Book Excerpt

Ruth entered the town car park with a lot on her mind. Major highlights included:
1. Her stomach cramps, which had gone from mild irritation to knuckle-biting pain in the space of twenty minutes.
2. The indignity of waddling about town with loo roll stuffed down her knickers.
3. The absolutely extortionate price she’d just paid for a packet of substandard tampons that didn’t even have bloody applicators.
4.  Mrs. Needham, newsagent proprietor and town gossip, who would tell everyone that Ruth had come in to buy tampons as if they were Year Eight children instead of grown adults.
5. How much the average person might know about the theory of relativity. Because, the less people knew about it, the more she could get away with fudging the details for the latest issue of her web comic.
Was it really surprising, with all that to ponder, that she ran headlong into a pair of enormous men?
Ruth landed on the tarmac with an unladylike grunt. At least it was more elegant than the word currently burning through her mind: Motherfucker!
This was to be imagined, you understand, as an outraged yowl of pain.
For an instant of blissful, foolish shock, Ruth blinked down at the ground. Then she looked up slightly, just a touch—enough to see two pairs of sturdy, boot-clad feet before her. The sight of those feet, along with her embarrassment, took Ruth from mildly irritated to unreasonably angry.
But really. Those boots were entirely too solid, quite abominably stable. The men hadn’t even wobbled. They might at least pretend to be slightly unbalanced, since she was literally on the floor. Such firm uprightness in a situation like this struck her as rude.
“I’m so sorry,” one of the men said. She didn’t know which, because she refused to look up at their faces. She had quite enough to process right now without bringing faces and expressions and human lifeforms into it.
But one of the men, presumably the one who had spoken, ruined things completely by bending down to her level. He could do that, you see, because he hadn’t fallen. The prick.
He crouched before her, bringing his faded jeans into view, and then his tight, black T-shirt—what a ridiculous outfit in February—and then… well, some rather interesting musculature.
That musculature broke through Ruth’s haze of unreasonable annoyance, prodding her sharply. It said, Look at that chest! Look at those biceps! You’d better check out his face, just to see if it’s equally impressive. Quality control, and all that.
Reigning in the urge to throw a temper tantrum—she was feeling fragile, what with the tissue in her knickers—Ruth looked up.

About the Book

Everyone has secrets. He wants all of hers.

Meet the man next door…

After years of military service, Evan Miller wants a quiet life. The small town of Ravenswood seems perfect—until he stumbles upon a vicious web of lies with his new neighbour at its centre.

Ruth Kabbah is rude, awkward, and—according to everyone in town—bad news. Thing is, no-one will tell Evan why. Does she perform ritual sacrifices? Howl at the moon? Pour the milk before the tea? He has no clue.

But he desperately wants to find out. Because Ruth doesn’t seem evil to him; she seems lonely. And funny, and clumsy, and secretly quite sweet, and really f*%king beautiful…

The more Evan’s isolated, eccentric neighbour pushes him away, the more he wants her. Her—and all her secrets. Because there’s no way a girl like Ruth truly deserves the town’s scorn.

…Is there?

A Girl Like Her is a steamy, small town BWWM romance. Warning: this book is 65,000+ words of extreme pleasure and intense romance, ending in a HEA. There are NO cliffhangers and NO cheating. Enjoy responsibly!

Author Bio

Talia Hibbert is a writer and educator from England, U.K., by way of both the West Indies and West Africa. She wrote her first romance aged 12, and was promptly scolded by her teacher because her story of love in the jungle wasn’t ‘proper’.
Since then, Talia’s romances have improved in quality and hugely increased in heat. She now writes erotic, interracial romances about dirty Brits. They still aren’t proper, but they are a lot of fun.
In her free time, she eats too much ice cream and watches K Drama on Netflix.
She also spends a serious amount of time on social media, so make sure you stay connected.
And, as Talia would say… that’s all, folks. Love and biscuits!

