and that’s fine. Hate me all you want. But please don’t make me have to risk your life this way. You don’t have to do this.” I looked into his pleading eyes, knowing that even with my anger I could never hate him. I paused, squeezing his fingers without breaking his bright golden gaze. “No, I don’t have to do this but I want to do this.”

He lowered his head in defeat before rising back to his feet and turning his attention to Jane. He remained silent, his body tense as he resignedly stood and walked back toward Grace.

“I’m short on time so I must leave you all,” Jane said. Then she looked at me. “I hope you survive this, Emma, I really do. But if fate has other plans, please know your sacrifice will have been an honorable one.”

“Thank you,” I said.

 I reached for Liam’s hand as Jane nodded with appreciation before she looked toward the leader of the Alexanders. Patrick gave one subtle nod of approval. It was enough verbal communication for Jane to begin walking backward in farewell.

“Good luck.”


About the Author:

 
Jennifer has studied Creative Writing and Literature and lives in Nashville, Tennessee. 
 
To find out more about her and her novels you can visit:
 
 
 
 

 

 

 
 
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