The Ground Gave Way Weekend Writing Warriors

Warriors logo revisedI’m in the process of moving, so I’ve been offline a few days, had internet connectivity issues etc. Sigh. But here’s to a Happy New Year and best wishes to all!

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

Sharing now from my newly released scifi romance Aydarr (A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel): Sectors New Allies Series Book 1. Yup, a mouthful LOL!

I skipped ahead a little bit and edited slightly to fit our guidelines here.

The excerpt:

A bolt of lightning arced across the sky, and Jill broke into a zigzag run, forcing her body to respond to her terror. Standing anywhere close to a giant tree in a thunder storm was a recipe for disaster.

I’m in a nightmare, not a dream, but it’s all too real. In her headlong flight, she stepped on a rock or a sharp root and cried out, but she kept going as thunder boomed.  Ignoring the pain from her foot, she suddenly slammed into an invisible barrier and bounced off, falling on her back. Cautiously she rose, extending her arms. The barrier was a tingling against her palms. She tried going right then left, but the wall ran for quite some distance in both directions.

The rain lashed her face and barely-covered body, like stinging nettles, adding impetus to her desperation to find cover.

The ground gave way under her feet…

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]The book blurb:  

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

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New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday December 27

crossing quinnI hope your holiday season is going along merrily!

As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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CROSSING QUINN (COLETTI WARLORDS) by Gail Koger

Quinn Jones is a formidable Coletti warlord. His mission is to capture Xenia and bring her back to Tanith to be mated with a warrior the Overlord has chosen. Problem is, Quinn finds himself falling for the beautiful Farin. Her unusual “psychic powers, combat training, and berserker abilities” make her the perfect mate for him. How does he convince Xenia and the Overlord that she’s meant to be his?

Xenia and her parents are relic hunters who just discovered the fabled home world of the Nabateans. She isn’t about to leave the greatest find of the century to hook up with some Coletti. Not happening. Ever. No matter how many threats the Overlord makes or that he’s sending his best hunter to apprehend her. Okay, she’ll admit she’s drawn to the handsome warlord and she loves the way Quinn’s heavily muscled body fills out his black battle suit, but the egotistical jerk is about to get his ass handed to him.

When the galaxy is threatened with annihilation, Xenia and Quinn join forces to stop the murderous Tai-Kok. Fate has brought them together and nothing will stand in the way of their victory or their love.

Amazon

rescued by the cyborgRESCUED BY THE CYBORG (CY-CON 1) by Jessica Coulter Smith

Magnolia Baker has spent most of her life in space with her father. Despite the rowdy crew, she’s been sheltered… until pirates board them and kill everyone in sight. She hides, avoiding them at all cost and praying for a miracle. Then more men board the ship. When a sexy cyborg finds her hiding in the cargo hold, she has the strange urge to trust him.

Zelranian cyborg, Lathim, has only ever wanted one thing. A mate. When he boards a stolen ship and finds a frightened human female, his protective urges take over. He’s seen human females before, but not once has his body responded to one. Until now. One look at Maggie and all he can think is — Mine.

Amazon     iBooks

lethal impactLETHAL IMPACT (SHATTERED STARS BOOK 2) by Viola Grace

Living as human prey beneath the earth, Fiona knew that anything would be better than the life that stretched ahead. The stars made an offer and she took it.

Used as a sexual trading card between the rich and powerful survivors of the lethal impact has left Fiona with an urge for change. She needs out and the offer from an alien race to be a bondservant until she paid out her transport and training is an offer she wants to take them up on.
Once on the education base she gets the help she needs to feel something again, and that training is going to come in useful when her test results come back and place her in an elite group of humans who can be of use to the Hmrain.
Aarak has just learned about the humans from his sibling, and as he was in the area, he decided to see if another human could be found with the high sensuality rating that his people needed to feed. He wasn’t thinking of his people, he was thinking of securing a long-term bond mate that would serve him as he needed it. He could never have anticipated the wounded woman with the heart of gold who brought up instincts he never knew he had.

Amazon     iBooks

draekon abductionDRAEKON ABDUCTION (DRAGONS IN EXILE BOOK 4)  by Lili Zander and Lee Savino

How to fail as an intergalactic spy:
1. Crash spaceship on wrong planet.
2. Break leg.
3. Get abducted by rogue prisoners.
4. End up with two pairs of dragon-shifters claiming I’m their mate.

Here’s a report for the CIA: The aliens are freaking good kissers.

The mission was simple: Go to the Zorahn planet. Spy on the aliens.

One space ship crash later, we’re the ‘guests’ of a savage bunch of exiles. My cover as a bombshell bimbo is too good… because now four alien dragons are fighting over me.

They intend to court me until I choose between them. Secret mission or not, I’m gonna end up with two Draekon mates.

Amazon

karikKARIK (WEREDRAGONS OF TUVISO) by Maia Starr

Dr. Vanessa Lopez feels alone in the fight. Cyborgs and machines have taken over
Earth, forcing her and other humans to hide in the isolated protected village of
Haven Brook. But when the alien weredragon King Karik Korinth arrives with a
proposal to help the humans defeat the cyborgs with his army, she is suspicious.
Where is this army he speaks of? He wants more from her. No, she won’t give in.

Karik is on a mission to save his race of Veruka from the Blackness plague. He’s only
interested in the humans for their medical knowledge. ..(much more…)

Amazon

lily and the crownTHE LILY AND THE CROWN  by Roslyn Sinclair

Ariana “Ari” Geiker lives an isolated life on an imperial space station commanded by her father. The skilled, young botanist rarely leaves her living quarters, where she maintains an elaborate garden. When an imperious older woman is captured from a pirate ship and given to her as a slave, Ariana’s perfectly ordered life is thrown into chaos. Her nameless slave is watchful, intelligent, dangerous, and sexy, and seems to know an awful lot about tactics, star charts, and the dread, marauding pirate queen, Mir. What happens when the slave also reveals an expertise in seduction to her innocent mistress?

Amazon     iBooks

chosen by stacyCHOSEN (CHOSEN SERIES BOOK 1) by Stacy Jones

One minute Lily is trying, and failing, to run her grandmother’s farm—her last remaining connection to her family. The next, she wakes to find herself in a cold, sterile cage surrounded by monsters, with no memory of how she got there. Accidentally abducted by alien poachers, unsure if she will live or die, she is dreading the worst. What she doesn’t expect is for her captors to dump her on an alien planet to fend for herself. Now, she must fight to survive the planet… or die trying.

Frrar, Tor, and Arruk have been searching endlessly for a mate to belong to, someone to finally accept them, but they are losing hope. The time of cleansing, when the great waters drown the land, draws near. They are on the verge of abandoning their search and fleeing the forest when they spot a strange, tiny, two-armed female. They are immediately drawn to her, fascinated by her differences, but they must act fast to save her life, and their own, from the coming flood.

Amazon

bring me the deadBRING ME THE DEAD by Becky Black

VS Note: From October, has NO reviews on Amazon (at least not when I checked) but the Dear Author blog gave it a B-, sounded interesting so I thought I’d mention it here.

A million years, ago a galactic empire fell. That ancient empire is a source of many things. Wonder, knowledge, academic careers, and treasure. Treasure is what Beau Johnson seeks, tracking down artifacts for high-paying clients. Once a top student at the specialist institute for the study of the ancient empire, Beau rejected respectable archaeology and academia in favor of adventure.

Unlike his one-time rival Park Ki-tae, a brilliant student who became an enforcement agent tasked with keeping Imperial artifacts out of private collections. Beau thinks Ki-tae needs to loosen up, have more fun, and stop making it his life’s work to send Beau to jail. Ki-tae thinks Beau is a rogue and a criminal, and that it was a big mistake to sleep with him that one time…

When a client sends Beau after a legendary artifact that allows communication with the dead, Ki-tae pursues, sure that this time he’ll nail Beau. But circumstances force them to work together and deal with the feelings for each other they’ve both long denied. They have very different plans for the artifact they’re seeking–if it’s not a myth. Will they ever agree on their plans, or on anything else at all?

Amazon     iBooks

renegade hopeRENEGADE HOPE (SHIFTING ALLIANCES BOOK 4) by Severine Wolfe

Renegades were considered traitors. But, were they?

Rylan had spent a lifetime hiding who he was, making sure he and his twin sister, Sensi, appeared to be just like everyone else on their homeworld. But, when he is betrayed and sold into slavery he vows he will find out who did it and why. After his rescue, he plots and he plans, and then he runs into his bond mate. The woman is a cipher to him, a blank slate that he cannot read.
Alana Myerson is angry. She is furious with short bursts of terror mixed in as she tries to cope with being on a foreign planet and not allowed to return to Earth. She bides her time learning the new languages that surround her in this new world, and she determines to do what no other linguist on Earth has done in a century, learn a brand-new language from the ground up. It is a new purpose. However, her determination to learn how language develops in telepathic races is stymied by refusal to learn the origins of their languages on their homeworlds.
Both are forced to face their destiny together and learn that just because you’ve left Earth doesn’t mean you’ve left politics behind.
Rylan and Alana learn that betrayal is not always betrayal, and sometimes you have to betray what you love to rid it of the rot at its center.

Amazon     iBooks

dragon rebornDRAGON REBORN (DRAGON POINT BOOK 5) by Eve Langlais

I’m not crazy. I’m a dragoness.

Deka knows she’s the center of the universe, but sometimes even the almighty sun has to act when her main squeeze disappears. Samael might not yet recognize that they’re mates.

But he will.

She won’t give him a choice. First, though, she has to find him.

An ancient enemy has captured her stud. It is going to be super dangerous getting him back. Awesome because Deka thrives on risk—and will do anything for love.

Amazon     iBooks

white hot rulers of the skyWHITE HOT (RULERS OF THE SKY BOOK 3) by Paula Quinn

Musician and heartthrob Jacob White doesn’t need the blood of Drakkon running through his veins to know he turns heads when he steps into a room. He’s crafted in long, lean muscle beneath alabaster skin and a mane of silky white, shoulder-length hair. He has it all, fame, fortune, and now, thanks to his blood being altered, he can soar through the sky, dance with the stars, and breathe fire. It’s all he’s ever wanted—until he awakens after his first night as Drakkon and looks into the eyes of a woman whose courage and determination truly change his life.

River Wray’s life on the small Isle of Harris has been plagued by memories brought upon her family by a dragon her father claims to have seen many years ago. Now, after another dragon has burned her farm and eaten her cattle she must rely on a gorgeous, mysterious dragon shifter to keep her and her family safe. Soon, his fiery touch and smoldering glances become all she can think about, until they’re no longer enough. But should she give her heart to an immortal, a man whose passionate kiss makes the stars sing? And even if she can, can love survive the Red Drakkon coming for revenge?

Amazon

blaiseBLAISE (THE BLOOD LAKE CHRONICLES BOOK 2) by Amy Kuivalainen 

Eldon Blaise, magician and misfit, has arrived at Gwaed Lyn to turn Rosa’s life upside down. Not only is he claiming to be the lost son of Eli Vane and his human wife Deryn, Rosa’s ancestor, but that he also used to be none other than Merlin Wylt, the magician of legend who fought by King Arthur’s side.

The curse the Autumn Queen has placed over the Aos Si is breaking, but she isn’t prepared to go down without a fight, and releases the one person that brought the great Merlin to his knees…Nimue.

Her spirit broken from a lifetime imprisoned by the Autumn Queen, Nimue must convince the Vanes to trust her. She wants to be free of the Queen forever, but winning over Merlin is going to be no easy task. She broke his heart, and being together again will bring back a life of pain and passion that neither of them can fight.

To defeat the Autumn Queen and protect Gwaed Lyn, Merlin will have to stop running and become the powerful man he used to be…that includes having the fearless and formidable Nimue by his side.

Amazon     iBooks

red robinRED ROBIN AND THE HUNTSMAN: A TWO THRONES NOVELLA  by Nicola M Cameron

It’s Frostfair time in Ypres, but not everyone is looking forward to the winter holiday. Army captain Duncan Bardahlson has been dispatched to the tiny province of Wellen mere days before Frostfair to track down a legendary bandit known as the Redbird. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Duncan also has to deal with Roberta “Robin” Busse, the widowed countess of Wellen and his long-lost love.

When Duncan learns that Robin and her young son Charlie are in desperate straits, the hunt for the Redbird takes an unexpected turn. An overbearing tax collector, an impish priest, a very large pig, and a pair of bickering younger brothers all promise to make this holiday season a nightmare for Duncan — unless he can rekindle his romance with Robin.

And find the Redbird, of course. But Duncan isn’t called the Huntsman for nothing.

Amazon

midwinter faeMIDWINTER FAE by Various

VS Note: I love their cover!

On the day of the shortened sun
A battle between two kings has begun.
The old year dies, and the Oak King rules
We celebrate with logs of Yule!
But the Holly King is defeated, not dead
To Caer Arianrhod he heads.
Until Midsummer, when they battle again
And the Holly King will once again reign…

This collection includes nineteen tales of faeries and magic at Midwinter.

Amazon     iBooks

rescued by emeryRESCUED BY EMERY: DEEP RIVER SHIFTERS (BOOK 2) by Lisa Daniels

Months after the disastrous rafting trip, Cora still feels guilty about what happened, despite the fact everything turned out alright. When her brother comes home unexpectedly, she has the distraction she needs. Until he tricks her into an excursion that includes the one person she does not want to see – Ryland. Now her bubbly façade is threatening to crack, revealing just how much she has been through over the years.

Emery is accustomed to being called in when someone needs help. He has a knack for getting to the root of the problems, and he has a particular interest in Cora. It is obvious that she is hiding a much darker history behind that bright hair and bouncy personality.

Amazon

treasure of the abyssTREASURE OF THE ABYSS (THE KRAKEN BOOK 1) by Tiffany Roberts

VS Note: I loved her Dustwalker and this sure sounds interesting, so I immediately one clicked.

Despite her longing for the sea, Macy has clung to the safety of land for half her life, devoting herself to her daily routine — until she agrees to go sailing with a childhood friend. Her fears come to fruition when a sudden storm capsizes their boat, rekindling her old terror. She awakens to a rescuer who is anything but human — and he refuses to let her go. Treated like a curiosity and a possession, she’s desperate to go home. Yet Macy is undeniably drawn to this strange creature. Can she give up her old life, her family and friends, to embrace this adventure…and Jax?

Jax the Wanderer is a hunter, an explorer, and an oddity among his kind. While other kraken are content near their dens, Jax is driven by a deep need to journey far and wide, discovering the unknown corners of the sea. Macy challenges everything he’s known; she is the most alluring creature he’s ever seen on his travels. He must possess her, though he knows it can only end in disaster. How much is he willing to forsake for the female he desires?

Amazon

her vampire haremHER VAMPIRE HAREM by Savannah Skye

Starling Mitchell likes her quiet little life. Aside from the constant barrage of bad (like, really bad) blind dates, she has it all together. A fulfilling job, good friends and a sister she loves dearly. But when she’s attacked on her way home late one night, everything changes, and she topples into a world she never knew existed. A world of nightwalkers and lust. A world where a woman can command the love and attention of not just one toe-curlingly sexy guy, but four of them.
A world that is as seductive as it is deadly.

Amazon

kings courageTHE KING’S COURAGE (NORTH POLE CITY TALES BOOK 6) by Charlie Cochet

With the wedding of Jack Frost and Rudy Rein Dear only three weeks away, everyone travels to Jack’s palace in Svalbard, Norway, where the happy couple will exchange vows beneath the northern lights. Festivities have been planned leading up to the wedding, and Dasher eagerly anticipates not just the fun, but staying under the same roof as the blustering winter spirit who’s caught his eye—the King of Frost, Jack’s father.

A long-ago tragedy has left Eirik fearing to ever love again. As the King of Frost, Eirik maintains his distance from everyone, especially the young Christmas elf who insists on intruding on Eirik’s solitude. But Dasher is determined to find a way to show the lonely king that his heart still beats and he shouldn’t fear allowing it to beat for another.

Amazon     iBooks

dragons taleTHE DRAGON’S TALE: BOOK TWO IN THE ARTHUR TRILOGY  by Harper Fox

Lance has finally gained his freedom to join his beloved king. It’s the depth of a northern winter, but his heart and his blood are warm with joy as he sets off to the fort of Din Guardi on the coast, where Arthur is locked in negotiation with the ancient powers of the realm – warlords who could help him defend the whole country against the Saxon invaders, if only he can unite them.

But Lance knows such unity may not be possible – or even for the ultimate good of the kingdom. And although his delight at being with Art is boundless, there are other, darker forces at work in the wild dune lands. A deep and delicate balance has been disturbed, and the fort is under siege by a creature out of legend, a monster that ravages villages and leaves a trail of bodies and burned fields in its wake.

The darkest nights of winter are approaching. Arthur, with unendurable weights to bear on shoulders too young for them, only has Lance to befriend him and shield him from the bitterness of battlefield experience and loss. As their bond grows, Lance must find a way to heal the breach between the old world and the new before it devours the man he loves.

Amazon

zodiac shifters christmas kissesZODIAC SHIFTERS: CHRISTMAS KISSES by Various

A shifter’s mate is in the stars… but sometimes that rugged alpha hero or sassy heroine is waiting under the mistletoe for his or her one true love.

Christmas Kisses is a boxed set of ALL NEW short stories set in Zodiac Shifters, a collection of books with an astrological spin on love.

Amazon     iBooks

 

origins elleORIGINS (SHIFTERS FOREVER WORLDS) by Elle Thorne

Many millennia ago, a group of Vikings raided a village. As fate would have it, this was the wrong village. It was home of the mighty witch Freyja.

Calder was one of these Vikings. He and his brother lead this band of large, tattooed men with their gruff ways. They’ve found that one of the villagers’ guests has a wealthy husband and can bring a healthy ransom. An amount of silver that will provide great wealth to these Viking fighters.

Brenna can’t tell her captors that she won’t be able to secure a single piece of silver. Holding her for ransom is pointless. When one of her captors decides that he wants her for a night’s pleasure, she’s stunned to discover that another saves her. A huge man with tattoos and wielding an ax comes to her defense. Now she’s beholden to him.

When Freyja returns to her village to find that the men have been slaughtered and the women and children have been taken havoc, she renders a punishment that lasts an eternity, and creates two new species that will roam the earth in perpetuity.
She also puts Brenna in a difficult decision of choosing love over duty.

Amazon     iBooks

moon boundMOON BOUND (LaRue Book 4)  by Donna Grant

Enigmatic and strong-willed werewolf Kane LaRue realizes the benefits of doing things in a pack. But not this time. He feels responsible for the additional terror a Voodoo priestess has leveled on his family, and has vowed to stop at nothing to end her reign of terror. He almost had Delphine once, and this time, he’s promised himself that he will succeed in wiping her from the face of the earth—or die trying. But when her followers almost destroy him, Kane is forced to accept the help of a stunning and fiercely independent woman who makes Kane re-evaluate what’s important…and listen to his heart.

Elise is a survivor, but because of the tragic events of her past, she has chosen to live out her days in the bayou, helping the animals she loves and giving back as much as she can to the community that literally saved her life. When a gorgeous dog she tries to save turns out to be so much more, Elise is compelled to let someone in—and faces things about herself she isn’t entirely comfortable with. But the breathtakingly handsome shifter makes her feel things she hasn’t experienced in ages, and she soon realizes that she needs Kane’s help as much as he needs hers. Together, they are unstoppable, and if they’re lucky, they just might rid the world of the evil that has plagued New Orleans for much too long.

Amazon

holly cursesHOLLY, CURSES AND HAUNTINGS (BLUE MOON BAY BOOK 2) by Jovee Winters

Annabelle Lee isn’t lonely during the holidays, how can she be when she’s already dead, and everyone knows ghosts definitely don’t get lonely. Eerie Thistlebottom, Blue Moon Bay’s adorable resident zombie, doesn’t agree and decides that this year her bestie in death will not be spending the holidays alone. So she writes up an advertisement. One human wanted. No money, no problem…must do well with spooks.

Dante Martin cannot believe that his beautiful, yet kind of silly, twin sister actually answered that ad. Being the dutiful brother he is he goes to help her move on only to discover that the mystery of the haunted shack high up on the hills of Blue Moon Bay does indeed come with a lovely ghost, a jealous ghost dog, and a secret that could threaten to rip apart their holiday magick forever.

Amazon     iBooks

shoots and tattersSHOOTS AND TATTERS (BITTER ASHES BOOK 5) by Sara C Roethle

Now that Madeline knows her true origins, she must face the old gods’ judgment. She shouldn’t exist, and they know it. The world has been irreparably changed, and perhaps the Vaettir no longer have a place in it. Madeline thought that once she destroyed her rival she would be safe. Now she knows just how wrong she was.

Amazon     iBooks

 

 

guardian undoneGUARDIAN UNDONE (STEALTH GUARDIANS BOOK 4) by Tina Folsom

Stealth Guardian warrior Logan Frazer is loyal to his race, but when he’s ordered to eliminate a psychic so she won’t fall into the hands of the demons and help them destroy mankind, he goes rogue and saves her instead.

Winter Collins doesn’t know that she’s a psychic and that the terrible nightmares she experiences are actually visions, until demons come knocking at her door. Fortunately, a brave immortal warrior saves her, and an instant, electric connection forms between the beautiful psychic and the man convinced she’s more valuable alive than dead.

On the run for their lives, Logan and Winter must not only evade the demons, but the Stealth Guardians bent on eliminating her. A desperate race against time begins as Logan draws on all his resources—including his connection to the vampires and witches of Scanguards—to save the woman he’s falling in love with.

Amazon     iBooks

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I just finished writing the sequel to AYDARR in my new Badari Warriors series. I’m very excited to say the sequel is MATEER, which I plan to release in late January so if you haven’t had a chance to pick up Aydarr’s story, here’s a gentle reminder LOL!

Buy Links: Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

December 20

December 13

December 6

November 29

November 22

November 15

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

I don’t ordinarily list re-releases…

Also, I may include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Am I Dreaming Weekend Writing Warriors

Warriors logo revisedMerry Happy Holidays!!!

Here’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

Sharing now from my newly released scifi romance Aydarr (A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel): Sectors New Allies Series Book 1. Yup, a mouthful LOL!

The excerpt:

She remembered eating dinner in her small modular house on the edge of the colony, falling asleep watching an adventure trideo she’d seen a hundred times then…nothing.

“And now I’m here,” She took a closer look at her left arm and did a double take. A black bracelet she’d never seen before was solid against her skin just above the wrist, with no visible hinge or fastening. As she gawked at it, prying at the edges in an increasingly desperate attempt to make the band move, flickers of red and yellow pulsed inside the cool, hard surface. The bracelet and what it might mean scared her more than the loss of short term memory or even the unknown sun above her.

The roar came again, closer, and was answered by another. Something hunting me maybe?  Distracted from the ominous mystery of the bracelet, she was briefly tempted to try climbing the tree, but the lightheadedness persisted. She pushed off, realizing she was barefoot, wearing her short, pink-and-black nightgown, molded to her body by the rain. Lingerie was her secret luxury after a day spent in technician’s coveralls, but certainly not suited to this experience.

Am I dreaming?

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]The book blurb:  

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

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New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday December 20

destroyerAs always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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DESTROYER (HIDDEN PLANET BOOK 1) by Anna Carven

VS Note: Yup, I promptly one-clicked! 

A hair-raising ambush.
A malfunctioning ship.
A distant, uncharted part of the Universe.

Calexa Acura and her crew of misfits are lost, and their ship is in desperate need of repairs. When a massive spacecraft appears in their radius, they’re helpless to resist its magnetic pull.

The terrifying ship is bigger than any craft she’s seen in her life, and somehow, she doubts its occupants will turn out to be the friendly sort.

First Encounters are always better when they’re amicable, but if necessary, Calexa and her crew will fight.

It’s what they’ve always done.

Amazon

zernZERN (RATHIER WARRIORS) by Stella Sky

Dr. Lila Andrews is a survivor. Separated from the other humans on a terrible prison
planet, she has found that the best way to survive is to keep out of sight. It’s not that
she likes to be alone. She just tends to be uprooted or left behind. So it’s no surprise
when the huge, sexy Raither comes to the ship she is using for shelter and demands
that she leave.

Captain Zern Krechan is the strongest Raither in the army. Despite being fierce and
brave, he has always been a target, and is sent to the prison planet to retrieve the Raither
ship as a punishment. He takes the mission seriously…until an urgent desire is awakened
within him by the human female squatting on his ship. He knows immediately that he
wants to claim her, but what about his mission?

When Zern forces Lila to leave once and for all, she is abducted by a group of Raithers
gone bad. Zern is the only one who can save her, and he has to make a choice. Desert
his mission to save the human, or go home a hero?

Amazon

knowing zipKNOWING ZIP (CYBORG SIZZLE BOOK 11) by Cynthia Sax

VS Note: Not sure how I missed this on December 5th – a short in her terrific series – because I am sucxh a huge fan of her books!

Abducted by the warrior of her dreams.

Zip is the last of his friends to find his female, the one being meant for him. He isn’t certain she exists until he hears her voice over a transmission. A self-proclaimed systems deity, he researches his curvy little human and discovers she dreams of being abducted by a big, strong warrior. Zip plans to make his female’s fantasies come true.

Ryssa wants one gift for her birthing planet rotation—to be captured by a warrior, preferably a tall, muscular cyborg with black hair, gray skin, and brilliant blue eyes. When Zip arrives on her planet, claiming to be her male, Ryssa assumes one of her friends has ordered the experience for her, and throws herself into the encounter, losing herself in Zip’s hot kisses, sensual touch, dominant embrace.

When the fantasy fades, will their love survive?

Knowing Zip is a short companion story in the Cyborg Sizzle series and is meant to be read after Seeking Vector.

Amazon     iBooks

mind the fractureMIND: THE FRACTURE (THE MIND SERIES BOOK 6) by Jenn Nixon

Sanjeeta Desai never thought anything would come of her promise to monitor the psychic population around town. Then two members of an online chat group go missing and one of her employees doesn’t show up for work. Using her unique gifts to investigate, Sanjeeta is shocked to learn the employee is missing and a psychic, too. When she contacts her mysterious benefactor to report the findings, she’s thrust into a dangerously complicated situation she may be key to solving.

Caelum has spent the last two thousand years watching and protecting the Earth and all its inhabitants. Since saving the planet and the MIND team during the Reckoning, Caelum has kept his distance until Dina Ranger’s dream infects a majority of the group. While tracing the source of the dream and the consequences it brings, Caelum meets Sanjeeta, the most powerful psychic he’d ever encountered and possibly the only person who can quiet his mind so he can stay focused and assist the team.

As pieces of the dream unravel and MIND begins to fall apart, Caelum and Sanjeeta grow closer despite the chaos surrounding them while the past, present, and future collide with deadly and cosmic implications that will alter the course of Human history forever.

Amazon

baby butterfly kissesBABY BUTTERFLY KISSES (PURPLE PEOPLE BOOK 3) by Rena Marks

The mates of Helian Six are protecting the refugee Puritans hiding on the planet Hesprii by pretending they are their visiting human cousins.

The males of Helian Six have welcomed a bounty hunter crew from their home planet of Freijia who have a mission to either return, or destroy those same Puritans.

Conflict wreaks havoc on the planet unless the males and females of Hesprii can keep the predators and prey separated. Unfortunately, there’s not a lot of room for separation when the snipers fall for the ladies hook, line, and sinker.

Nor when the ladies decide to find poor fools to lose their virginity to.

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in the bloodIN THE BLOOD (METAHUMAN FILES BOOK 4) by Hailey Turner

VS note: Author states there is an HFN bordering on an HEA.

Captain Jamie Callahan is frustrated with his team constantly being at the mercy of the enemy in order to further the MDF’s goals. To make matters worse, his father’s political campaign is ramping up and Jamie’s every move is being watched by the media. He is acutely aware of all the eyes trained on him, his team, and Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan in particular. Meanwhile, Kyle would give anything to stay in the shadows, but he refuses to leave Jamie’s side, no matter the scrutiny. Staying out of the spotlight becomes impossible when their families are threatened and vital choices about their future together can no longer be ignored.

Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin and Agent Sean Delaney are enjoying their time together as a couple when Sean’s past catches up with him. As Alpha Team’s long-running mission gets derailed in the worst way possible, Alexei discovers the enemy is playing for keeps, and neither he nor Sean are in any position to beat the odds and win the game. As for Sean, he’s worried that even if they make it out alive, Alexei may never forgive him for giving into the enemy’s demands.

Manipulation is the name of the game, but Jamie is done playing by everybody else’s rules. So is the rest of Alpha Team, because if there’s one thing Jamie’s team knows? It’s that they’re a family—and you don’t mess with family unless you want to get hurt.

Amazon

arkvarARKVAR (NEW EARTH FLAMES BOOK 1) by Cara Wylde and Starr Huntress

When curvy, sexy, and happily-single Alison Page went out for a nice Friday evening in town, the last thing she expected was to be kidnapped by aliens. Now, she’s the only human on board of the spaceship Hesperia, and her only concern is… well, she has no clue, actually! Earth is gone. The only food available is blue. Oh, and the hot ship Captain, whose skin is just as blue as the food, is telling her crazy stories about how she’s special and can manifest anything she wants. With the power of her mind. Yeah, right!

Captain Arkvar had one job: wipe planet Earth off the face of the galaxy and move on. He failed. Saving the feisty, intriguing Alison Page from certain death will probably cost him his career, but he doesn’t care. She is his twin flame. And he’s determined to win her heart. All he has to do is study the mating rituals of Terra, use them to woo Allie, and then claim her as his own. The perfect plan. Except…

As an Unxendi, Ark has no chance of understanding the culture and traditions of Allie’s species. He’ll find out the hard way, while giving Allie countless reasons to laugh her head off. At least, she’s not depressed over the loss of her home anymore.

Amazon

assassins brideASSASSIN’S BRIDE (CELESTIAL MATES BOOK 9) BY  C J Scarlett

Having been on her own from an early age, Venice knew quite a bit about blending in and going unnoticed. Being homeless on a post-apocalyptic Earth was a difficult and dangerous way to live. She’s survived by flying under the radar, scoping out her surroundings and being careful who she trusted. Her best chance at a better life was relocating to the Maruvian home world. The insectoid warriors were hot, respectful to females and offering an all-expense paid ride aboard their battle cruiser.
Hitching a ride seemed like a no-brainer. Her talent for spinning an interesting story gained her quick popularity among the drones aboard the Maruvian vessel. Unfortunately, the only drone who really piqued her interest seemed too emotionally scarred to pursue a relationship.

After being controlled and abused by their vicious former queen, Haden no longer trusted his instincts and abilities as a warrior. Their former queen fitted him with a transponder that robbed him of his own free will. He became a pawn in her quest to defeat the human queens who had freed him and his brethren. Forcing him to kill fellow warriors he thought of as brothers left him feeling helpless and dispirited.
Haden had problems even a bright, beautiful storyteller could not fix. This queen was not like all the rest. Her short spikey hair and large blue eyes warmed his soul. With her his awkwardness evaporated and he felt like a male falling in love.
A tragic accident leaves him more convinced than ever that those he around him are destined for destruction. However, when the human queens begin to fall sick with a virus that causes them to act like the evil queens of old, can he save them and in doing so save himself?

Amazon

barbarians prisonerBARBARIAN’S PRISONER by Abella Ward

Life isn’t easy on Planet Tirron, especially when the paranoid psychopath of a king happens to be your brother. Luckily for Arana, the new prisoner that her brother has locked up in the dungeons is the most gorgeous guy she’s ever seen.

So when her brother’s paranoia and harsh punishments become unbearable, Arana knows exactly what to do: make a deal with the gorgeous prisoner. If she sets him free, he’ll take her away.

But like most things in life, not all goes according to plan…

And suddenly, Arana’s gone…

Arathor is a trained assassin who fights in the Death Pit during the day and is healed by Arana at night. He knows she’s his mate, but she can never be his. Arana has a gift that she doesn’t know about and that prevents them from ever being together.

But when the King offers Arathor his freedom in return for Arana’s head, Arathor must make a decision.

Will he betray Arana to set himself free? Will he give up his freedom for the only woman he loves?

Amazon

chaldorCHALDOR by Thayer King

As the illegitimate daughter to the queen of Colony 15, Kiana has no interest in power or politics, yet she’s horrified by her mother’s cruelty. When her mother orders an injured warrior from another colony to be thrown out with the trash, Kiana implores her for the opportunity to heal him. Kiana does everything she can to save him—including pretending to take him as a lover.

Chaldor wakes up in the arms of a dark chocolate angel with addictive kisses. He’s willing to play the part of her pet. Kiana is the only good thing on C15 and he will take her with him when he escapes. She’ll be his forever—even if there are people dead set against them being together.

Amazon

witches wildWITCHES WILD (BEWITCHING BEDLAM BOOK 4) by Yasmine Galenorn

Can you ever really trust ghosts from your past?

As the mist rolls off the ocean and into Bedlam, October brings with it all manner of haunts and spooks. But the mist doesn’t arrive alone. Fata Morgana returns from the depths of the ocean, bringing with her a message. One of the ancient vampires has risen. He’s coming for Maddy, and he’ll eliminate anybody who stands in his way. Now, the witches wild must band together one more time, if they can keep from destroying each other first.

Amazon     iBooks

sea kings ladyTHE SEA KING’S LADY: A SEVEN KINGDOMS TALE 2 by S E Smith

Jenny Ackerly is devastated when her best friend disappears without a trace, and she vows to continue looking for Carly until she can bring her friend home once and for all. During her latest search, her determination turns to horror when she sees a young boy running from an empty beach into the freezing sea. When the boy doesn’t resurface, Jenny’s protective instincts ignite and she rushes to save the child from certain death, swimming farther and deeper than she ever would have on her own, until she is caught in a powerful undertow. When Jenny resurfaces, she is in a magical, underwater world.
Orion is the powerful ruler of the Isle of the Sea Serpent and protector of the oceans, but time is running out for him. For hundreds of years, the Eyes of the Sea Serpent have been in his family’s possession, giving them power over the oceans, and now they have been stolen! Meanwhile, his oldest son’s bargain with the Sea Witch threatens to seal the fate of the merpeople—and possibly that of the Seven Kingdoms. The situation seems hopeless—until a fiery female from another world appears.
Can an unlikely alliance between Jenny and Orion save not only the life of a young boy, but the future of an entire kingdom? It will take their combined wits and strengths to survive the evil lurking in the depths of the ocean.

Amazon     iBooks

tangled in tinselTANGLED IN TINSEL (DRAGON GUARD SERIES BOOK 27)  by Julia Mills

It’s over the river and through the woods, and straight to Christmas hell for Chance Nichols. His twin has taken off on a mission to the Frozen North and most of the other Guardsman are cuddled up with their mates, so it’s up to Chance to get the Lair decorated before the snow begins to fall.

One trip to town for decorations and Happy Holidays has turned into Scary Grinchmas. According to the latest report, the North Pole is completely shut down. The elves have revolted, the reindeer have flown the coop, and Mrs. Claus is on strike – talk about up the proverbial tree without an extension cord.

Visions of sugarplums can’t fix this one. It’ll take a whole lot of dragon magic, sprinkled with fairy dust and tied together with yards of tinsel and garland.

Amazon

becoming elementalBECOMING ELEMENTAL (THE FIVE ELEMENTS SERIES BOOK 1)  by Ryann Elizabeth

Eighteen year old Breanna Hunter has always seen herself as just an awkward teenager with the unfortunate aptitude for winding up in crazy and unexplainable situations.

After tragedy strikes, she ends up on a path she never knew was possible. Bre hoped her first year of college would be a life-changing experience and a new start. She will soon discover just how transformative college can be.

After another dangerous encounter, she meets five alluring strangers who are not as they seem. Together they uncover the truth, she is like them. She is an Elemental. Through them she learns that the Elemental world is not only filled with magical gifts and bonding, but also demons and danger.

Bre and the guys need to work together to figure out where she came from while keeping her safe from those who want her dead.

Amazon

beast withinTHE BEAST WITHIN (CONVERSION BOOK 5) by S C Stephens

VS note: Vampires

Nika Adams has had a challenging year. She gave her heart to Hunter Evans, only to have him break it. But Nika refuses to give up hope. Not when there’s a chance she can save her true-love—even if she must save him from himself.

Julian Adams finally knows what he wants, and is truly happy. But when he gets mixed up in Nika’s suicide mission to save her wayward boyfriend, he begins to wonder if his dream girl can handle the dangerous life that comes with being an Adams.

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savage kissSAVAGE KISS (SAVAGE SHIFTERS BOOK 2) by Milly Taiden

Sage Primrose dreams of the day she meets the man who will sweep her off her feet. She didn’t expect him to abduct her while she wore nothing but a towel. Why did bad men have to look oh, so good?

Feral Kincaid will do anything to protect his family. When a human female supposedly kidnaps his niece, he goes to get her, claws blazing. But the abductor turns into the abductee and suddenly he has to figure out how to apologize to the one woman he needs to forgive him: his mate.

This tiger isn’t used to romance in his life; he’s too busy protecting his pride from a rival determined to take his land. But Feral would gladly take on bad guys instead of trying to figure out how to romance a human female. Sage needs to watch out. Feral is hellbent on romance and his target is her.

Amazon

curses and cupcakesCURSES AND CUPCAKES (THE HAPPILY EVERLASTING SERIES BOOK 6) by Michelle M Pillow

Marcy Lewis is cursed (honestly and truly) which makes dating very interesting. With a string of loser boyfriends behind her, she’s done looking for love in all the wrong places. That is until the new firefighter arrives in the sleepy seaside town of Everlasting. Nicholas Logan is unlike any other man she’s ever had in her life. When someone starts sending her photographs that raise a red flag it soon becomes apparent that she’s not just cursed, she’s in serious danger.

Nicholas doesn’t know what to make of the charismatic young woman managing the local coffee shop. As a string of mysterious fires begin popping up around town, the two unite in search of clues as to who or what is responsible, discovering along the way that things are very rarely what they seem to be.

Amazon     iBooks

greensleevesGREENSLEEVES CHRISTMAS MAGIC by Stephanie Burke

Crown Prince Marcos Enric Sicilla just met the woman of his dreams… right before he was exploded and thrown out of a castle. Not the fairy-tale romance he was expecting this wintry Christmas Eve, but he can’t complain when his Lady of the Greensleeves herself is the one to rescue him.

There are plots following him, people out to kill him, and his lady is keeping a secret that is the stuff of fantasies and fiction. But in the end, every trap he faces will be worth it if it means he can keep his Lady of the Greensleeves.

Amazon     iBooks

secret jaguarSECRET JAGUAR (CURSE OF THE MOON BOOK 6) by Stacy Claflin

A cat has nine lives, but that doesn’t mean she should forfeit one of them.

Katya Pelletier is the practical, no-nonsense twin. She loves life as much as her sister, she just doesn’t seem able to enjoy it as much. While Alley is the life of the party and has boyfriends to spare, Katya can’t seem to attract anyone’s attention.

Until she meets Carter Jag.

Carter is the perfect male specimen. By all rights, he should be chasing after Alley. But to Katya’s surprise—and confusion—he’s only interested in her.

As their relationship progresses, something primal and passionate awakens in Katya. She’s introduced to and immersed in a whole world she never knew existed. A paranormal world. A world of antiquated ideas and imminent danger. Katya is a jaguar shifter, and her former “family” has come to claim their prize—her.

Katya joins Carter and his supernatural allies in the fight of her life—a battle to free her from her former family and their outdated ways. But will their power and magic be enough to save her from the life of violence and servitude the jaguars are determined to force on her?

Amazon     iBooks

dark vampireDARK VAMPIRE: A POST APOCALYPTIC VAMPIRE ROMANCE (THE WICKEDEST WITCH BOOK 2) by Meg Xuemai X

I’m Archangel Gabriel. I won’t let my mate, the only female who matters to me, be doomed.

For my witch, I venture into the vampires’ lair and charm the wild princess who wants to make me hers.

But I soon learned the Wicked Witch isn’t one to tamper with. She doesn’t recognize me. Doesn’t know I’m her fated mate, but her eyes fall upon me and she allows no one else to touch me.

Amazon

forgotten silenceFORGOTTEN SILENCE (GREY WOLVES NOVELLA)  by Quinn Loftis

This book needs to be read after book 10, The Burning Claw, in the Grey Wolves Series in order for the story to make sense.

Filthy. Disgusting. Unworthy trash. The same thoughts keep swirling in Sally’s mind. She’s broken and no one can fix her–not her friends, try as they might, and not her beautiful mate. She’d thought when Costin had rescued her from Jericho’s clutches, broken the spell the rogue werewolf had cast on her, and left the cur lying in bloody pieces on the floor of an Ocean Side bar, that one day she might find some peace. Perhaps, with time, she could forget the horrible things she’d done. Perhaps she could forget how she had betrayed her one true mate. Now, several weeks later, the memories and the nightmares have only grown stronger. Unbeknownst to Sally, though the magical bracelet that erased her memories was destroyed, the magical device deposited something sinister within the girl’s mind. Now, in a last ditch effort to find some sort of healing, Sally is being shipped off to her hometown–Coldspring, TX. Little does she know that surprises are awaiting her there that will shake the foundations of all she’s ever known. Will these new revelations be the key to eradicating the darkness that has taken root in the healer? Or will the secrets that are uncovered be too much for Sally to bear?

Amazon     iBooks

her guardiansHER GUARDIANS by Piper Phoenix

Eve is a witch. Unfortunately, she’s a terrible witch. To make matters worse, she just happens to be the daughter of the most powerful witch on the planet, and she feels as though she’s failing to live up to her mom’s expectations.

When Eve needs a break from her controlling mother, she decides to move out, but she quickly finds out that life on her own isn’t at all how she’d imagined. Someone is after her, and she doesn’t know who or why.

Her four new guardians will have to do whatever it takes to protect her from the evil forces that are after her. But without Eve’s magic, will they be able to fight off the powerful magic that is threatening her life?

Amazon

dragons secret brideTHE DRAGON’S SECRET BRIDE (DRAGON SECRETS BOOK 2) by Jasmine Wylder

Sizzling hot dragon shifter Bryant Chandler knows his determination. His mate is long gone and he has no plans to find another. Now he has sworn to protect the baby who will one day rule them all. No questions asked. But the day luscious Esther put her bounteous virgin curves in close proximity to him, all bets were off.

Esther Doran, an archeologist, has her own problems. She can’t find anybody to fund her dream dig, and is starting to think that life just doesn’t want to see her happy. Until she meets that hot dragon guard Bryant Chandler and sparks fly immediately.

And then, one drunken night ends with them being married.

Who cares if he’s the most delicious, gorgeous man she’d ever set eyes on? Love wasn’t in the plan.

But when Bryant’s rival finds out about Esther and decides that she’s the best way to take Bryant down, the two are forced together once more. And when a sexy dragon is the only thing standing between her and death, passions might just reach the boiling point.

Amazon

dragon queens christmas weddingDRAGON QUEEN’S CHRISTMAS WEDDING by Mina Carter

**Companion / slice of life story to “The Dragon Queen’s Fake Fiancé”**

She’s made the list, and checked it twice…

Cadeyra the White has finally found her soulmate in Sawyer Stone. The guests are invited, the chapel prepared for the Dragon Queen’s Christmas Wedding, because sometimes the best Christmas presents aren’t under the tree.

Amazon     iBooks

snow leopards ladySNOW LEOPARD’S LADY (VETERAN SHIFTERS BOOK 1) by Zoe Chant

Mavis Williams is destined to be alone. Years ago, her ex kicked their daughter Nina out for being a shifter, and Mavis’ heart was broken. Now, she’s finally been reunited with Nina, and moved to beautiful Glacier Park…but she can’t let go of her guilt and grief. And there’s no one in her life to help.

Colonel Wilson Hanes, Marine and snow leopard shifter, has dedicated his life to the military, served in combat, and been promoted to a high-level job in Washington. After decades of service, he’s realized that when he retires, he has nothing to look forward to. He’s married to his job, and it’s too late for him to find a mate, let alone a family.

But when Wilson comes to Glacier Park for a wedding, he’s captivated not only by the rugged wilderness, but also by the quiet, graceful woman he meets there. And Mavis is shocked to feel a connection that she’d thought would never happen–with a man who understands the tragedies life can bring. Can Wilson show Mavis that love is nothing to fear? And what happens when Mavis’ ex starts to stir up trouble?

Amazon

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And a reminder that I had a New Release earlier this month!

canva 3 photo ad

Buy Links: Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

December 13

December 6

November 29

November 22

November 15

November 8

November 1

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

I don’t ordinarily list re-releases…

Also, I may include only the beginning of the book blurb…

 

Face Down on the Grass Weekend Writing Warriors

Warriors logo revisedHere’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

Sharing now from my newly released scifi romance Aydarr (A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel): Sectors New Allies Series Book 1. Yup, a mouthful LOL!

This is the very beginning of the novel (story blurb below the excerpt):

Why am I lying face down on the wet grass in the rain?

Jill rolled over, putting a hand to her forehead in an attempt to quell a ferocious headache. Opening her eyes gingerly, she blinked at the vividly colored pink, purple and blue leaves on the tree above her, which certainly had never grown on Amarcae 7. She’d been all around her home colony on various repair jobs, and nothing there had riotous leaves in these colors, much less with spikes at the tips. As she watched, one of the leaves snapped into a tight roll to capture a slow moving insect.

“Thank the Lords of Space I’m too big a bite.” Wary, nauseous, she sat up, swaying a bit, and examined her unfamiliar surroundings. She was in the midst of an old growth forest, with other forms of vegetation besides the carnivorous trees but nothing recognizable.

A loud roar in the distance gave her the shivers, and she forced herself to stand, staggering a few feet to lean on a less colorful tree’s broad trunk to stay upright. Despite the rain, her mouth was dry, and she had a hard time swallowing, “What the seven hells?”

Her mind was curiously blank, no memory of how she’d gotten to this place, or what had happened in the last few hours.

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]The book blurb:  

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

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New Releases in #SciFi and#Fantasy Romance for Wednesday December 13

war gamesAs always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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WAR GAMES (VALIANT KNOX BOOK 4) by Jess Anastasi

VS Note: I enjoy her books – added to my TBR List.

When one of her pilots is shot down behind enemy lines, Lieutenant Theresa Brenner will stop at nothing to save her before she’s captured and tortured, even if it means being part of the dirtside team led by Colonel Cameron McAllister. Bren might respect the way the colonel commands his men, but she’ll never trust Cam—no matter how charming he is—because he was responsible for her brother’s death.

Colonel Cameron McAllister has a covert mission behind enemy lines to team with the Ilari rebels and overthrow the bloodthirsty dictator who’s torn their planet apart. The last thing he needs is to get sidetracked searching for a downed pilot, especially since it means having Lieutenant Theresa Brenner tag along. Not only doesn’t the frosty pilot have the ground game to keep up with his seasoned group, she’s a potential distraction with all those gorgeous blond curls of hers—and she might be just like her brother, whose foolhardiness got his men killed.

Amazon     iBooks

crown of dragaCROWN OF DRAGA (DRAGA COURT SERIES BOOK 2) by Emma Dean and Jillian Ashe

The Draga Galaxy is on the brink of war and Adelina will do everything she can to help, including marrying a male the Crown chooses for her. Varan, the Prince of Thieves has made a move to start an official engagement and while she is falling for Prince Nash, Adelina knows she would accept Varan’s proposal.

Despite all this Adelina wants to do more for her people, and she sets out to find a way to help them fight back against a monster that devours and destroys galaxies with no thought to the consequences. Will she be able to find the answers before it’s too late?

Amazon

inquisitorsTHE INQUISITORS by Wendie Nordgren

Fear is weakness. Control is power.

He betrayed her parents, left her to be raised by a sadistic Earth Loyalist, had her abducted by his clones, and murdered one of her beloved husbands before her eyes. Now, he is trying to destroy the Parvac Empire from within. Many have tried and failed to capture the elusive Felix Jiri, but one man is determined to succeed.

The Inquisitors of the Parvac Empire deal in secrets, justice, and death. Feared for their ruthlessness and use of torture, they gather intelligence and punish lawbreakers, even if it means tracking an offender down across galaxies. Serving as judge, jury, and executioner, they must serve loyally without allowing their personal feelings to affect their judgement.

However, protecting Princess Teagan is personal, and Inquisitor Eli Beck will go to any lengths to bring Felix Jiri to justice, even if he must sacrifice his relationship with her to do it.

Amazon

the dragons bratTHE DRAGON’S BRAT (SHIFTERS OF KLADUU BOOK 5) by Pearl Foxx

Veronica Gideon has grown up a proper debutant. Intergalactic parties, socialite friends, and all the trappings of wealth and power. Attitude and privilege are her way of life until she’s forced to confront the underbelly of her father’s leadership by her charismatic, sexy guard with his own secrets—secrets that could get her killed.

Maxsym defied his Draqon hive leader to infiltrate the Zynthar International Space Station and kill Commander Gideon. But one woman threatens to derail his rogue mission, and she’s as beautiful as she is infuriating. Far from the safety of Kladuu and his hive, Maxsym must navigate a space station full of dangerous humans and his unexpected feelings for the bratty human woman with more depth than he expected.

Amazon

stay with meSTAY WITH ME (LAZARUS RISING BOOK 3) by Cynthia Eden

VS Note: This whole series is on my TBR List. I need more TIME!!!

Shelly Hampton intends to spend the holidays alone in her family’s mountain cabin, but when a snow-covered stranger appears on her door-step, her plans are shot straight to hell. The man before her seems oddly familiar, and he stirs a dark need within her.

It’s soon apparent that John Smith is far more than a normal man—he’s too strong, too fast, and she could swear that he seems to read her thoughts…and know her most secret desires.

But is John a man that she could love…or is he someone she should fear? Because even as the snow fall deepens, a deadly threat is closing in on her little cabin. And soon, Shelly will be trapped on the mountain with a dangerous man…a man who swears that he has come back from the dead, just to be with her.

Amazon     iBooks

barbarian before christmasTHE BARBARIAN BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Ruby Dixon

The growing barbarian tribe is about to celebrate No-Poison Day – a time of love, laughter, and gifts. But all Elly wants is for her mate to be at her side before the brutal season arrives. All Bek wants is a way to quickly return to his female despite the mountains between them. Thanks to the talents of a newcomer…they’re both about to get their wish and celebrate the happiest of holidays together.

This novella features characters from prior Ice Planet Barbarians stories and DOES NOT stand alone.

Amazon

snowed in with the alien doctorSNOWED IN WITH THE ALIEN DOCTOR (WARRIORS OF ETLON) by Abigail Myst and Starr Huntress 

She’s a cargo captain, finally out from under a man’s thumb. She’s footloose and fancy free with no one to answer to but herself. She’s not ready for strings Unfortunately, the handsome green alien doctor will accept nothing less.

Before colliding with Clover, Orth’s biggest challenge was deciding which female species to specialize in. Now his nose was telling him there was no other choice but Clover.  The only problem is that she’s not interested in a lifetime. Can Orth win her heart and convince her that he’s worth spending forever with before it’s too late?

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taurianTAURIAN: ALIEN OF RENJER BOOK 2  by J S Wilder

When the lighting caught him, Prince Taurian of Renjer braced for travel, gripped by the piercing claws of the Demon-like Tryn on his back. When he awoke, his prey was gone – as was his true form. Instead, Taurian stood as a man, weak, naked… and staring down the barrel of a shotgun.

With two ex’s under her belt, Dena hasn’t had the best of luck with men. In fact, most of them just seem like over grown toddlers with a mean, monstrous streak… except Dena knows what real monsters are. She knows now that some legends and myths are based in fact – and there is something very odd about the man trespassing on her property.

Two species brought together by chance and time, their meeting seemed fated, yet their truth will rock the Universe…and challenge everything they think they know.

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drackon christmasA DRACKON CHRISTMAS by Maia Starr

Noelle Evergreen knows the Christmas miracle she hopes for is impossible because
the one she loves is either lost, or dead. Years before they had a brief love but a
battle tore them apart never to find each other again. Now she lives in snowy New
York, watching the holiday environment with bittersweet feelings. But when a
chance work assignment sends her to his solar system, she finds hope that perhaps
she can find him, or find out if he is gone for good. It looks as though her Christmas
miracle might become a reality, if only she can find him.

An alien weredragon living without love…Captain Gavonn Viox lost the human female he was registered to marry long ago, but
he never forgot her. Now he lives an unfulfilled life, doing what a Drackon dragon is
supposed to do – fight in the battalions. So when he hears that his lost love is alive
and well, he can hardly believe the news. He must do everything he can to be with
her, and never separate from her again. The problem is, when he thought she was
gone forever, he moved on with his life. But he wants to be with his one true love
more than anything.

Now, if only he can figure out how to tell his wife…

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masons regretMASON’S REGRET (WOLVES’ HEAT BOOK 8) by Odessa Lynne

Once every three years, humans become sexual prey to a species that has no control over the urge to mate because of a devastating attraction to human scent.

It’s been three years since Mason and his twin brother were caught inside the American Protectorate and held against their will by the aliens everyone calls “wolves.” Mason’s brother hasn’t been the same since, and neither has Mason.

Now heat season has come again, and for reasons Mason doesn’t understand, his brother has gone back into the protectorate—and he needs Mason’s help.

Mason’s past is full of mistakes, but leaving his brother to deal with trouble alone isn’t one he’s going to make again—no matter the cost. But when wolves start howling nearby, there’s only one sane thing to do: run.

Except the only path to safety is through a terrifying alpha wolf who wants to claim Mason as his mate.

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rizorRIZOR (ALIENS OF DRAGSELIS BOOK 5) by Zara Zenia

Carla is a space freighter and captain of a tow ship. Her last trip turned out to be a disaster when her first mate, who ended up being a Federation spy, gave up her location and got almost everyone killed. Carla came to Vaxivia and signed her crew to be transporters to and from the local asteroid mines.

Rizor is a royal prince of a new generation, similar to his uncles. But he is unfortunately half Infernian. He has had to fight for respect and opportunities all his life because of his blood line.

When Carla gets falsely accused of being a Federation spy, Rizor needs to figure out if he can trust her. The problem is that there were crucial data leaks that started around when Carla’s ship landed. As they work together, they start gaining a deeper attraction with one another.

Carla will need to give Rizor everything she can to help clear her name. Rizor needs to help solve this to show where own loyalties lie as well. Will they both get what they want?

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rocket in my pocketROCKET IN MY POCKET (CELESTIAL MATES) by Suki Selborne

VS Note: From November.

CRESTA: My day was going pretty well until I was abducted by aliens.
Who am I kidding? Things weren’t really going so great. My science career was failing, the Celestial Mates cherub was on my case, and I hadn’t had a date in years.
But being taken to a hostile planet to be impregnated with scorpion-bug larvae? That was a whole new level of suck-itude.
Luckily, things are looking up. I just got rescued by some hot alien dude in a military uniform. And he’s very easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean. Now we’re shooting through the stars, trying to find our way back to civilization.
If everyone could stop trying to kill us, things would be awesome.
HARKUS: This human female is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. She is a goddess. If I had to slay every alien in the galaxy to free her, I would. I am willing to destroy entire planets to keep my beloved safe. But not all fights are fair.  If we make it out of this adventure alive, one thing is certain. We belong together. And nobody in this universe will tear us apart.
pretty viciousPRETTY VICIOUS by K S Merbeth
VS Note: Probably no romance but I do enjoy post apocalyptic tales so it caught my eye. Haven’t read it.  Is listed as a short story.
In a lawless, post-nuclear wasteland, Dolly lives in relative comfort working as a prostitute. She’s got food and shelter, which is more than most have, but she wants to step out of the frying pan and into the fire, to break free and risk life on her own in the wastes.
She escapes with a gun, a knife, and the clothes on her back. She has no knowledge of how to survive in the outside world, but anything will be better than the half-numb life she’s leading.
But Dolly soon learns she’ll have to become as vicious as the wastes around her if she is to make her way alone in the darkness.
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amid_the_winter_snow_anthology_thea_harrisonAMID THE WINTER SNOW by Jeffe Kennedy, Thea Harrison, Grace Draven and Elizabeth Hunter

VS Note: I’ve been waiting for this one! Some of my favorite authors 🙂

As the snows fall and hearths burn, four stories of Midwinter beginnings prove that love can fight its way through the chillest night…

THE DARKEST MIDNIGHT, by Grace Draven
The mark Jahna Ulfrida was born with has made her a target of the cruel and idle all her life. During the long, crowded festivities of Deyalda, there’s nowhere to escape. Until a handsome stranger promises to teach her to save herself…

THE CHOSEN, by Thea Harrison
In her visions, Lily sees two men fighting for her tiny country’s allegiance: the wolf and the tiger, each deadly, each cunning. One will bring Ys chaos and death, one a gentler path—but she’s destined to love whichever she chooses. The midwinter Masque is upon them, and the wolf is at her door…

THE STORM, by Elizabeth Hunter
When her soul mate died in a massacre of the half-angelic Irin people, Renata thought she’d never feel happiness again. She’s retreated to the snowy Dolomites to remember her hurts—until determined, irrepressible Maxim arrives to insist on joy, too. And before she can throw him out, they discover a secret the Irin have to know…

THE SNOWS OF WINDROVEN, by Jeffe Kennedy
As a blizzard threatens their mountain keep, the new Queen Amelia of the Twelve Kingdoms and her unofficial consort Ash face their own storm. Ash knows a scarred, jumpy ex-convict isn’t the companion his queen needs. But when a surprise attack confines them together in their isolated sanctuary, the feast of midwinter might tempt even Ash into childlike hope.

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wolf moon risingWOLF MOON RISING (BEAUX REVE COVEN BOOK 3)  by Delilah Devlin

Aoife is the flightiest of the sister witches, and she has a secret, one her mother warned her to keep close to her heart. Her father was a fairy–which explains her quirkiness and her affinity for flowers. She lives in a cabin on stilts that juts into the bayou, and one of her demon guardians is a werewolf. She’s attracted, but how would he feel if he married her, fathered a child, and that child disappeared into the land of the fae? Desperate to find a solution to her dilemma, she flees her guardian’s protection. Her last hope is to enlist her father’s help. Plead her case. Her happiness, and that of her one true love, Sigurd, depends on whether she can escape this fairy curse.

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when a lioness growlsWHEN A LIONESS GROWLS (A LION’S PRIDE BOOK 7)  by Eve Langlais

A trip to paradise. A mystery to solve. And a seriously uptight dude who doesn’t know how to smile.

Stacey’s been intrigued by Jean Francois since the moment she first saw his granite countenance. Then when she found out he could fly… She never was one to leave her four feet on the ground.
While she might act like a princess, adventure is her middle name.

Under orders from her king, she drags poor JF along with her to an exotic location in search of answers. On the way, they find danger—fun—clues to unravel—stupendous—and a fiery lust that even he can’t resist.

But when it comes to getting the man to make a commitment, this fiery-haired lioness is ready to growl. What will it take to make him admit he cares? Handcuffs come to mind.

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naughty beastsNAUGHTY BEASTS by Various

Naughty Beasts: Shifters, Vamps, and Gargoyles, Oh My! includes fifteen Shapeshifter, Vampire, and Gargoyle romance stories from bestselling authors writing as The Naughty Literati!

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dragon guardianDRAGON GUARDIAN (IMMORTAL DRAGONS BOOK 5) by Ophelia Bell

Time is of the essence. But is it friend, or foe?

For Aodh, the answer is clear. Trapped in a magical prison on an island thousands of years in the past, time has become his enemy. The only person who can save him is Neph, an old lover he didn’t exactly part on good terms with who is also one of the twin leaders of the nymphaea.

Neph, however, has a different view of time. Time is what allows him to court Vrishti, Aodh’s fated mate and a powerful ursa princess. But as long as she remains a virgin, her true power will remain trapped inside her. It’s practically Neph’s duty to help her unleash it.

They’ll need her power for the coming war. Their mortal enemy looms ever closer. Every strategy is fair game now, not just on the battlefield–but in love as well.

For the first time in Neph’s and Aodh’s storied history, sharing a third might just be the charm.

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kidnapped by the dragon haremKIDNAPPED BY THE DRAGON HAREM by Savannah Skye

Four very bad boys, one ill-advised Christmas wish…what’s a girl to do?

Eleanor Maxwell loves her job at the daycare center and can’t wait to become a full-fledged teacher. But when a sexy stranger propositions her, she can’t help but wonder if she’s played it too safe all these years. Just when she’s considering throwing caution to the wind for a night of passion, the matter is taken out of her hands as she’s swept away by a clan of dragon shifters claiming they need a mate…and she’s it!

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his soul to keepHIS SOUL TO KEEP by Rachel Leigh Smith

To save his soul, he risks condemning the world.
Boulder pride security chief Gabe Kincade is losing his mind. It’s the only explanation for remembering a past life in ancient Egypt as one of Maahes’s warriors. Meeting a gorgeous scientist his jaguar says is his mate is a complication he can’t afford—and can’t resist. Ares is after him, and if the god catches him, he’s dead. Again.

Wildlife geneticist Autumn Dailey has spent the last fifteen years tracking big cat DNA. She’s on the verge of a huge discovery, and the key might be in the samples from her cougar population study. Being kidnapped by people who turn into cougars proves she’s found her something huge. Gabe Kincade showing up and promising to protect her from an unhinged alpha is an unexpected bonus. So is falling in love with him.

But Ares knows who Gabe really is and what he can do. The Greek god of war will do anything to take possession of his soul. Including using his past life to destroy his future. To save Autumn, Gabe has to save himself. No matter the cost.

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cadmium dragonCADMIUM DRAGON (DRAGON GUARD OF DRAKKARIS BOOK 2) by Terry Bolryder

The Cadmium dragon has found his mate, and now he’s on the hunt. The hunt for things to buy online so he has an excuse to see the curvy delivery woman that brings him his packages. And when a chance occurrence gives him the opportunity to get to know her better, he springs into action to show her just how much a dragon can offer—inside the bedroom and out.

Casey can’t help enjoying each fleeting moment she gets at her last stop on her delivery route. Who wouldn’t? The man she sees is tall, ripped, and has charm for days, even if he goes by the strange name “Cadmium”. So when her truck breaks down and help is nowhere to be found, she follows her heart, and lets Cadmium take her in for the weekend.

As it turns out, it’s going to be a weekend Casey will never forget, filled with fun, romance, crazy antics, and spine-tingling sex. But not everything is perfect, and Cadmium knows he has a lot to explain. Like the fact that he’s a dragon. And as their time together quickly runs out, both will have to determine how far they’re willing to go to follow their hearts.

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to catch a princeTO CATCH A PRINCE (AGE OF GOLD BOOK 2) by May Sage

A power has risen in the lands, a dark shadow no one seems to understand. As the newest Enchantress, Talia knows her duty lies in finding it.
But she’s failed the bonds of blood once, looking away as her sister was continuously abused; she can’t leave while she can be of use to her. Especially since she may never come back.

Vincent, the playful, bashful Prince of the Dragon Realm, knows a thing or two about concealing a dark secret behind pretty smiles; he can tell the frighteningly powerful Talia is hiding something, and he fully intends to find out what.

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remaking of corbin waleTHE REMAKING OF CORBIN WALE by Roan Parrish

Last month, Alex Barrow’s whole life imploded—partner, home, job, all gone in forty-eight hours. But sometimes when everything falls apart, better things appear almost like magic. Now, he’s back in his Michigan hometown, finally opening the bakery he’s always dreamed of. But the pleasure of opening day is nothing compared to the lonely and beautiful man who bewitches Alex before he even orders.

Corbin Wale is a weirdo. At least, that’s what he’s heard his whole life. He knows he’s often in a fantasy world, but the things he feels are very real. And so is the reason why he can never, ever be with Alex Barrow. Even if Alex is everything he’s always fantasized about. Even if maybe, just maybe, Corbin is Alex’s fantasy too.

When Corbin begins working at the bakery, he and Alex can’t deny their connection any longer. As the holiday season works its magic, Alex yearns for the man who seems out of reach. But to be with Alex, Corbin will have to challenge every truth he’s ever known. If his holiday risk pays off, two men from different worlds will get the love they’ve always longed for.

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gifted connectionsGIFTED CONNECTIONS by S M Olivier

Blake knew she was different for a long time, but she had lived in denial for too long. Living in reprehensible conditions, she didn’t think she had any hope of getting out anytime soon, with her half sister. It wasn’t until she was confronted by her music teacher and series of events that she was forced to face reality. She was gifted with a special power and with the help of the new men that entered her life she would learn to control them. At least she hoped she did before her idealistic new life was torn apart by a man determined to use her powers for his own gain.

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the fiveTHE FIVE (AIRSHAN CHRONICLES BOOK 1) by Nhys Glover

Flea wasn’t sure what was worse, that the Goddess of All Creation wanted her to save the world from a primordial evil about to be released from the underworld, or that She’d decreed Flea must forge a loving bond with four magical sons to do it.

Not that she didn’t think she was brave enough. She was. But she only had her mind-reading magic and some fighting skills to call on. How either could help her against a creature without a mind or a body, she didn’t know.

Then there was the idea of marrying four strangers… all right, three strangers and her best friend, Zem. Flea didn’t even like sex! Being raped at fourteen can do that to a girl. And if she could manage the marriage bed, there was even worse to consider—finding a way to love them all and get them to love her. After all, she wasn’t Airsha. She wasn’t a compassionate, caring and lovable person. She barely knew what love was. And this was one situation she couldn’t con her way out of, or through.

So, basically, with all things considered, the world didn’t have a chance if it was depending on her to save the day. The Goddess really got it wrong this time!

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purrfect santaPURRFECT SANTA by Jessie Lane and Chastity Bowlin

A woman afraid to love …Nikki knows what it is to lose those you love. With her focus on her orphaned sister, she hasn’t given herself the chance to process her own grief over the loss of their parents. Life is chaos and the last complication she needs is a mate.

A lion alone for too long …Joe Miller knows chaos. Being orphaned as a child, he’s never had a family to call his own. Crashing with a friend for the holidays, he’s hoodwinked into playing Santa Claus at a local mall. The last thing on his mind is finding a mate.

A love worth the risk …With her baby sister on her hip, sadness in her eyes, and a longing in her heart, Nikki waits in line with her sister to see Santa. From the moment he scents her, Joe is in deep. It’s going to take everything he has to convince Nikki the love outweighs the risk to her heart. Luckily for Joe, he has fate and Nikki’s adorable baby sister on his side. After all, who can say no to the Purrfect Santa at Christmas?

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mists edgeMIST’S EDGE (THE BROKEN LANDS BOOK 2) by T A White

The pathfinder, Shea, has chosen to make a place for herself among her former captors, leaving behind her people and the life she once knew. However, not all welcome this outsider in their midst. Shea will find that surviving alone in the wilderness is child’s play next to navigating the politics that come with her new position. Especially when it becomes evident that there are those out for her blood.

As a new danger looms on the horizon, Shea and her warlord will need all the allies they can find. Because something is stirring in the barren lands from which all beasts are born. Something old and not seen since the last cataclysm.

Can Shea protect her people from this new threat or will it be the dangers from within her own inner circle that destroy her?

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scarlets dilemmaSCARLET’S DILEMMA (SHIFTING CROSSROADS BOOK 45) by Zenina Masters

VS Note: A RED PANDA on the cover! Oh noes, must read this – I LOVE red pandas.

Scarlet is content to be the product of two very different cultures and slightly oddball parents. She has her job, her home, and her family so why would she want anything else?

The wild magic in her veins is looking for an outlet, and it wants to bring for the next generation.

With no prospects in her area, the Crossroads is offered as a chance to find a mate, so Scarlet packs light and heads out to seek the man she hasn’t even thought about.

Hiro is an architect doing design work for the Crossroads as he has for years. When he sees the lady with brilliant hair dismissing an eager suitor with the deft twist of her wrist, bringing the idiot to his knees, Hiro knows that he wants to find out what brought her to the Crossroads, even if he can’t offer it to her.

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total eclipse of the huntTOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE HUNT (THE HAPPILY EVERLASTING SERIES BOOK 5) by Mandy M Roth

As a centaur, Deputy Jake Majoy (Deputy March) is immortal, and has seen and done a lot in his five hundred years. Enough to know that Everlasting feels like home. It’s been perfect for him to fade away and blend in; you see, the town is anything but normal—and the locals protect their own. So when a newcomer ends up in their midst, at the same time things go missing around town, it’s his duty to step in to restore law and order. But the pull he feels to the woman is anything but part of the job.

Kelsey Gibbons has (literally) followed all the signs leading to Everlasting, Maine. There is a great power at work, drawing her to the tiny seaside town. She’s hoping Everlasting will be a safe place to ride out the storm engulfing her personal life while she works to unravel the mystery of who sent her a mysterious pendant and a bus ticket. When her arrival coincides with an uptick of crime, it becomes very clear that the chaos has only just begun. And when a hunky man in uniform shows up on the scene, it’s all she can do to focus on finding answers.

When the truth about Everlasting is revealed, Kelsey learns she’s not so alone in the world and she’s braver than she thought—not to mention, she’s destined for a hot dude who can shift into a horse.

Can she and Jake beat the clock…and the evil that has come back to town?

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grizzly perfectionGRIZZLY PERFECTION (ARCADIAN BEARS BOOK 6) by Becca Jameson

The scent of her mate was in the air…When Adriana lifted her head and scented her mate for the first time, the world stopped spinning. She’d never met him, but she knew exactly who he was. Nolan Osborn. He was right outside. And then he wasn’t.

He could not risk her life…Nolan’s heart skipped a beat as he stepped from the car. He had no idea who belonged to the scent that would change his life, but he couldn’t risk meeting her tonight. His life was in danger. He would not risk hers as well.

But he was not her only option…When Reid got the call that his best friend needed him, he didn’t hesitate. Nolan’s mate was in danger, and she needed a bodyguard. It was an easy job. And then it wasn’t. This could not be happening.

Grizzly shifters mated in pairs.

Why would Fate put two men in Adriana’s path, forcing her to choose?

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love beyond wordsLOVE BEYOND WORDS (MORNA’S LEGACY SERIES BOOK 9) by Bethany Claire

Laurel’s life bears no resemblance to the love stories she writes. While handsome heroes are easy to imagine, they’re much more difficult to find. Years of bad dates with creepy men have left her feeling cynical toward all things related to love. When she and her best friend find themselves caught up in Morna’s meddling magic and are transported to seventeenth century Scotland, Laurel meets a man who threatens to change her attitude toward matters of the heart.

After two years away, Raudrich returns to his home on The Isle of Eight Lairds to resume the duty he’s pledged his life to. When he arrives, he finds an out-of-time lassie asleep in his bed. The woman intrigues him, and it doesn’t take long before she captures his heart. But something inside causes her to resist her feelings. If only he could help her love herself, perhaps she would have room in her heart to love him in return.

As their feelings grow, so does the strength of an evil held captive beneath the castle—an evil that will do anything to escape.

Will Laurel open herself up to the possibility of love? If she does, can she find the power within herself to outwit the evil she’s destined to face?

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braveBRAVE (A WICKED TRILOGY BOOK 3) by Jennifer L Armentrout

Ivy Morgan hasn’t been feeling like herself lately. Not like anyone can blame her. After all, being held captive by a psychotic fae prince hell-bent on permanently opening the gates to the Otherworld is bound to leave some mental scars.

It’s more than that, though. Something dark and insidious is spreading throughout Ivy, more powerful than she could ever imagine… and it’s coming between her and the man she’s fallen deeply in love with, elite Order member Ren Owens.

Ren would do anything to keep Ivy safe. Anything. But when he makes a life altering choice for her, the fallout of his act has far reaching consequences that threaten to tear their lives apart.

If Ivy is going to have any hope of surviving this, she must put aside the hurt and betrayal she feels, and work with not only those she loves, but with an enemy she would rather kill than ever trust. War is coming, and it soon becomes clear that what Ivy and Ren thought they knew about the Order, themselves, and even their enemies, has been nothing but a cluster of dangerous, deadly lies.

Ivy knows she must be more than just brave to save those she loves–and, ultimately, to save herself.

Because behind every evil fae Prince, there’s a Queen.

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holiday magicHOLIDAY MAGIC by Various

Make this winter magical with 6 BRAND NEW Holiday romances.

This Holiday Season SIX amazingly talented and bestselling authors come to together in this collection of Holiday Magic with vampires, witches, shifters, and humans.

Tis the season for a paranormal and contemporary romance anthology with a touch of magic everyone will fall in love with.

Amazon

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And just a reminder of my own scifi romance New Release from last week!

canva promo with nightgown

Buy Links: Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

December 6

November 29

November 22

November 15

November 8

November 1

October 25

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

I don’t ordinarily list re-releases…

Also, I may include only the beginning of the book blurb…

Deeper Implications Weekend Writing Warriors

Warriors logo revisedHere’s the link to the Weekend Writing Warriors central page, so you can visit all the participants sharing excerpts today…a fun way to sample new books and find new authors! (Also welcome to the Sunday Snippet visitors!)

This will be the last excerpt from The Fated Stars, because I had a new release this past week. Details below!

The excerpt – skipped ahead a bit from last week, to a point after Larissa has had a short telepathic conversation with the seer, where he asked for her help:

By the time she was walking through town back to her ship, tossing the sickly sweet candy in the nearest recycler, Larissa was even more convinced something ominous lay behind the traveling fair’s agenda.

She had the Valkyrie’s AI begin a crawl through all the databases accessible to her, a few of which were authorized for mercenaries, the general ones the entire Sectors used, and a few classified areas Sectors command wouldn’t be happy to know she could still access.

Searching for data on the carnival, Larissa was surprised how little information existed. From all indications, the operation appeared full blown about four years ago, traveling an interesting route along the Sectors frontier in this area of the galaxy, visiting the colonies in a leisurely itinerary. The AI reported there was another traveling show with the same name, in an adjacent, slightly more settled portion of the Sectors’ border.

“There can’t be many credits in carting mangy animals, cheap rides and attractions around the galaxy. Not to mention the risk of holding illegal slaves, if the seer is telling me the truth about his situation.” She leaned back in her chair at the control console and sipped her coffee.

Larissa had to admit she was intrigued on several levels now, not just because of her innate compulsion to help a sentient in trouble. There could be deeper implications for the security of the Sectors at stake here.

TheFatedStarsFinalThe story:

Larissa Channer, a tough no-nonsense mercenary in the Sectors, is celebrating success on her last job and a big bonus, with no slightest thought of taking on another assignment anytime soon. Out for a night of carousing with her friends at a third rate carnival on a backwater planet, she walks into the tent of a fake fortune teller and finds herself confronting the most intriguing man she’s ever seen. But something’s wrong, ominous currents lie beneath the surface of their encounter and Larissa can’t leave well enough alone.

Samell, a powerful, high born empathic priest, has been kidnapped from his own primitive planet along with a number of his people, and sold to the shady operator of an interstellar carnival. Kept enslaved, pretending to be a fortune teller while forced by his captor to steal information from the minds of all who come before him, Samell despairs of every breaking free.

Until Larissa walks into his tent and he recognizes the warrior who might mean the difference between life and death.

The situation becomes dire when Larissa and Samell come to the attention of the Shemdylann pirates who kidnapped him in the first place and the deadly Mawreg, aliens who threaten the Sectors. Can she save herself and the empathic alien noble, and derail the Mawreg plot against the Sectors? And will the soldier end up with her prince when all’s said and done?

Buy Links:  Amazon     Kobo     B&N     iBooks     Google

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]NEW RELEASE: Aydarr (A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel): Sectors New Allies Book 1

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

Amazon      B&N  Google   Kobo     iBooks

New Releases in #SciFi and #Fantasy Romance for Wednesday December 6

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]As always, I recommend sampling before you buy! I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking a bunch as I prepare these posts LOL).

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I HAVE A NEW RELEASE! AND IT’S THE START OF A NEW SERIES! OK, sorry to shout LOL, but I’m excited.

AYDARR (A BADARI WARRIORS SCIFI ROMANCE NOVEL): Sectors New Allies Series Book 1 by Veronica Scott

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway? Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

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heart sightHEART SIGHT (A CELTA NOVEL) by Robin D Owens

VS Note: OMG, I LOVE her Celta novels. They are not like anything else…lots of cool aspects, including the ‘fams’ – animal companions. Did an instant one click on this one.

Muin “Vinni” T’Vine has been the prophet of Celta since he was six years old. A unique and lonely child, his strong psi power made most people wary of him. But now that he’s older, he’s ready to marry and protect the girl he’s known was his HeartMate for years.

Avellana isn’t as fragile as Vinni believes…nor as compliant. She fights to be considered Vinni’s equal and a strong member of her Family and community. Both of them have kept Avellana’s main power secret for over a decade.

But rumors of her strange psi talent are spreading, and Vinni is experiencing premonitions of danger to Avellana—even from the highest people of the land. When the whispers become threats, Vinni and Avellana must discover and defeat their secret enemies before they can finally claim happiness together.

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jingle starsJINGLE STARS (SHAMANS AND SHIFTERS SPACE OPERA BOOK 4) BY Jenny Schwartz

Ahab is a mLa’an artificial intelligence embedded in the starship, Orion.

The campaign for AIs to be recognized as full citizens of Galaxy Proper is within reach of its extraordinary goal. The only thing that could stop it now is if an AI did something foolish…like take a space station hostage to save eight orphaned children.

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And this is the letter to Santa that starts it all:

Dear Santa

I don’t know if your reindeers work in space. ..(more)…

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rescuing prince charmingRESCUING PRINCE CHARMING by Ed Hoornaert

VS Note: I’ve been enjoying the snippets that Ed has been sharing from this on the Weekend Writing Warrior blog hop.

She’s no heroine. He’s no Prince Charming.

Dusty Johnson, a self-styled ordinary, everyday woman, responds with extraordinary heroism to saboteurs trying to bomb Earth’s first starship. She wants only to return to anonymity, but her moment of courage propels her ever deeper into danger that tears the scabs off her dark past—and thrusts her into the arms of the unattainable man of her dreams.

Reese Eaglesbrood, an alien prince, yearns to restore his tattered reputation by guiding the starship project to completion, but his fascination with the shy heroine threatens to undermine his fragile authority. Shunning Dusty is necessary, yet unthinkable—and when the saboteurs strike again, she may be his only ally against Earth’s greatest enemies.

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going greenGOING GREEN (VIALEA BOOK 2) by Celia Kyle and Erin Tate

Rhea is leaving Earth and nothing will stop her. Not her controlling governor father, her asshole ex-fiancé, or the Department of Population who want to impregnate her. Which is why she contacts the one organization out of their reach—Celestial Mates. A questionnaire and blood sample later and Rhea is matched to a hunky, deliciously tempting, and alluring alien.

Erudan—once known as Teon, brother to the High Warlord of Vialea—did not register with Celestial Mates. Or rather, he’d never submitted his application. Yet a curvaceous, dark haired, green eyed human stands before him and demands they mate. Immediately. He lost his honor long ago and doesn’t deserve a female like the seductive Rhea, but that does not stop the wanting.

Unfortunately, others from Earth want her returned and Erudan is happy to show them the error of their ways. No one challenges a Vian warrior… and lives.

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blade revantBLADE (REVANT WARRIORS)  by Celeste Raye

Blade’s a rebel, an outlaw and a man who can kill swiftly and silently. He has no intention of living, because he has no reason to, and when the Revant brothers come to him with a pact to finally begin open warfare against the Federation, Blade eagerly agrees. He doesn’t plan on rescuing a beautiful woman sold into slavery. He doesn’t plan on falling in love.

But plans go awry and when war starts, love might be the only thing that is worth dying,
and living for.

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stolen skyTHE STOLEN SKY (SPLIT CITY BOOK 2) by Heather Hansen

Arden and Dade are running for their lives from a city on fire; they’re wounded, desperate, and shadowed by two families who want them dead. But it’s Dade’s debt to a devious crime lord that plunges them further into danger—especially with their mining planet in chaos…

The ruling Solizen have grown more calculating, while the Undercity population remains trapped in the darkness below. With the supply of life-saving VitD wiped out, the rebellion is ready to erupt at any moment.

Now, Arden and Dade reluctantly join a new team on a hazardous operation to infiltrate the Solizen’s most protected facility. Caught up in the uncertainty of shifting allegiances and suspicious allies, their relationship will be put to the test. But to carry out their dangerous mission, the teens must rely on their love more than ever—will it be enough to keep them alive?

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lazanLAZAN (RAITHER WARRIORS) by Stella Sky

Dr. Mila Voss has lost the rest of her group…but that’s nothing new. She is used to
ridiculous things happening to her. So it’s hardly surprising when she is dumped on a
dangerous prison planet full of the cruelest monsters in the galaxy. Mila is rescued by a
pair of sexy alien brothers; which might not have been so bad…except the eldest claims
her, when it is actually his burly, intelligent brother who catches her eye…

Lazan Kylad is strong, independent, and brave. While separated from his crew, he takes
on a monster single handedly to save a human female. from mortal danger. When his
brother stakes his claim first, the tables turn, and Lazan’s temptations suddenly become
akin to adultery. A punishable offense.

Things go from bad to worse when Mila finds herself pregnant with Lazan’s child. She
knows Lazan’s life is at stake, and to save the life of the man she loves, she hides her
pregnancy. She may be able to hide her love for him, but her pregnancy is a different
story.

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hiddenHIDDEN (WARRIORS OF HIR BOOK 4) by Willow Danes

Her family’s fortune can buy Tara Douglas anything—except more time. Determined to make peace with her fate, she’s come to the house her great-grandfather built in the Smoky Mountains to spend the time she has left in peace. But for once Tara becomes the healer when she finds wreckage of an otherworldly vessel, and a badly injured man whose glowing eyes see right into her soul . . .

When Ki’san volunteered to journey to Earth he never imagined he would find himself dying there. A physician from a vanishing race, he knows his people’s law allows only a chosen few to hunt the females of this planet as mates. Ki’san’s mere presence on Tara’s world endangers them both but the crash that leaves him clinging to life also brings him a female like none he could have imagined, one he cannot help but love.

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jabariJABARI (THE BROKEN BOOK 2) by Serena Simpson

Brandi thought her life was over the day the doctor told her she was dying; nothing mattered now. That’s when she met Jabari. He walked into her life taking care of her and treating her like a queen. Before she knew it, they were running from a creature that he called a firebird. Now there was no telling what would happen, but she was going to hold on with both hands and enjoy the ride.

Jabari was never supposed to meet his mate, but if he did; she shouldn’t die before him. All bets were off because Brandi was dying, and he was too broken to save her. That meant all he could do was show her the world while they were together because one day he would wake up too broken to move again.

When the firebird attacked, Jabari realized that someone was targeting Brandi. Now he had two clear orders. One, protect and love his mate until she took her final breath. Two, kill whoever was after her and take his last breath. Love was never meant to be forever… or was it?

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cold fireCOLD FIRE A PRE-APOCALYPTIC DRAGON ROMANCE (ICE DRAKE SERIES BOOK 1) by Emma Layne

The Earth’s days are numbered, and aliens are looting the planet.

Faro is a Drakeborne Knight, a product of dragon and human DNA. He came to Earth on a mission to save his people and Faro thought he’d return to Iradia as a conquering hero, but then he meets Amy. Inexplicably, he’s drawn to her. Faro fears he inherited more than enhanced abilities. Dragons have fierce, unbreakable bonds with their mates. And now, Faro is torn between love and loyalty.

Since her father’s untimely death, Amy has been grief stricken, and every day is a struggle, until she meets Faro, a stranger staying at her inn. He’s not like other men, and eventually, she discovers Faro is an empath from another world. He lifts her burdens, brings her joy, but the secrets he’s keeping threaten to tear them apart.

Can Amy forgive him? And will they save both their planets? 

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undoneUNDONE (UNKNOWN TRILOGY BOOK 3) by Wendy Higgins

Amber Tate never dreamed their heart-wrenching escape from the enemy’s attack would lead them to the most beautiful place she’s ever seen, marred by one ugly fact; it’s under enemy control. Like everywhere else in the world, Elmendorf military base in Alaska has been captured, and it’s time to take it back—all of it—one base, one city at a time. After losing so much, Amber clings to the only precious person she has left, and vows to sacrifice everything to help save the Earth.

Remy Haines is a lover, not a fighter, so when she finds herself in enemy territory, expected to feign allegiance while gathering intel for the rebel cause, she’s never been more out of her element. Tensions only increase when her feelings for Jacob “Tater” Tate won’t go away, and the enemy’s leader takes an interest in her. She’s torn between what her heart wants, and what she knows she should do. As for what her body needs…well, it’s always had a mind of its own.

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romulusROMULUS (COSMIC CHAMPIONS) by Luna Hunter

Romulus has the body of a Greek God…
The rough, domineering hands of a brute…
And the dirty mind of an animal.
He’s everything I hate.
So why do I crave him?

Amazon

 

 

ACROSS THE STARSACROSS THE STARS (THE DIMENSION SERIES BOOK 3)  by C S Wilde

James never imagined he’d be fighting inter-galactic wars. Not long ago, he was only a nerd with a monster crush on his co-worker. All he wants now is to lead a peaceful life with his family.

No such luck.

An old foe has returned with a vengeance, and he won’t stop until he has destroyed everything that James and Miriam love; everything that’s most precious to them.

The Baumans will have to fight for their family, their friends, and for Earth, but the price for freedom might just be too high.

Amazon

year oneYEAR ONE: CHRONICLES OF THE ONE, YEAR 1 by Nora Roberts

VS Note: I one clicked this one, always fascinated by apocalyptic novels.

It began on New Year’s Eve.

The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed—and more than half of the world’s population was decimated.

Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magick rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river—or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

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christmas in atlantisCHRISTMAS IN ATLANTIS with a bonus annotated copy of THE GIFT OF THE MAGI : A POSEIDON WARRIORS PARANORMAL ROMANCE by Alyssa Day

The Gift of the Magi…in Atlantis – A tortured warrior…Warrior-turned-pirate Dare is the black sheep of all Atlantis. He enraged Poseidon, the sea god, so much that Dare had to forfeit his ship and the water spirit who inhabits it. For Dare, being denied the ocean is worse than death…until he comes home to a woman who drowns him in waves of hunger more powerful than the sea. But black sheep and scoundrels can never deserve love, even during the magic of the first Christmas in Atlantis.

An artist who sees the world through song…After the accident that killed her parents and blinded her, Lyric discovered she had a special gift—that of song sight. She now sees the world in her own unique way, and her paintings are full of light and magic. When the Atlantean warrior she’s fallen in love with takes her to his home in Atlantis, she finds a rare magical artifact that could change her world forever. Or it could deliver to Dare the thing he most desires.

Atlantis’s first Christmas is coming…It’s the season of miracles in Atlantis. A chance to make wishes come true. And when Lyric tells her new Atlantean friends O Henry’s story of The Gift of the Magi, the world—and Lyric and Dare—may never be the same.

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vow of deceptionVOW OF DECEPTION (MINISTRY OF CURIOSITIES BOOK 9) by C J Archer

With the wedding only days away, the Ministry is thrown into turmoil when another murder is committed by a shape-shifter. But this time the newspapers make the connection to werewolves – and the Ministry. Suddenly the attention is focused on Lichfield Towers and its residents as the police investigate and parliament wants to shut the organization down.

It could spell the end of everything Charlie has come to love.

As the authorities close in and ministry secrets are exposed, past allies can no longer be trusted. Can Charlie save her home, her loved ones, and herself? Or will she lose Lincoln and her friends forever?

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WITCHS THIRSTTHE WITCH’S THIRST by Deborah LeBlanc

For Evette Francois, falling in love is the end of the world—literally. A witch from a long and distinguished line, Evee wields power that comes at a devastating price. If she ever loves a human, all of humanity will suffer. Resisting the temptations of men has never been terribly difficult—until she meets Lucien Hyland. One member of a cabal devoted to preventing a race of interdimensional monsters from ruling the universe. Lucien is the most exquisite creature Evee has ever seen. If she succumbs to passion, death and chaos will follow. But she may not be strong enough to fight her desire.

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wicked vampireTHE WICKED VAMPIRE by Kate Baxter

Sasha Ivanov was born to be wild. A vampire party girl, she stalks the L.A. clubs at night. Dancing. Drinking. Indulging her darkest appetites. Never sated, she’s always looking for more: more danger, more excitement, more blood. But when she enters a supernatural fight club—and is tethered to her mortal enemy—Sasha realizes she’s playing the most dangerous game of all…

Ewan Brún was born to kill vampires. A powerful berserker and unbeaten champion, he doesn’t need a weapon to be deadly. He is the weapon. But when his soul becomes captive to the most beautiful vampire he’s ever seen, he is all but powerless. He cannot resist Sasha—and cannot fight his desires. Is their love strong enough to defeat the gathering forces of darkness that threatens to destroy them both?

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dreamers songTHE DREAMER’S SONG (A NOVEL OF THE NINE KINGDOMS)by Lynn Kurland

Acair of Ceangail, still dodging his reputation as a notorious black mage, has undertaken the ultimate quest: ridding the world of a mysterious, terrible dark magic while using no magic of his own. But he never bargained for three maddening complications: attempting to safeguard his beautiful but horse-obsessed companion, Léirsinn; trying not to slay a profoundly irritating prince of Neroche; and slipping in and out of places he knows will spell his doom if he’s caught.

Léirsinn of Sàraichte simply wants to do what needs to be done—find the makers of various spells and rescue her grandfather. But walking side by side with Acair brings a terrible revelation about the magic she needs, and what its price will exact from her soul.

Together, Acair and Léirsinn face danger they never could have imagined, culminating in choices that will alter them and the history of the Nine Kingdoms forever.

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seductionSEDUCTION (CURSE OF THE GODS BOOK 3) by Jaymin Eve and Jane Washington

Willa has never been a particularly useful dweller: she isn’t very good at chores, she isn’t very good at worshipping, she isn’t very good at not having opinions, and she isn’t very good with rules—but none of that matters anymore.
The rules are changing.
The dwellers are trying to make their own way in the world, and Willa can’t seem to help getting tangled up in their plans.
Luckily, she has the Abcurse brothers to help her out—until she doesn’t, and suddenly she’s alone again in a world on the brink of chaos. With the Abcurses gone, she’ll have to rely on her wits, and her sister Emmy, to stay under the radar and survive.
Because someone wants her dead.

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demon ashDEMON ASH (RESURRECTION CHRONICLES BOOK 3 by M J Haag and Becca Vincenza

The world is nothing like Mya remembers. While in Ernisi, cities have been bombed and burned in an attempt to stop the hellhounds and the plague. The survivors are doing everything they can to win back their world from the hell that was unleashed with the first quake.

With Drav’s help, Mya reunites with her family, but they are far from safe. Marauders, hellhounds, and the infected are doing their best to destroy what’s left of the world, and it’s up to Mya and Drav to save it.

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ravagedRAVAGED (VAMPIRE AWAKENINGS BOOK 7) by Brenda K Davies

Since the day he stopped aging, Aiden has struggled against the darkness trying to claim him. He no longer denies he’s fighting a losing battle, he’s just hoping someone kills him before he gives in to the savage nature dwelling within him. Just when he believes he’ll lose the battle, he encounters Maggie, and for the first time in years, he has hope for his future.

Having grown up without a stable home, Maggie enjoys the security she’s worked hard to attain. Everything changes the night Aiden ends up in her ambulance. Now, not only does Maggie stand to lose everything she’s achieved, she’s beginning to think the mother she considered insane might not be.

With everything she knows torn away, Maggie realizes the more she loses, the more she might gain if she gives her trust to Aiden. However, when circumstances force them apart, Aiden is unsure if Maggie will be enough to bring him back from the darkness ravaging his soul.

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a fashionably dead diaryA FASHIONABLY DEAD DIARY by Robyn Peterman

Getting blackmailed sucks. Getting blackmailed by Satan into ghost writing his autobiography/romance really sucks—hard.

But I’m not a weenie or a welsher. I’m a semi-materialistic, Prada lovin’ Vampyre-Demon with a bad attitude and a serious lack of cheating skills. If I were a good cheater, I wouldn’t be in this heinous position. I lost and now I have to pay. However, the price might deplete the wavering amount of sanity I have left…

So I’m turning to you, Dear Diary, to pour out my inappropriate feelings and murderous inclinations toward a family member who shall remain nameless. Who in the Hell am I kidding? I’m gonna name that butthole over and over on these secret pages. It’s Satan or Lucifer or the Lord of Darkness or the Dark Angel—or, as I like to call him, Uncle F%#ker.

That’s why I have chosen you, Dear Diary. You don’t have a mouth as far as I know and if you do, I’ll remove it—violently. Please keep that in mind as I tell you all my secrets. I’ve dealt with talking books and walls and they’re a real pain in the ass. So if you turn out to be one of those, we’ll have a problem.

Sit back. Relax and get ready for a Hellish ride.   xoxo Astrid

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blood and ashesBLOOD AND ASHES by Marilyn Peake

With blood and magic, civilization rises from the ash.

Worlds are falling apart in two realms: human and faerie. After the factories close and her father dies of alcoholism, Kaelin helps her family survive by foraging for food. Her world is thrown into chaos as she comes to realize she has incredible power as both blood and hedge witch. When a handsome stranger enters her life, it’s clear that he’s not from her neck of the woods. Although he and his family appear perfect in so many ways, they desperately need her help.

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temptations of christmas futureTEMPTATIONS OF CHRISTMAS FUTURE by Lexi Post

Thanks to his shock tactics and pessimistic attitude, Scottish spirit guide Malcolm MacLachlan’s job is on the line. What else did they expect from a former Glasgow Watchman? For his final assignment, he chooses his partner based on the probability of success, and Joy Collingwood is the very best. That he can prove to her the future isn’t all puppies and marshmallows is an added bonus.

Joy is thrilled to help Malcolm, but their different methods threaten the success of their collaboration. If they can’t find some common ground, they’ll fail. What she doesn’t expect is that their common ground will be her bed and her deepest secret will be revealed.

Yet her secrets are nothing compared to Malcolm’s and their revelation could jeopardize everything…including her heart.

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wolf hungerWOLF HUNGER (SWAT BOOK 7) by Paige Tyler

When SWAT Officer Max Lowry meets Lana Mason, he falls fast and hard. He’s positive she’s The One. And Max’s favorite part? Lana’s a wolf shifter too, so they can skip the awkward reveal and head straight to the happily ever after. There’s just one problem: Lana doesn’t know that she’s a werewolf.

To make matters worse, hunters with intent to kill have tracked Lana to Dallas. Max has to figure out how to keep Lana safe, show her who and what she really is—and just how much she means to him.

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dragons huntTHE DRAGON’S HUNT by Jane Kindred

By day, Leo Stršm works as an assistant in a tattoo parlor. By night… Well, he isn’t quite sure what happens at night. He just knows that it’s best if he restrains himself.

Ink is more than just superficial decoration to Rhea Carlisle. Her ability to read her clients’ souls in their tattoos gives her work its special magic—and it allows her to see that there’s more to Leo than his brilliant blue eyes.

The passion that kindles between them might be Leo’s salvation. Or it might be the end of the world.

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lead dragonLEAD DRAGON (DRAGON GUARD OF DRAKKARIS) by Terry Bolryder

Lead, captain of an elite team of powerful dragons, is about to embark on the most difficult mission he’s ever undertaken: trying not to fall in love with the cute, curvy woman he saved and is now tasked with protecting. But how is he supposed to do that when everything inside the honor-obsessed dragon roars “mate” whenever he sees her?

Brittany is just a regular human. She never expected to be kidnapped by wolves or for six ridiculously hot dragon shifters to rescue her. But there’s one dragon, with bright golden eyes, dark hair and the composure of a warrior that she can’t seem to stop thinking about. Especially while she’s living in a mansion with him and his sexy friends.

As the sexual tension between them rises like dragon flame, Lead and Brittany will have to navigate the blurred lines of duty and integrity in a world that is only getting more confusing with each passing day. And with a sinister new evil on the horizon, Lead may need to reconsider what honor really means if he wants to protect his mate.

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three trialsTHREE TRIALS (THE DARK SIDE BOOK 2) by Kristy Cunning

So, I’ve checked off some life goals and added a few new ones to my list.
Goal #5: Get out of hell’s belly without letting my ungrateful charges die.
Goal #6: Get a new name that’s more badass.
Goal #7: Stop wasting my breath on lectures and start annoying the quad hell squad every time they annoy me. Fight fire with fire. Ha! Another hell pun.
Goal 8: Find out who the hell killed me.
I’ll add more. I don’t want to overwhelm myself before I even finish checking off my old goals. But seriously, I really do need a more badass name, considering how much I have to keep saving my damsels in distress.
I probably shouldn’t call them damsels, since they’re a little murderous and all.
Maybe I should add seeing a hell-certified psychologist to my list of goals.

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witchmas carolA WITCHMAS CAROL: A WICKED WITCHES OF THE MIDWEST FANTASY by Amanda M Lee

Christmas is here but the Winchester witches aren’t exactly teeming with good cheer.
Well, they are, but it’s not the sort of Christmas cheer Aunt Tillie wants waiting for her under this year’s tree.
When Aunt Tillie finds out her great-nieces want to separate for Christmas Day – forgoing the family’s annual tradition – she decides to teach them a little lesson. Of course, since she’s Aunt Tillie, her dose of retribution comes in the form of her favorite holiday Christmas stories.
For Bay and Landon, that means they’re shoved into A Witchmas Carol, one of Aunt Tillie’s favorite tales. That should mean hugs and happiness, right? Yeah, try toil and trouble instead.
Bay and Landon have to work their way through memories of the past, guilt over the present and absolute terror when facing their future if they expect to come out the other side. To escape, they have to figure out exactly what Aunt Tillie wants … and she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve.
So, it’s that time of the year. Things are about to get merry … and maybe a little messy … for the Winchesters. There’s no better time to hitch a ride on the mayhem sleigh.

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firefighter unicornFIREFIGHTER UNICORN (FIRE AND RESCUE SHIFTERS BOOK 6) by Zoe Chant

Sarcastic. Short-tempered. Definitely not sparkly. Paramedic and firefighter Hugh Argent is no one’s idea of a unicorn, and he’s careful to keep it that way. His life depends on hiding his secrets…and on never meeting his true mate.

Outcast. Unwanted. Untouchable. Wyvern shifter Ivy has been shunned her whole life due to her uncontrollably venomous skin. Now finally there’s someone who can touch her…and he doesn’t want anything to do with her.

No matter how much Ivy craves to be touched at last, there’s one thing that can make her give up her only chance at love—a cure for her terminally ill younger sister. So Ivy offers Hugh a deal: Heal her sister, and she’ll get out of his life forever.

The more Hugh gets to know Ivy, the more he longs to claim this brave, fierce, infuriating woman. But a unicorn can only take a mate at a terrible cost…

More than hearts are at stake.

And every secret is about to be revealed at last.

Amazon

snow leopards christmas surpriseTHE SNOW LEOPARD’S CHRISTMAS SURPRISE by Emilia Hartley

Ellie was just looking for a normal holiday. She had planned to spend it with her family. Her mother, father and her baby boy, Casper. When Nolan showed up, things took a turn for the worst. She couldn’t believe him. Why would he return after all these years? She didn’t need him then, and she doesn’t need him now. Though, she had to admit. Casper and Nolan seemed to get along together really well.

Amazon

 

her winter wolvesHER WINTER WOLVES by Milly Taiden and Marianne Morea

This very modern take on the tale of Snow White isn’t for the faint of heart.

Grace Snow is a marketing genius and the heir to Snow Industries, a cosmetics conglomerate. Looking to bring the company into the 21st century isn’t as simple as she wishes. Not with her stepmother making every move a tug-of-war. Grace’s new app, Mirror-Mirror, can rebrand them as fresh and new for a younger generation. That’s only if she can keep her stepmother and her vindictiveness away from her plans. Good luck with that!

Wolf shifter, Adam Hunt, has been the company’s Head of Security since Grace was a teen. Hired to look after Gracie’s well-being, he’s crossed the evil stepmother one too many times and now she’s blackmailing him to do her bidding. What she doesn’t know is he’s the Omega of his pack, and together he and their Alpha, Zach Cassidy, will protect and defend Grace even at the cost of their own lives.

Grace is their mate. The one destined to complete their Triad. She has no idea that she’s about to become part of the sexiest relationship of her life. Jealousy and greed push her stepmother to get rid of Grace. Gracie might not be ready for what’s coming her way—not the two sexiest men she’ll ever want or the poison conjured by her stepmother, but she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to fight.

Amazon

fury of denialFURY OF DENIAL by Coreene Callahan

He’s an antisocial dragon shifter with a serious sweet tooth. She’s a pastry chef who won’t give him any sugar.

Blinded in an ambush, dragon warrior Wallaig has spent half a century in the dark with one thing on his mind—vengeance. When the rogue faction responsible returns to Scotland and targets a human female, he saves her life, determined to exact his revenge—even if it means using her as bait.

Smart-mouthed Amantha Leblanc is pastry chef with dreams of opening her own shop. The money is in the bank. Her mission is clear. The plan goes to hell the second Wallaig breaks into her apartment and she defends herself with a rolling pin. With a rogue pack of dragons circling, she is forced to rely on a man she doesn’t like—but isn’t able to resist.

Amazon

bear with meBEAR WITH ME by  Everleigh Clark

Bo Alexander has his hands full as temporary alpha of his little clan in Bear Paw River.
But then she shows up.
A gorgeous, curvy—human—single mother with a shifter son in tow. Between the kid’s bodily function jokes and the mating heat sizzling from Jane, Bo doesn’t know which way is up. But he knows she’s hiding something. And he’s just the man to help her.

Jane has been running with Liam for too long now. She’s exhausted, scared, waiting for the day Seth finds her and drags them back to his pack. But Bear Paw River promises sanctuary…and love? No, she doesn’t have the freedom to open her heart. Besides, love is deadly.

It’s time for Bo to bear-up and save this woman and cub. But can he let her go when the danger has passed? Humans and grizzly shifters aren’t meant to be. Right?
Then again, crazier things have happened. Look at his sister. She married a wolf.

Amazon

endless chaseENDLESS CHASE (DALAKIS PASSION BOOK 5) by N J Walters

Since the night her parents were brutally murdered, Katya Markova has been driven by a dark quest for vengeance. When her search for the killers leads her to the heart of Transylvania and the ancestral home of the Dalakis, she hopes to finally take her revenge and put her horrific memories and the souls of her parents to rest. Then she meets the mesmerizing Chase Deveraux, and his intensely passionate touch threatens to weaken her resolve as she surrenders to his sensual promise.

With his life in disarray, Chase has retreated to the remote castle of the Dalakis clan to sort things out in isolation, but instead is inexplicably drawn to the mysterious Katya. Instantly spellbound by her tough warrior exterior and compelling beauty, Chase finds that Katya captivates him like no other woman has before—until he learns of her dark intent and is torn between his own needs and those of his family.

Because Katya is enmeshed in a world of lies and deceptions, and has brought that world to the Dalakis doorstep. As their unquenchable passion spirals to incredible sensual heights, Chase and Katya will be forced to make a choice, one that could destroy the Dalakis clan for all time or unite the desperate young lovers for eternity.

Amazon     iBooks

flame in the darkFLAME IN THE DARK (A SOULWOOD NOVEL) by Faith Hunter

VS Notes: Seems as if this has romantic elements rather than romance but I haven’t read the series.

Nell Ingram has always known she was different. Since she was a child, she’s been able to feel and channel ancient powers from deep within the earth. When she met Jane Yellowrock, her entire life changed, and she was recruited into PsyLED—the Homeland Security division that polices paranormals. But now her newly formed unit is about to take on its toughest case yet.

A powerful senator barely survives an assassination attempt that leaves many others dead—and the house he was visiting burns to the ground. Invisible to security cameras, the assassin literally disappears, and Nell’s team is called in. As they track a killer they know is more—or less—than human, they unravel a web of dark intrigue and malevolent motives that tests them to their limits and beyond.

Amazon     iBooks

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica:

November 29

November 22

November 15

November 8

November 1

October 25

October 18

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My standard Notes and Caveats:

The term “new” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  

I don’t ordinarily list re-releases…

(NOTE: If the author provides me with buy links I insert those; otherwise I default to Amazon and iBooks. Pricing and availability are current as of the day I prepare the post – things can change fast in the ebook world LOL.)

Also, I often include only the beginning of the book blurb…

 

New Release AYDARR Starts My New #Scifi Series

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00068]I’m happy to announce my latest new release, Aydarr: A Badari Warriors SciFi Romance Novel, which is book one in my new Sectors New Allies Series. Writing an actual series is a new experience for me, but each book has a Happy for Now ending, no cliffhangers! There is an overarching series plot, however. I’m busy working on book two now, Mateer, which I expect to release in mid January.

Here’s the plot for Aydarr

Jill Garrison, a maintenance tech at the Sectors Amarcae 7 colony, goes to sleep one night as usual only to wake up in her nightgown stranded in the middle of a forest on an unknown world. There’s no time to think as she’s stalked by carnivorous predators and rescued by genetically engineered warriors calling themselves the Badari. Turns out they and she, along with her whole colony, are now prisoners of the Khagrish, a ruthless race of alien scientists. Working for enemies of the Sectors, the Khagrish have created the Badari to be super soldiers.

Aydarr, the Badari alpha, isn’t sure he can trust Jill but his attraction to her is undeniable. He impulsively claims her as his mate to prevent her death at the hands of the Khagrish.

Can he continue to protect her from the experiments already underway?  Will his claiming her put his pack in jeopardy from their alien masters?

As Jill searches for a way to rescue her fellow humans and get them all to safety, she finds herself falling for Aydarr, despite the secrets he’s keeping. She has a few of her own.

The situation becomes dire when Aydarr and his pack are sent offplanet on a mission, leaving Jill unprotected, prey for the senior scientist. Can she escape the experiments he has in mind for her? Will she be able to thwart the Khagrish plans and liberate humans and Badari alike? How will she and Aydarr reunite?

A short excerpt – Jill’s first encounter with the Badari, as she’s running from a storm and predators: 

Running full tilt, ignoring the pain from her foot, she suddenly slammed into an invisible barrier and bounced off, falling on her back. Cautiously she rose, extending her arms. The barrier was a tingling against her palms. She tried going right then left, but the wall ran for quite some distance in both directions. Being in an invisible cage was the most unsettling thing since she’d awakened, especially when coupled with the bracelet affixed to her arm.

A boom of thunder directly overhead startled her into motion, and she ran in a new direction, terrified of being struck by lightning. The rain lashed her face and barely-covered body, like stinging nettles, adding impetus to her desperation to find cover.

The ground gave way under her feet. She teetered on the edge of the sinkhole or pit, but her precarious state of vertigo betrayed her. Screaming, she half slid, half fell into the deep hole, debris raining down with her.

Scrabbling at roots embedded in the wall as she fell, the flimsy vegetation snapping off in her hands, Jill managed to partially break her fall. Landing in a substantial mud puddle, she rose to her feet, staring upward, realizing there was no easy way to climb from the pit. At least the rain was tapering off.

A rumbling sound like an engine behind her made her pivot, to find two huge, faceted glowing eyes staring at her from a tunnel opening into the hole. A giant body lurked in the gloom. The creature blinked and emitted the sound again. Jill retreated one step at a time to the opposite wall of the pit and snatched a loose rock from the small debris pile at her feet. Whitened bones were mixed in with the rocks on the pit floor next to the rainwater puddle. She shuddered and gripped her rock hard enough to make her hand sting.

The creature watched her and moved forward a bit from the tunnel, the front segment of its body sinking onto the ground, while the rest remained in the tunnel. The segmented body expanded like a child’s toy as the predator closed the space between them. Opening an outsize mouth, revealing a yellow, forked tongue, the animal hissed and reared as if preparing to charge at her.

Jill shouted defiance in a combination of rage and fear, and threw the rock hard, striking one glowing eye in the center, shattering the facets. She dodged as the predator made a high pitched sound like an exploding generator and lunged toward where she’d been. As she scrambled in the slick muddy water at the bottom of the trap, she searched for another rock, finding only small ones. She gathered a handful of them as better than nothing and spun around as the half-blind animal tried to locate her.

With a hoarse yell, a man jumped into the pit from above and landed between her and the predator. He didn’t seem to have a weapon but, as the lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the scene in stark white light, Jill gaped. Were those talons? He glanced over his shoulder at her briefly as if to see how she was doing then made a dash at the animal, slashing its neck before dancing away.

Jill moved along the pit wall as the man and the beast fought. Mud dripped from the sloping side of the hole. Resting her palm on the damp dirt, she felt vibrations. There’s another one tunneling towards us. No matter how brave and strong this guy was, he couldn’t defeat two of the animals. Frantically, she searched for more rocks, trying to pry a likely candidate out of the wall with her fingernails. I have to help.

 “Incoming! There’s another one about to pop out of the wall,” she yelled. Hefting the rock she’d dug from the muck, she took a few steps forward, waited for the right moment and threw the stone at the first beast’s remaining eye, striking a glancing blow on the brow ridge above the glowing orb. The warrior took advantage of the animal’s distraction to open more gaping wounds along its upper body with the lethal claws he bore.

Something in the rapidly rising water brushed against her leg. She jumped sideways, but not fast enough. As the unseen predator made a stinging bite on her calf, Jill nearly toppled over. Unable to see below the surface of the roiling water, she hurled her handful of rocks a foot or so away from her body, hoping to drive away this new menace.

Before she could find more rocks to use as weapons, another man lowered himself into the pit on a rope, reaching for her and speaking urgently in Basic as he gestured. “He can’t fight them off forever – we need to get out of here. More beasts will arrive soon, attracted by the vibrations signaling prey.”

Figuring whatever might happen later, getting out of the trap was the best plan in the short term, she stepped closer. The newcomer grabbed her by the waist, and unseen comrades above hauled the two of them out of the hole at a surprising speed. Her second rescuer handed her off to another man and hastened back into the pit.

She sank to the wet grass, shaking in reaction and feeling the pain now from her cut foot, the mysterious bite, and the effects of the fall. With a fresh rush of fear, she glanced at the strange men surrounding her. Most were ignoring her, facing away as if watching for an attack, although all of them were oddly weaponless. She’d expected to see spears and knives at least. Then again…Had the one who’d jumped into the pit really had claws?

Buy Links: Amazon    B&N  Google     The others will be live soon!