Links

U.S. http://amzn.to/2FqDgmo
UK: http://amzn.to/2oZHp9W

Book Excerpt

​The trouble started with a dog. A girl and a dog, to be more precise.
“Hang on,” Ben Volkov said to his brother Nik on the phone. “Something’s happening.”
“What?” Nik said, his voice urgent. “Is it Mishin?”
“No.” Ben lowered the phone and inched nearer to the brick wall, straining to see past the parked cars hiding him from view. Near the corner, a young woman appeared to be struggling with three gang thugs who were pushing her around, their yelling and taunts escalating to physical violence. By her feet cowered a huge shaggy mutt.
His gut knotted with disgust. He abhorred cruelty in all its forms, even more so because of his family heritage. The girl was obviously in distress, from her flushed face and harried expression, and the dog flinched and quivered each time the gang members stepped near.
He clenched his jaw and leaned back against the cool brick, his designer jeans and fine leather jacket out of place in this rougher neighborhood. Playing the white knight to a strange damsel in distress wasn’t his usual MO. Usually, Ben was the quiet one, the cool, calm, assessing one. But there was something about this girl, this situation, that refused to let him sit on the sidelines.
Knowing there’d be hell to pay from his brother later, Ben got back on the line. “I need to go.”
Nik rattled off a litany of Russian curses, blistering enough for Ben to hold the phone away from his ear for a second. When he got back on the line, he did his best to appease his brother.
“Look, I said I’d find Mishin and the money and I will. I just need to take care of something first.” Ben narrowed his gaze on the girl again. “I’ll meet you later to adjust our plans.”
“You better have a good reason for this, bro,” Nik said, though his threat held no heat. “Are you at least in the right place?”
“Yes. I’m in front of the address you gave me.” His heart tripped as the plaintive howls of the poor dog grew more intense. “I need to go. I’ll meet you at the bar in two hours.”
Ben ended the call without waiting for his brother’s reply. Adrenaline sizzled through his veins as he straightened his jacket then slid the phone into his pocket. It wasn’t his own personal safety he was concerned about. Hell, one didn’t grow up as a Volkov without learning early on how to fight.
No. It was this strange pull he had to rush to this strange woman’s aid. He was halfway to the corner before he even realized he’d moved. The girl turned and caught his gaze, her green eyes sparkling with anger. She was beautiful, he noticed absently as he neared the group.
Without warning, she rushed over to him, the frightened dog tangling around her ankles and nearly tripping her. She grabbed Ben’s hand and pulled him close, throwing her arms around his neck, kissing his cheek with her cherry-red lips. Her long black hair swirled around him, smelling of cinnamon and vanilla and his body tightened in response.
“Darling, I’m so glad you’re here,” she said, her voice determined and her smile overly bright. “I warned these guys you were on your way. This is my boyfriend and he’s going to kick your asses!”
“Yeah?” One of the thugs stepped forward, clearly unimpressed. “Him and what army?”
Ben inhaled sharply. He hated these overt displays of aggression, much preferring his drafting tables and construction tools to fighting. Still, when warranted, he could put the fear of God into just about anyone.

About the Book

Title: Her Russian Fixer (Volkov Brothers Book One)
Author: Leslie North
Genre: Contemporary Romance

The line between right and wrong blurs when a ruthless Russian becomes her dark protector.

Benedikt Volkov grew up in Chicago, but his family’s ties to the Russian Mafia run deep. So when his godfather, Pyotr Mishin, steals millions from the Bratva, it’s up to Ben to find him or his family will be forced to pay back the money. However, his careful plans are quickly complicated when an impulsive brunette forces him to become her unlikely hero. Ben hates surprises, and uncontrollable Lucy with her luscious red lips is a distraction that could get them all killed. But with an unexpected connection to his godfather, she may be the key to securing his family’s future.

Lucy Paprocki may be reckless and disorganized, but she finds a new focus when her world is turned upside down. She’s determined to find her real father, Pyotr Mishin—a man she didn’t know existed until recently—and Ben Volkov may be her best chance. One look at his tattooed skin, muscled bulk, and penetrating stare, and Lucy knows Ben is Bratva. The mafia man may be hugely intimidating and wound tighter than a string, but Lucy will have to trust him if she wants to discover the truth about where she comes from.
​
With danger lurking behind every door, passion quickly ignites between impulsive Lucy and methodical Ben. They may just be using one another to get what they want, but what if all they really need is each other?


Author Bio

Leslie North is the pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women’s contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.

The truth of the matter is she loves her fictional persona, Leslie North, more than her normal, day-to-day persona! Her bestselling books focus on strong characters and particularly women who aren’t afraid to challenge an alpha male. Inspired after years of travel, her stories are set all over the world, from the tough streets of Russia to the beautiful beaches of the middle east.

Leslie fell in love with romance when she first picked up a scrappy, dog-eared romance book from her local library. She began writing soon after and the rest, as they say, was history. She now lives in a cozy cottage on the British coast and enjoys taking long walks with her two Dalmatians, George and Fergie.

Read SIX full-length novellas by USA Today best-selling author Leslie North for FREE! Over 548 pages of best-selling romance with a combined 1091 FIVE STAR REVIEWS! Sign-up to her mailing list and get your FREE books HERE!
 
Links

www.leslienorthbooks.com
www.facebook.com/leslienorthbooks
www.twitter.com/leslienorthbook

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• Amazon UK -> http://amzn.to/2EZIdq4
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• Googleplay -> https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=7WBODwAAQBAJ

Giveaway

Three lucky winners will get an eBook of Her Russian Fixer (two winners) or an audiobook of Her Ruthless Russian (one winner).
Fill in the form below to participate.

Book Excerpt


The first time I met Joseph Arillo, I didn’t expect I’d go to jail or even get beat up as a result. And yet, that’s exactly what happened.
Joseph was sitting out in the middle of a parking lot the first time I saw him. He was a small kid, not the kind you’d notice, practically invisible. In a downpour, he’d probably weigh a few pounds but it would all be water caught in that long, brown hair of his that went straight down his back. He had brown skin like everybody else in Southern California, except perhaps for me, and wore threadbare clothes like a badge. I was walking out of the liquor store, Rod’s Liquor on the corner of 14th and Main, carrying my morning Strawberry Quik and…
“What’cha got there?” I asked him.
He didn’t answer. He didn’t even look at me.
What he was working at caught my attention, though. There he was, on his hands and knees, practically lying down on the cracked and weathered asphalt… painting.
I opened the ice cold Quik and took a swig. Nothing went down better after a jog than a Quik. You might say that was why I never took off any weight but the hell with you; I didn’t ask.
I walked around to watch him work and to see what he had done. He didn’t move. He didn’t appear defensive or concerned in any way. There, on the ground between the oil stains, faded parking lot lines and various other markings – tire marks and graffiti – this young man was painting… “What is that? A flower?”
He had a silver Sharpie in one hand and a butter knife in the other. He was working the silver onto the concrete around circles of bright red paint, creating the sheen on what would undoubtedly be rose petals. Whenever he made a mistake, he’d take an old, brown brush and dab it out or go back with the Sharpie – but he hardly made any mistakes.
I knelt down and took a look at the pen in his hand. “What’s that? A one inch fine? Where’d you learn to get that kind of detail with a one inch fine?”
“I’m good,” were his first words to me.
“You’re painting flowers in a parking lot, kid. You’re not Michelangelo.” I noticed his choice of paint cans was interesting: old Advil bottles. Big ones. The kind your arthritic grandmother might have. “Still… What’s with the flower?”
Nothing. Not even a glance.
 
​

About the Book

Title: Work of Art: An Intention of Flowers
Author: Ken La Salle
Genre: YA / Contemporary Fiction
Oily pavement.
Thick tempera paint.
A parking lot filled with history, fear, and regret.
A young man named Joseph Arillo sits in the parking lot and paints the pavement with flowers.
And Andy Hollis steps in it.
As the new art teacher at Santa Ana High School, he’s too curious about Joseph’s Flowers and unravels both of their lives in his pursuit for answers.
He learns that it’s all part of a rite of passage, an absurd test started by Joseph Arillo’s father, the suspiciously world-renowned artist named only Tom. Which also connects to the drama teacher at Santa Ana High, Katie Bustos. Whose daughter, Desiree, may or may not be dating Joseph. Who is putting himself in danger from a local gang, the lot’s mysterious history, and the police.
Andy puts himself in danger of losing his job, his home, and his freedom. If he can’t solve the riddle of Joseph’s Flowers, both of their lives will go up in smoke – despite any help from Winny, the old, Slovakian bureaucrat at school, or his students, or Tom himself.
But is Tom trying to help? And is Joseph really up to his father’s test?
And is Andy really fit to be a teacher? He doesn’t understand kids, can’t get to school on time, and… doesn’t appear to care about art or families or anything. But Joseph’s Flowers will challenge everything Andy believes: about himself, about the world, and most importantly of all about art.
Before Andy and Joseph are finished, they will witness the power art has to provide inspiration, to waken our hearts, and to shatter everything you ever believed about humanity.
An Intention of Flowers is the first book in a 5-book series, modestly titled Work of Art, about growing into the person you always wanted to be, making the most of what you have to give and not just what you have, and the power in each of us when we chose to be ourselves.

Author and occasional philosopher and monologist, Ken La Salle’s passion is intense humor, meaningful drama, and finding answers to the questions that define our lives. Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given his writing a progressive and environmentalist view. You can find a growing number of his books and performances available online. Find out more about Ken on his website at www.kenlasalle.com.


Links
Twitter
Facebook
Youtube
Website
Amazon Page

Book Excerpt

27) Parents Like Common Sense And Standards, So Get Both.

Parents worldwide like it when their kids show that they have got some good common sense and some kind of standards of their own. Proof that you, as a kid, have developed them both, shows up in your behavior and in your thought process daily. Your parents take notice when you speak out loud and when you make your decisions as you do things daily. How you reason, think and come to your conclusions also shows how much common sense you, as an individual, actually have. A common sense that can only be developed by basically paying attention to your parents and the world around you. Which, when you have it is something for you to brag about.

It is one of the main things that your parents look for, in you, that lets them know that they can trust your thinking, to sort of help them to keep you out of trouble while still growing. They, as parents, learn to trust your grasp of common sense and appreciate your standards the more you, as a kid mentally grows. As a kid, your growing and developing common sense and standards, means that you are learning to look at situations and realize in them that there is a better way to do things, and also a better way to get things done. You are realizing that you do have choices in life's situations and those better choices, in your life, reflects your standards and common sense. When that happens for a child it is truly a wonderful thing. An example of a kid applying standards and common sense would be, for instance, if they, as a kid, decide to dress warmer when they go outside. If they were functioning without having developed good standards and common sense, they might have gone from inside where it was warm, to the outside where it was cold, with only just a thin shirt on. And then they would get a chill, get sick and come down with a cold. They might end up with a runny nose or worse. These choices and behaviors shows that they, as kids, obviously haven't developed the common sense and standards to be sensible and wear a jacket to keep warm before going outside. Preventing themselves from catching cold and getting sick, is why their parents basically have to make them put a jacket on before going outside. They, of course, as kids, roll their eyes back in their head because they haven't developed the common sense or the standards to know better themselves. They just can't see it.

Or, as an example, kids may share and drink off the same soda with friends. This is because they haven't developed the common sense or the standards, to get the point of avoiding behavior that passes germs and colds. So they end up catching and helping to spreading their friends' germs and colds. Of course, to prevent this from happening, when parents see this about to happen, they step in and stop them from sharing and, of course, the youngster again just roll their eyes up in their heads. This, again, because they, as a kid, just don't get the point of why they should stop doing that. Which is further proof that they still haven't developed the good common sense and standards to fully protect themselves. Or they may choose to allow themselves to mess around with someone from their block, school, or place of worship. And when the relationship falls apart, like they generally do, they still have to see that person around where they live, their school or at their place of worship. They become embarrassed and humiliated by the gossip and the shame of being seen as their “ex''”, or as has-been leftovers. This, of course, could have been avoided by using good common sense and standards that they have yet to develop. Or, they may go out and do what they want to do, without protection, where they catch something awful, all because they haven't developed the proper common sense and standards to know the better way to do things. This is again further proof that they haven't got good sense or knowledge to be protected by. Or they might be the type to go to visiting their new friends' house after school, without getting any permission or communicating with their parents. Which, of course, by the time they get home, they find out that their parents were worried sick for not knowing where they were, with the police at their home, while the whole neighborhood is left looking for them, while assuming that the worst things possible have happened. All this because the kid hadn't developed the good common sense or standards to call or talk to their parents first to prevent things like this from happening. Which is again more proof of the same thing, where all this drama and nonsense could have been avoided just by having grown enough to have developed a little common sense and standards.

​When you have developed the ability to see how using good common sense and standards, on a daily basis, can stop a bunch of bad things from happening to you, you are on your way to developing and being able to fully see that secret knowledge of adults. This also means that you are slowly learning to make choices that help you to dodge many of the pitfalls in life. Good common sense and standards are a big part of the secret knowledge of adults. This is partly why you, as a kid, really need your parents.

About the Book

Title: A-C-T Like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K Like a Parent
Author: C.S. Whitehurst
Genre: Nonfiction self-help
Just for kicks, have you ever wondered what your parents really want from you in life? Is it you, or do your parents want you to have no real fun? On any given day, do you want to make your parents proud of you and still do what makes you feel really happy within yourself? Of course you do! But the real question has always been, and still is…how? How can we actually get this done?
Well, with A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, a.k.a “the child-part consoler”, you will get past common misunderstandings by learning how to truly talk, hear, and listen to your parents, guardians or caregivers instead of feeling like you have to run to friends to find some sense of acceptance, understanding, and real connection.
In this book, chock-full of questions and answers gotten directly from the source, you’ll learn what your parents, guardians or caregivers really expect of you—and maybe you’ll even find out how to explain to them what you really expect from them! Not that this book could ever replace a parent, because it can not. But when it comes to openly communicating certain key ideas, this book comes really close.
This tell-all guide contains lots of enlightening explanations and helpful answers to many common kid questions like:

• What do my parents really want from me?
• Why do my parents do what they do and say what they say?
• What do I really need to know about my parents’ parenting skills?
• How can I keep my parents happy with me?
• How can I help my parents to help me?
• How can I get what I want from my parents every time?

A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is an intro to the secret knowledge of adults which is a set of informations that is mainly covered in the book entitled Surrogate Re-Parenting: A.K.A. Get Your Mind Right, and even more thoroughly covered in the book The Secret Knowledge Of Adults. While this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent is intended for kids 10 and up, the info in this book is beneficial and useful to the intelligent kid parts in all of us. Yes, this means you too.
The information in this book will help you and yours to start to see your parents, not as the enemy, but as the caring human beings they really are, and take the first step toward family unity, understanding, growth, success, and happiness! Both you and your parents really deserve this, and with this book, A-C-T like a Kid and T-H-I-N-K like a Parent, you and your parents can actually achieve this.

Author Bios

Katherine Shears is a mom, graduate of Strayer University, and an executive consultant, who is dedicated to bettering the social function and overall visibility of all she encounters. She is a deep thinker with an open mind who stays on the cutting edge of learning, having read over one hundred self-help titles and counting.

C.S. Whitehurst is a psychology-based UX/UI designer/tester, computer programmer, IT Project Manager, and self-help enthusiast, who is a student of science, philosophy, life, and NYU. As a native of New York, having been exposed to social diversity, he has been coached by life to respond to the issues plaguing inner-city youth.


Links

http://www.katherineshears.com/
http://www.cswhitehurst.com/
Amazon

Book Excerpt


​Grape is growing frustrated in her search to find her brother. None of the magical creatures living in Sortilege Falls will help her. Though normally averse to exercise, Grape decides to go for a run to clear her head, and she thinks she spots an old friend/enemy.
 
Grape rounded the corner and jogged onto her block. Nearly home. Good. Three miles was way farther than she'd intended to run though her legs still felt good and she hadn't gotten too sweaty yet. She hadn't jogged since she'd tried out for a part in Aliens, a student production in Watts Landing. She'd gone for the Sigourney Weaver role but hadn't been cast. It was the only production she'd been left out of in her home town. She hadn't really wanted to run now, but she'd been too antsy after school to just sit in her room. She'd thought about hiking through the woods but she knew she'd just end up by the tree, wishing for Brad to be back.
Her house grew larger as she jogged closer. Good. She wanted a shower and maybe six plates of dinner. Grape compelled her legs to go faster. "Move it!" she commanded and sped up. Her mind flashed to running toward the portal in the woods, surrounded by gnomes. They were leading her to the tree, to the rift, and to Brad. But she'd been seconds too late, only able to jump half way through the portal before the cat man caught her and pulled her back to Sortilege Falls. If it hadn't been for Liam, she'd be dead for sure. The cat man had found the idea of tearing her to shreds quite pleasurable.
Grape broke into a sprint. Thoughts of having to maybe outrun that furry bastard one day pushed her to the breaking point. Her ribs ached and a stitch ran through her side but still she pushed. What if she had to outrun him when she first landed in the Magic Lands? Maybe he would be standing guard on the other side of the rift? Her ribs burned but she didn't stop. She was almost there.
Something small and red caught her eye. Grape glanced at her neighbor's lawn and spotted a gnome sitting at the base of the mailbox.
"Auuuuuuugh!" she screamed as she leapt for the gnome. Clutching him in her arms, she tumbled through the thick grass. She rolled to a halt on her neighbor's driveway, clumps of dirt and grass sticking to her sweaty legs.
"Take me to Brad!" she screamed at the gnome. She held him up to her face so she could look him in the eye. "Take me to…" her voice fell as she took in the painted beard and the unmoving eyes and cap. The gnome was a statue. An inanimate statue. Grape sat up, the gnome resting on her lap. Dammit.

​About the Book

Title: Wrong Side of the Rift
Author: Libby Heil
Genre: YA Fantasy
Grape can’t unlearn what living in Sortilege Falls has taught her. Magic is real. Vampires live among us. And there’s a portal in her back yard that leads to another world.
A few weeks ago, Grape lived a quiet life with her family in Watts Landing. Now, she’s stuck in Sortilege Falls, searching for a way to rescue her brother from the other side of the rift. She’s connected to Brad through dreams and what she sees terrifies her. Brad is being tortured into performing magic and, even worse, he’s being forced to torture others.
Grape hounds the magic folk in town, seeking a way through the rift. Her mother’s memory’s been stolen. Her new vampire friend refuses to help. Grape must do it all alone. What she uncovers is a whole host of secrets about the town and her own family. And she’s not the only one hunting for answers.
Time is running out for Brad, but it might be running out for Grape as well.
Buy your copy of Wrong Side of the Rift from Amazon.


Author Bio

I was born during a blizzard. I’m told it was pretty cool but I have no memory of that time. I grew up in two tiny towns in Virginia and spent most of my twenties moving around the US. I’ve lived in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, and Washington. I’ve settled down, for now, in Raleigh, North Carolina.
I’m a writer and improviser. I studied acting in college but spent more time rewriting lines than memorizing them. My first play, Fourth Wall, was produced my junior year. Since then, I’ve written several full length plays, one acts and screenplays. I started writing fiction in my late twenties. Now, I focus mainly on novels but still dabble in theater.
Fun facts about me: There are none. I’m sorry to disappoint you so soon. But, I do love to read, write, and run. My hubby is my favorite person on earth. Dogs are my second favorite. All dogs. I love orange juice, especially when it’s mixed with club soda. Carbonation is better than alcohol. Jaws is my favorite movie. Everything I’ve said so far is true.


Awards:
Puschcart Prize Nomination for “Grow Your Own Dad” – Published by Mixer Publishing
Semi-finalist Eugene O’Neill Playwrights Conference – “STUFF”
Honorable Mention The Ohio State Newark New Play Contest – “The Last Day”


Links

https://libbyheily.com/
https://www.facebook.com/libbyheilyauthor/
https://twitter.com/libbyheily
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5066866.Libby_Heily
https://www.instagram.com/libbyheily/

Book Excerpt

​Chapter 3

A country can’t be free unless the women are free. —Abdullah Öcalan, imprisoned leader of the PKK, recognized as a terrorist organization by the US, NATO, and the EU.
 
Mountains outside Siirt, Turkey 12:40 p.m. GMT−8, May 1, 2021
 
“He didn’t die in vain, Zara.” Two dark-haired women stand high, overlooking a green valley, beyond which there is another mountain, and another behind that. These are the northernmost peaks of the Zagros Fold, a 1500-kilometer creation of the Arabic tectonic plate smashing into the Eurasian plate twenty million years ago. They form a crown around the lands known today as the Fertile Crescent, extending from southern Turkey through northern Iraq, along the border with Iran and down to the Red Sea. But for these two women, the only importance of these mountains is the safe haven they have provided for the people known as Kurds, who have found shelter and safety in these alpines for thousands upon thousands of years. Who until two years ago were the largest ethnic group in the world without a country. The taller of the two women wears a grey outer gown over a full-length purple dress, black belt, sandals, and headscarf, the latter decorated with colorful embroidered flowers and carefully wrapped around her oval face, tucking away her shoulder-length dark brown hair. On her wrist is a simple wind-up watch. Her almond-shaped dark eyes are fixed on the horizon, where she still sees the village. “Didn’t he? Die in vain?” replies Zara. “I told my little boy brother not to join the PKK. We needed him at home. He was the last man left in my family. And now, there is only me, my mother, my grandmother, and thank Xwedê, still my great-grandmother.” Putting her hand around Zara to comfort her is Peri, who in contrast wears a formfitting red cotton top covered by a loose beige sweater, black cotton capri pants, and tan sandals with sequins matching the ones on her sweater. Her
shoulder-length dark brown hair is pulled into a ponytail, with two stylish twists on each side of her face. And on her wrist, at the adamant request of her friend, nothing. No MoxWorld devices at all. “He died while trying to get the women and children of that village, the one you imagine seeing on the horizon, up into the mountains as government troops searched for the PKK,” Peri states calmly. “He died a hero.” “And what good are heroes?” Zara laments. “Especially when they are dead.” Zara walks along the mountainside through the lush green vegetation of spring. Patches of red, purple, blue, and yellow flowers litter the landscape. She bends over to pick a number of red ones. “My mother lined his room with poppies of this color after his death. The color of the blood shed by the men of our family.” Following her best friend as she walks, as she always has, Peri asks, “Then why did you insist we meet here, if his memory brings back such pain?” “Because you want me to help the Anatolian Kurdish separatists. There is a price one pays. My little boy brother did,” the taller woman replies, her long earlobes peeking out from her headscarf in the gust of wind. “I don’t agree with separatism. I believe we should work out a peaceful solution. One that would better the lives of Kurdish women. Equality for all as we saw in Rojava. Women and men governed together as equals. I want you to think about the consequences of what you ask of me now.” “They only want your advice. You do not have to take up arms.” “They want my connection to him,” Zara replies, pulling her silk scarf closer around her oval face. She throws her poppies with the wind gust, which sends them flying a hundred meters as if they were little balloons. Silence as they walk by a more crimson-red set of poppies. Peri bends down and picks some and hands them to Zara. “I do not like that shade of red,” Zara says as she drops the crimson reminders of “him” and crushes them under her sandal. “Why do I follow you, Zara?” asks the disturbed Peri. “You are so complicated. Poppies are poppies.”

About the Book

Title: The Matriarch Matrix
Author: Maxime Trencavel
Genre: Science Fiction, Adventure
The Matriarch Matrix – A speculative fiction novel of origins, faith, passion, and the pursuit of peace.
It was always his destiny to save her. It was always her destiny to die. The fate of the world hangs on their choices… 
The past foretells her future…
What does it take to change a loving child of peace into an assassin for a dangerous and powerful oligarch? Zara Khatum knows. Once a fighter for her Kurdish people, the memory of the atrocities inflicted by her captors has Zara seeking one thing: vengeance. But the voices of the ancients call to Zara. In the past, in another life, she knew the secrets of the artifact…
Twelve thousand years ago…
She is Nanshe, revered matriarch of the family she led away from the monsters of the north. In the land that would one day mark the treacherous border between Turkey and Syria, she created the temples at Gobleki Tepe and founded a dynasty, heirs to a powerful object. For millennia, Nanshe’s descendants have passed down the legend of the artifact: “The object can save. But only a man and woman together can guide the salvation of others.”
Heirs to destiny…
By fate or destiny, Zara is thrown in with Peter Gollinger, a quirky Californian from the other side of the world and the other side of everything she believes. But he, too, is heeding the voices of his ancestors. Joined by Jean-Paul, a former Jesuit priest, these three people—from wildly different religions and cultures—must find a way to work together to solve a twelve thousand-year-old mystery of the powerful object that spawned a faith. The world teeters on the precipice of war. The outcome depends on them. And one of them is living a lie.
The Matriarch Matrix is a rich and deeply layered epic story – a spiritual odyssey with a heartbeat of an action adventure. It may make you think, ponder, reflect upon where we came from and where we are going. It blends our past with a speculative future of things that are not so far-fetched. It blends the drama, the comedy, the romance, the tragedy of three protagonists with different cultures, traditions, and beliefs – a Sufi woman, a Jesuit priest, and an alien origin believing atheist. Their journeys separately and together will be a test of their respective faiths and their inner search for personal and family redemption.

Author Bio

Maxime has been scribbling stories since grade school from adventure epics to morality plays. Blessed with living in multicultural pluralistic settings and having earned degrees in science and marketing, Maxime has worked in business and sports, traveling to countries across five continents and learning about cultures, traditions, and the importance of tolerance and understanding. Maxime’s debut novel was written and edited in different locations in Belgium, including the Turkish and Kurdish neighborhoods of Brussels, in South America, and on the two coasts of the United States.
 
Links

tailofthebird.com
https://www.facebook.com/MaximeTrencavel/
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17168784.Maxime_Trencavel
https://www.amazon.com/Maxime-Trencavel/
Get “The Matriarch Matrix” on  Amazon


​

About the Book

Title: Monsterland
Author: Michael Okon
Genre: YA
Welcome to Monsterland—the scariest place on Earth.
The last couple years of high school have not been fun for Wyatt Baldwin. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either. An on-going debate with his best friends Howard Drucker and Melvin over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.
But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park where guests can rock out with vampires at Vampire Village, be chased by actual werewolves on the Werewolf River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.
With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Author Bio

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling is his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.




Links

Website
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Facebook
Amazon (Kindle)

​PROLOGUE
 
 
 
Colorado Mountains, 1880
 
 
The blade slicing his throat made no sound, but the dead body hitting the ground did. With no time to stop, he hurried through the dark tunnel until he reached the ladder leading out of the shaft.
 He’d been two hundred feet below ground for ten days, with no food and little water. Weak and woozy, he stared up the ladder. He’d have to climb it and it wasn’t going to be easy. He wiped the bloody blade on his torn pants and placed it between his teeth. Scraped knuckles and unwashed hands gripped the wooden rung.
The earth swayed. He closed his eyes and forced the spinning in his head to cease. One thin bronzed leg lifted and came down wobbly. He waited until his leg stopped shaking before he climbed another rung. Each step caused pain, but was paired with determination. He made it to the top faster than he’d thought he would. The sky was black and the air was cool, but fresh. Thank goodness it was fresh.
 He took two long breaths before he emerged from the hole. The smell from below ground still lingered in his nostrils; unwashed bodies, feces and mangy rats. His stomach pitched. He tugged at the rope around his hands. There had been no time to chew the thick bands around his wrists when he’d planned his escape. It was better to run than crawl, and he chewed through the strips that bound his feet instead. There would be time to free his wrists later.
He pressed his body against the mountain and inched toward the shack. He frowned. A guard stood at the entrance to where they were. The blade from the knife pinched his lip, cutting the thin skin and he tasted blood. He needed to get in there. He needed to say goodbye. He needed to make a promise.
 The tower bell rang mercilessly. There was no time left. He pushed away from the rocky wall, dropped the knife from his mouth into his bound hands, aimed and threw it. The dagger dug into the man’s chest. He ran over, pulled the blade from the guard and quickly slid it across his throat. The guard bled out in seconds.
He tapped the barred window on the north side of the dilapidated shack. The time seemed to stretch. He glanced at the large house not fifty yards from where he stood. He would come back, and he would kill the bastard inside.
He tapped again, harder this time, and heard the weak steps of those like him shuffling from inside. The window slid open, and a small hand slipped out.
“Toksha ake—I shall see you again,” he whispered in Lakota.
The hand squeezed his once, twice and on the third time held tight before it let go and disappeared inside the room.
A tear slipped from his dark eyes, and his hand, still on the window sill, balled into a fist. He swallowed past the sob and felt the burn in his throat. His chest ached for what he was leaving behind. He would survive, and he would return.
Men shouted to his right, and he crouched down low. He took one last look around and fled into the cover of the forest.

About the Books

Branded Trilogy
Author: Kat Flannery
Genre: Historical / Western / Paranormal Romance
Sizzling ROMANCE, the WILD WEST, and a dash of PARANORMAL make the BRANDED TRILOGY bundle a heart-pounding and satisfying read…

LAKOTA HONOR
​
Fate has brought them together, but will a promise tear them apart?
In the small town of Willow Creek, Colorado, Nora Rushton spends most of her days locked up in her home with a father who resents her and fighting off unwanted marriage proposals from the wealthy Elwood Calhoun. Marked as a witch, Nora must hide her healing powers from those who wish to destroy all the witkowin—crazy women. What she doesn’t know is that a bounty hunter is hot on her trail.
Lakota native Otakatay has an obligation to fulfill. He has been hired to kill the witkowin. In a time when race and difference are a threat and innocence holds no ground, courage, love and honor will bring Nora and Otakatay together as they fight for their freedom. Will the desire to fulfill his promise drive Otakatay to kill Nora? