Peyton Banks is here to tell us about Forever Her Cowboy, Silver Creek Ranch, contemporary romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Forever Her Cowboy
Peyton Banks
(Silver Creek Ranch)
Publication date: September 22nd 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
He came to Silver Creek Ranch planning to drift on.
A fearless diner owner gave him a reason to stay forever.
Trent Lawson has spent years drifting from one job to the next.
Since leaving the Army, staying in one place has never felt possible… until he discovered the Silver Creek Ranch, a healing ranch for military veterans.
Then he met Frankie Carpenter.
The beautiful diner owner with the tempting curves, a stubborn streak a mile wide, and a smile that will make a hardened soldier start thinking about things he hasn’t allowed himself to want in years.
But when wealthy developers start pressuring her to sell the diner that’s the heart of the town, things quickly turn dangerous.
Frankie refuses to back down.
And Trent refuses to let her stand alone.
Protecting Frankie was never part of his plan—but the more time he spends with her, the more he realizes Ironhaven might finally be the place to put down roots.
Because some things are worth fighting for.
Forever Her Cowboy is a steamy small-town romance featuring a protective cowboy, a fierce heroine, and a love worth fighting for at Silver Creek Ranch.
Even when her feet throbbed and she desperately wished she had someone to rub them when she was at home.
She loved knowing people chose her place to start their day.
“Order up for table nine!” Chris called out.
She grabbed Trent’s plate before Tabby could. She didn’t know why. Maybe she did. She carried it out carefully and set it in front of him.
“Now this should keep you going,” she said. She rested her hands on her hips and smiled at Trent. “Or are you planning to nap in the barn after this?”
The corner of his lips lifted. “Depends. You offering to tuck me in?”
She blinked.
The laugh that erupted from her came from the gut. She hadn’t expected such a response.
“Well, now. A big strong man like you needs help?” she asked.
His shoulders relaxed. His eyes crinkled in the corner as he reached for his fork.
“Figured I’d try something new.” He shrugged.
Her pulse skipped a beat.
Try something new.
Was he talking about her? It had been a long time since she’d been in the dating pool. She bit her lip and leaned slightly closer to him. She watched him take his first bite of the biscuit and gravy.
“I’m sure you’ll be okay. The food will give you energy you need. Buck’s been running y’all hard this week.”
His eyebrows rose as he chewed. He swallowed and motioned to her.
“Keeping tabs on me, are we?” he asked.
“Maybe,” she said softly.
The air between them shifted.
This was dangerous and exciting.
She’d dated here and there since moving back, but nothing serious. Most of the men in Ironhaven were either married, uninterested, or too eager in ways that made her wary.
Trent was different.
He appeared to be a good guy. The others from the Silver Creek Ranch spoke highly of him. Melah, one of the female hands, had been in the other day, and from what she’d said, Trent was single.
Not that she’d asked.
Okay, she had. She was just curious. She knew he wasn’t from Ironhaven and she didn’t know if he commuted back and forth since Ironhaven had ample ranches and farms that needed good workers.
She couldn’t remember the last time a man’s gaze took her breath away. That happened almost every time Trent looked her way.
“Dinner tonight,” she heard herself say before she lost her nerve. “The special is chicken-fried steak, mashed potatoes, and honey butter rolls.”
His eyes widened. “Is that so?”
“Yeah. You should come back.” She tilted her head.
There was something about watching a man enjoy a good meal. Trent was steadily packing away the food that was on his plate. She couldn’t tell where it all went. He was solid muscle and fit.
Her? All of the food went to her hips.
“Unless you are scared of a food coma,” she teased.
“I can handle it.” He huffed a laugh.
She just about fell over at the sound of it. She knew he smiled, but it wasn’t often she heard him laugh when he was here eating.
“I’ll even throw in a slice of cheesecake, on the house.” She lowered her voice just a bit.
He stared at her like he wasn’t sure if she was serious. Her stomach flipped. Was she really flirting this openly?
Apparently, yes.
Was she failing at it?
“Hard to turn down free cheesecake,” he said.
“Good.” She straightened to her full height. “Don’t forget we close early on Mondays. I’ll be expecting you around six.”
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then nodded.
“I’ll be here at six.”
Her heart slammed into her ribs. Behind her, Libby called her name. The place was filled to capacity. She stepped back and, before she could stop herself, she winked at him.
“Don’t be late.”
She turned and walked away so she couldn’t see his reaction. The second she reached the counter, she sucked in a deep breath.
What on earth had she just done?
Author Bio:
USA Today best selling author, Peyton Banks, is the alter ego of a city girl who is a romantic at heart. Her mornings consist of coffee and daydreaming up the next steamy romance book ideas. She loves spinning romantic tales of hot alpha males and the women they love. She currently resides with her husband and children in Cleveland, Ohio.
Michelle Miles is here to tell us about Dark Night of the Soul, War of the Brotherhood Book 1, a dark paranormal romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Love made him
dangerous.
Devotion will make him unstoppable.
Dark Night of the
Soul
War of the Brotherhood Book 1
by Michelle Miles
Genre: Dark Paranormal Romance
Love made him
dangerous. Devotion will make him unstoppable.
For centuries, Kincade survived by control.
Forged by the Brotherhood, he learned to bury his humanity, suppress his
instincts, and become exactly what they needed him to be—a weapon. Darkness was
safer than feeling. Obedience was survival.
Then she changed everything.
When the woman he loves is taken, restraint shatters. The careful balance he's
fought to maintain slips—and the Brotherhood sees their opening. They want the
monster he used to be. The weapon they never quite lost.
To save her, he may have to become exactly that.
As ancient secrets rise and factions fracture, the line between protector and
destroyer begins to blur. Every step closer to her pulls him deeper into the
war he tried to escape—and toward the darkness he swore would never rule him
again.
Because this time, love isn't his weakness. It's his point of no return.
Dark Night of the Soul is a dark
paranormal romance set within the War of the Brotherhood—a high-stakes spin-off arc in the Dream
Walker universe. You do not need to read the previous Dream Walker books to
enjoy DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL. This spinoff is designed to stand on its own.
Perfect for readers who love:
* Dark, emotionally intense paranormal romance
* Immortal antiheroes and devotion-driven stakes
* Secret orders, hidden wars, and found family
* Love that becomes defiance
Content Note: This book contains dark themes and intense
scenes, including violence, injury and blood, torture / forced restraint,
psychological trauma, and situations involving coercion / control. It also
includes threats to a loved one. Reader discretion is advised.
"Dark Night of the Soul by Michelle Miles is
everything dark paranormal romance should be—intense, emotional, and completely
consuming. I devoured it."
MICHELLE MILES believes in fairy tales, true love, and a
little bit of magic in every story. She writes fantasy, paranormal, and young
adult books packed with adventure, action, and swoon-worthy romance—because
what’s a story without a bit of danger and a whole lot of heart? From angels
and demons to dragons, elves, and time travelers, her books are filled with
epic quests, fierce heroines, and the kind of heroes worth falling for.
When she's not crafting new adventures, she brings stories
to life as a narrator and hosts Miles Beyond the Page, a podcast where she
chats with authors about their writing journeys. A Texas girl through and
through, she loves getting lost in a good book, binge-watching movies, hiking
the trails, and sipping a glass of wine. Come hang out with her on Facebook,
Instagram, Pinterest, and more!
Hayden Stone is here to tell us about In the Frame - A Fake Dating Queer MM Romance, the London Arts Club #2, contemporary LGBTQ+ romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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In the Frame: A Fake Dating Queer MM Romance
Hayden Stone
(The London Arts Club, #2)
Publication date: August 29th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance
An artist. A developer. And an art gallery which they both want—for very different reasons.
When recent uni grad Matty Gowen-Smith, a talented painter and not so talented bartender, spills a tray of drinks on a hot-shot investor, Florian de Ligt, he’s left with no choice to make amends. Especially after Matty ruins Florian’s suit on a big night out for Florian’s birthday.
Trying to make things right, broke artist Matty offers Florian his only suit in a desperate effort to not get fired from his job. Conveniently, Matty is flat sitting around the corner, where his one prized suit awaits his friend’s wedding next weekend. Not so conveniently, they are soon trapped together in an elevator at Matty’s flat, and things rapidly go from bad to worse until landing on an uneasy truce.
Which is where a pact is born to come right from this mess. Florian needs a date for an upcoming art gala, a world he knows little about. Matty desperately needs a respectable date for his friend’s Brighton wedding to prove he’s a success in his new London life.
Two fake dates and an unexpected kiss later, fake feelings begin to feel a bit too much like real feelings. Which wouldn’t be a problem if Florian wasn’t so determined to dismantle Matty’s art community by redeveloping a popular local art gallery into luxury condos. An art gallery which may give Matty the solo exhibition he’s dreamt of to launch his art career. And now Matty must choose between his community or what might be a real chance at love…
In the Frame, the second book in the London Arts Club series, features forced proximity, boy next door, and fake dating in a fun new adult romcom.
The fact is I’m kind of a shit bartender in a not-so-shit London bar. A popular bar full of discerning hipsters with deep pockets and others who want to be seen. It’s my first Saturday night working here at my new job. Which is exactly what I need to be doing to bring in some cash, and not spending money I can’t afford on supplies from the local art shop around the corner in Soho.
Forget that my new boss has all the makings of a tyrannical dictator—one who already has me nestled comfortably in his crosshairs. It’s not all smooth sailing despite the luxurious queer glamour of Ivan’s. Dramatic high-coffered ceilings soar overhead with gleaming chandeliers, and chic paintings from highly successful contemporary artists hangs on dark walls. The last part’s like artisanal sea salt in a career-shaped wound.
I have no idea why they hired me. Aside from me technically being qualified for the job. And also technically having the right references.
Never mind. I’m here now and I need to get on with it. The paycheck will make up for my current suffering, and, at best, low-key competence.
Around me, the upscale bar glows with burnished wood counters, gleaming glassware, and a stylishly imposing pink neon display (saying you have arrived and it reminds me a little of Tracey Emin’s works in neon), accompanied by a thousand bottles of premium, backlit spirits on the brick wall behind me that the finest of London’s equally premium queers will enjoy. Backlighting optional.
Clenching my jaw, I wring the bar cloth into the sink, rinse it, and give the counter in front of me a quick wipe, because I inadvertently slopped some ale when I should have slid the glass over with a certain panache expected of a bartender in a place like this. With every last drop of said ale staying within the confines of its glassware.
Except I panicked, because nerves.
Because Saturday night. Because there are hot men everywhere, where the hotness per capita rating is off the charts—to the point there should be a public health warning and an exclusion zone for the susceptible to distraction, like me. It’s definitely the sort of hotspot in London where people go when they want to be noticed. The occasional celeb makes their way through here too, tipping off the paparazzi who wait outside. There’re regularly high numbers of influencers in Ivan’s, all vying for social media clout.
Meanwhile, the remaining froth I missed looks obscene on the walnut bar. I wring out the cloth one more time for luck.
People in the queue for drinks are thankfully looking at the mess and not at me. In my crisp white shirt and black waistcoat and pressed trousers, I at least look the part like the rest of the wait staff, if not the clientele. In fairness to me, I do tidy up quite nicely when I try. Except I’ve got no chill, especially not tonight.
Author Bio:
More animal than mineral, Hayden Stone (he/him) is a writer of fun queer fiction, especially with kissing. Hayden is the author of the When Snow Falls, Being Royal, and The London Arts Club romcom series. He currently lives in Victoria, Canada, and has previously lived in Vancouver, Canada and London, UK. You can find out his latest news on Instagram or his website: haydenstonebooks.com
Sarah Branson is here to tell us about This is Halloween, A Blue Spruce Hills Novella, contemporary romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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This is Halloween
Sarah Branson
(A Blue Spruce Hills Novella)
Publication date: September 17th 2026
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Midwife. Halloween. A Pennsylvania hill town. A ghost with an agenda. A historian with patient eyes.
Jules Lockwood, nurse-midwife and family nurse practitioner, wants two years of loan forgiveness and a one-way ticket to Australia. Her obstacle: a town that keeps finding reasons to need her.
Eli Matthews, Blue Spruce Hills town historian, is the kind of man who came back when it mattered and stayed. He brings coffee every morning without being asked.
Agnes Bell, midwife, 1856 to 1931, has been waiting in Blue Spruce Hills since her death for the right pair of hands to pass her work to. She has found them. She is not subtle about it.
On Halloween night, when the veil between past and present is at its thinnest, everything Jules came to Blue Spruce Hills to avoid arrives at once.
This Is Halloween delivers the satisfaction of a woman choosing herself and her work on her own terms, a slow-burn romance that earns every moment, and a ghost story that will make you wish you could have known Agnes Bell.
• small town romance
• ghost mentor
• found community
• slow burn
• woman finding home
• past and present collide
• reluctant to stay
• Halloween setting
• professional woman romance
• haunted by the past (literal)
• second chance at belonging
Heat level: closed door
Series: Blue Spruce Hills, Book 1 — standalone, complete story, no cliffhanger
POV: third person limited, Jules
Tense: past
Setting: small Pennsylvania town, October through May
Comp titles: The House in the Cerulean Sea; Beach Read; A Discovery of Witches
Content notes: pregnancy and birth depicted (clinical, not graphic); brief mention of historical pregnancy loss (off-page); deployment/absent spouse (minor character)
Juliet “Jules” Lockwood had sworn exactly six times since leaving the highway and crossing the Blue Spruce Hills town line. All six had been silent. All six had been necessary.
She pulled her Subaru into the gravel lot beside the Blue Spruce Hills Community Clinic and sat there longer than necessary, hands wrapped around the steering wheel like the car might attempt escape without her. Outside, the October sky was an intense blue with a few white clouds scudding across it. A carved pumpkin grinned from the clinic’s front step. Orange lights shaped like leaves were looped around the porch railing. Just up the street, a plastic skeleton swung from a telephone pole, rotating haphazardly in the wind.
Jules stared at the skeleton. The skeleton appeared to stare back.
She opened the car door, stepped out onto the gravel, closed her eyes, and took a deep inhale. Wood smoke and baked goods, harvest-sweet with cinnamon and nutmeg. It was, Jules thought grimly, aggressively charming. She took a step and nearly collided with a man holding a cardboard tray of coffee.
“Oh! Sorry!” he said, immediately steadying both the tray and her elbow with equal care. He was tall and laid back, with dark hair that the wind had done something unrequested to and kind brown eyes, soft and patient, the sort of eyes that suggested the person behind them listened when you talked. He wore a canvas jacket the color of cedar bark and was smiling with the easy confidence of someone who had nowhere to be and was fine with that. “You must be Jules.”
She froze. This was… unfortunate. Because those eyes were going to be a problem. She recognized his type immediately, the way one would recognize a load-bearing wall, structural and quiet, that the whole room organizes itself around without anyone quite noticing. Those eyes reflected the sort of steadiness that belonged to men who stayed. She had believed that about someone once. Believed it comprehensively and inconveniently, and at considerable personal expense. Never again.
“I’m Eli Matthews,” he said, and held out the coffee tray. “Town historian and unofficial town greeter. I brought options. Decaf, regular, and one with oat milk, because the clinic called ahead and…” he paused, reconsidering his own sentence, “okay, I asked Margaret at the post office, who asked Clara at the bakery, who said she had heard that you’d mentioned oat milk to someone at the gas station in Lehighton.”
Jules stared at the tray. “That’s a significant intelligence operation for a cup of coffee.”
He smiled, a little sheepishly. “Small town. We have patterns.” He glanced at the pumpkin on the porch. “Also, it’s October. We take hospitality seriously in October.”
She reached for the oat milk coffee. Behind her, someone cleared their throat very distinctly — the throat-clearing of someone who had been waiting a respectable amount of time and was now done waiting. Jules’s hand tightened around the cup.
She recognized that sound. She knew it the way she knew a change in barometric pressure, in her teeth, at the base of her skull, in the specific cold that moved along her spine when something was present that had no business being present.
Absolutely not. I am not doing ghosts again.
She turned slowly.
Author Bio:
Award-winning feminist speculative fiction author Sarah Branson spent close to thirty years as a midwife before turning to fiction, writing tales of action, adventure, revenge, and romance rooted in the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. Her New Earth universe imagines a future where diversity of identity is simply the texture of life, with honors including the 2022 Kindle Book Award for science fiction, the 2025 Wishing Shelf Book Award Gold Medal for A Pirates' Pact, and a Foreword Indie Award Honorable Mention for For the Love of Glitter. Her two newest releases expand beyond New Earth: This Is Halloween, a cozy women's fiction novella in the Blue Spruce Hills series (September 17, 2026), and Life Ends, Love Remains: A Revolutionary Ghost Story, a literary paranormal novel set in Ridgefield, Connecticut (early October 2026). Sarah lives with her husband in Connecticut.
Marteeka Karland is here to tell us about Inferno, Kiss of Death #18, MC romance.
Read on for details...
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Kiss of Death MC (#18)
MC Romance
Date Published: September 18, 2026
Publisher: Changeling Press
I survived the fire. Juniper gives me a reason to burn down the world.
Juniper -- Getting dumped on my twenty-first birthday is bad enough. Finding
Brett, my ex, at Throttle with another woman turns humiliation into open
warfare. So I walk up to the biggest, meanest looking biker in the place,
climb into his lap, and claim him as mine. Inferno plays along a little too
well, and one reckless kiss becomes the hottest night of my life. Still, it
was just a one night stand. Should have ended then and there. Instead, my ex
decides he doesn’t like losing what he threw away. His calls become
threats, then the threats become violence. My bakery, my home, everything my
grandmother left me becomes a target. But Brett’s forgotten one thing.
I’m not alone anymore. I have Inferno, Kiss of Death, and a fire of my
own.
Inferno -- Juniper lands in my lap wearing red lipstick, motorcycle boots, and
enough attitude to wake something in me I thought died years ago. She’s
way too young for me, and a woman running from a controlling ex is trouble. I
also know the second Brett puts a bruise on her skin, he becomes my problem. I
went to prison for nearly killing a man who hurt a woman I loved. I’ll
burn my life down before I let history repeat itself. But Juniper isn’t
looking for a savior. She wants a partner willing to stand beside her while
she fights back. Good thing I’ve always liked playing with fire.
Brett’s about to learn exactly why they call me Inferno.
WARNING: Adult language and situations, abuse, arson, and a violent stalker
ex-boyfriend.
The sad little grocery store cake sitting on my counter summed up my life
right now. I made cakes for a living, so I knew exactly what I was looking at.
Shortening-based buttercream, whipped too fast so it held those little air
pockets that collapsed if you pressed a finger in. Red gel piping simply said
“Happy Birthday” and skipped my name entirely, because a name is
an upcharge, and, apparently, I wasn’t worth the extra four dollars.
Twenty-one candles would’ve cost more too. There were no candles.
That morning I’d spent six hours at my own shop building a dinosaur cake
for a five-year-old named Milo. The creation had hand-piped scales on a
fondant T-rex while his mom hovered by the register asking if I could make the
teeth “less scary, but still cool.” I believed, the whole time I
worked, that tonight would be mine. That somebody would finally build me
something special for my birthday.
I closed the shop two hours early. Cooked pork chops with the mustard cream
sauce that Brett loves so much. I set the good plates from his mother that I
was always terrified I’d chip.
He’d come in forty minutes late, jacket still buttoned like he
hadn’t decided if he was staying, studying his phone like it held the
secrets of the universe. “You would not believe this lake
listing,” he said, dropping into his chair, not even glancing my way.
“Guy wants two point one for a place that’s basically standing on
a septic field. I told him, I said, ‘Gary, I can sell water to a
drowning man, but I can’t sell delusion’.” He laughed at his
own line. I simply looked at him, trying to talk myself into being cheerful.
I cut into my chop and waited for a gap in his running monologue. “So I
made this dinosaur cake today,” I said, “for this kid, Milo, and
his mom wanted the teeth less scary but still --”
“Yeah, that reminds me, Gary’s brother-in-law does teeth,
actually, orthodontist, and get this --” and he was off again, and I
just… let him go on. Because why not? I picked my fork back up and took
a bite while he rambled on. He still hadn’t told me happy birthday.
His phone buzzed and he glanced down before turning it over. After a while, it
buzzed again.
“Hey,” I said, and I tried to keep it light, “We said no
phones tonight. Right?”
He didn’t answer right away as color swept his neck to his face and a
flash of annoyance crossed his features. Then he gave me a “sorry for
you” smile. “Junie,” he said, setting his fork down
carefully. “Can I say something, and I need you to just hear it, not
react to it?”
“Um, sure.” My stomach started to roll. I recognized his tone and
I knew this would be a twenty-first birthday I’d rather forget.
“You’re a lot,” he said, simply. “I don’t mean
that as an insult. You’re needy in a way you probably don’t even
realize. Phones-away requests, the whole birthday production, the plates.
It’s a lot of ask-for, given we’re barely even in a
relationship.” He cleared his throat. “And you’re emotional.
Everything’s a whole thing with you. I can’t mention anything
without you needing your turn.”
I opened my mouth but couldn’t form words. My throat tightened with
emotion, and I could feel tears forming behind my eyes.
“And I’ll be honest,” he continued, “because I think
you’d rather I was honest, you’re kind of boring, Junie. Same
shop, same recipes, same everything. Your five-year plan is a second oven. I
used to think that was cute, but I thought you’d grow out of it once you
ran out of money and got a real job. I don’t think it’s cute
anymore. I need a woman with a little ambition. I’m going places, and
you’re… not. Dinosaur cake? Really, Junie?”
Somewhere deep inside me, a voice was screaming, actually screaming, say
something, say anything, throw the water glass, throw a pork chop at him, ask
him who’s texting him at eight-fifteen on your birthday, and what came
out of my mouth, soft and stupid, was, “The pork chops are getting
cold.”
“Juniper. I think we both know this has been coming.”
I looked down at my plate so he wouldn’t see my eyes. I didn’t
trust what my face was doing. No way was I going to give him the satisfaction.
I forced the smallest shrug I could manage.
He pushed his chair back, slow and deliberate, like he wanted me to watch
every little thing. “Look, Junie, you’re a great girl. You really
are. But we’re just not… compatible.” He wiped his mouth
with his napkin. “It’s not the end of the world. You’ll land
on your feet. I mean, you already have your little cake shop, right?”
Wow. My little cake shop. The business I’d thrown every ounce of blood,
sweat, and tears I had into. The fact was, I cleared more with my
“little cake shop” than he made with his real estate ventures. I
suspected it was the same smarmy personality I initially fell for. Unlike me,
apparently his clients knew how to cut their losses and get the fuck out of
Dodge.
“I guess so,” I said, because what else was there? I stabbed a
piece of pork chop and chewed it, even though I could barely swallow, doing my
best to act as if none of this had any effect on me.
His phone buzzed again. He actually reached for it this time. “I’m
going to head out. I’ve got to call Gary back before he does something
stupid on that listing.” He didn’t even look at me. Just stood up,
fixed his jacket, and checked his hair in the microwave door reflection.
“I’ll send someone to get my stuff later.” The door clicked
shut behind him as he left.
I went to the counter where the little birthday cake rested when the sticker
on the side caught my attention. The damned thing was on clearance! He’d
bought me a generic birthday cake on clearance because it had passed its
freshness date.
For a minute I just stood there, stomach clenched tight in the heavy silence.
Anger was slow in coming. Even when it did the feeling was directed more at
myself than Brett. I chose to stay with him for whatever reason I had at any
given time. So as much as Brett was a bastard, this disastrous birthday was as
much my fault as it was his. I should never have agreed to let him move in
with me. My only excuse is I was young and bought all his flattering.
We’d been together for two and a half years. I was right out of high
school and just taking over my grandmother’s bakery after her sudden
death. Brett had helped me through one of the most difficult times in my life,
but I suspected now he’d taken up with me because I was an easy target.
After all, he’d been living rent-free in what had been my
grandmother’s apartment since a month or so after we met.
The window over the sink stared back at me. This was my twenty-first birthday,
Goddamnit! What did one do on their twenty-first birthday? Get schnozzled and
burn the world down. At least I’d burn down my old life. Then I could
rise like a phoenix from the ashes. Or something.
I pushed away from the sink and headed to my bedroom. Going to the closet, I
pulled out the red dress I’d bought especially for tonight. The red was
probably too bright, but I didn’t want subtle. I wanted the color and
all the lovely brightness and chaos it might cause under the right
circumstances.
I showered and did my hair and makeup before slipping the silky dress over my
head, letting it settle over my hips to brush against the middle of my thighs.
I zipped up the back, then smoothed the sleeveless garment over my curves. I
let my hand run down my arm, tracing the small, faded burn scars from my
childhood. Brett said I should get them lasered -- so I wouldn’t be
reminded of my broken childhood. I suspected the real reason he wanted rid of
them was because they didn’t fit in with his image of what he wanted me
to be. Well, fuck that shit.
The red lipstick came last. Again, I’d chosen it specially to match the
dress. I drew it on slowly, even though my hand shook a little. Lipstick had
always been my armor. I had nicely shaped lips. They were my best feature, in
my opinion. The dramatic color only enhanced them. I smiled into the mirror,
wide and mean, red as a warning label.
I started to slide my feet into the Fuck Me heels I’d purchased --
again, specifically for this dress. Then I caught a glimpse of my motorcycle
boots. I’d bought them when Brett decided he wanted to get a motorcycle.
He’d taken me on exactly one ride, saying I didn’t know how to
ride with him and I would get us both killed if I moved the wrong way.
He’d never bothered to tell me what exactly I was doing wrong, so fuck
him anyway. On a whim, I stuffed my feet into the boots and took a look at
myself in the mirror. I didn’t quite look like Alice from Resident Evil,
but it was close enough I’d take it.
Throttle was less than a mile away. The bar was a known roughneck place, but
any damage caused by patrons always seemed to be contained to the property
itself and didn’t spill over into nearby neighborhoods. Though it had a
questionable reputation, I’d always wanted to go, thinking living on the
wild side held just the appeal I wanted.
About the Author
Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double
life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife
by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in
spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable
heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful
ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are
speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined
with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a
sigh from her readers.
Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband
with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for
preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts
(which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with
Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her
website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you
with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph
events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.
CB Samet is here to tell us about Olympian Awakenings Trilogy, Greek mythology, urban fantasy romance.
There's also a great giveaway.
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Cursed as children.
Empowered as adults.
Now, they’ve been summoned to stop a force older than the
gods themselves.
Stone Hearts
Olympian Awakenings Trilogy Book 1
by CB Samet
Genre: Greek Mythology Urban Fantasy Romance
Madison was cursed to
destroy with a glance—until a prophecy calls her to fight beside the one man
who sees through her walls… and into her heart.
Cursed to turn the living to stone, Madison has spent her
life avoiding others—until a prophecy drags her to Greece to join a team of
strangers to help stop an ancient evil. Among them, she meets Rex, a
battle-scarred archaeologist with the power to heal and secrets of his own.
Together, they must survive deadly skirmishes, outwit
mythical creatures, and recover the Armor of Achilles from the heart of
Daedalus’ labyrinth.
The deeper they go, the more the maze twists not just the
path, but their minds.
Failure isn't an option. Succeeding might cost them
everything.
Magic. Monsters. A
love forged in fire. The battle is only beginning.
When a titan’s power
surges, mortals pay the price—and the Olympians must answer the call.
Layla, Tyler, and the other Olympians are thrust on a
perilous quest across the Mediterranean and into the sunken heart of Atlantis
to reclaim Poseidon’s trident. Their sea voyage is fraught with danger with
deadly monsters and diabolical magic at every turn. Only by learning to
trust—and love—each other can they hope to survive.
Layla’s storm powers are tied to her heart, and to master
them, she must first confront the emotions she’s spent years guarding. Tyler, a
shapeshifter whose might can rival the fiercest beasts, may be the key to her
control—but breaking through the walls around her heart won’t be easy. Their
past mistakes still linger, and some wounds run too deep for even the strongest
powers to heal.
Adventure, danger, and passion collide in this electrifying
continuation of the Olympian Awakens series.
A titan is rising. And this time, the world may not
survive.
Fire-wielder Zoey has spent her life afraid of her own
power. Ancient soldier Alexios has spent centuries believing he was nothing
more than a weapon. Together, they’ve survived monsters, gods, and impossible
quests—but nothing prepares them for Kronos’s final move.
As fractures tear open between worlds, monsters pour into
the mortal realm and the boundary between life and death begins to collapse.
When a desperate sacrifice strands Zoey in the Underworld itself, ancient
warrior Alexios must defy gods, fate, and death to bring her home—before she
loses her memories… and herself.
The final battle will demand everything from all six
champions who have fought side by side: fire and storm, stone and steel,
courage, sacrifice, and unbreakable trust.
Because defeating a Titan will take more than power.
It will take a family forged in battle—and two souls willing
to burn for each other and the world they refuse to lose.
The explosive
conclusion to the Olympian Awakenings trilogy delivers epic Greek mythology,
found family, and a sweeping romantic finale where love and legend collide.
Zoey has always felt the burn of something more beneath her
skin—an untamed fire that refuses to be extinguished. After years of hiding her
power, she’s finally found belonging and a chance to be normal… as a stunt
double on a Hollywood set.
Layla is the picture of grace and fame, a star with a global
following. But behind the camera, she’s hiding a dangerous secret: she can
control the weather.
When a monstrous creature straight from myth attacks during
filming, Zoey and Layla are forced to reveal their powers—and discover they’re
not alone. Chosen by ancient forces, bound by a forgotten legacy, the two women
must join forces to face a truth that will shatter everything they thought they
knew.
Because the world is on the brink of chaos.
And this is only the beginning.
Christina is a four-time award winning author in thriller,
romantic suspense, and fantasy. She is a mother of two energetic boys. She
is a lover of suspense, adventure, and happy endings. She writes action and
adventure in fantasy, thrillers, and romantic suspense genres. Her novels have
empowered women overcoming powerful obstacles and the strong men who support
them.
Favoritequote, ‘She needed a hero. So she became
one.’ --Robin Reed
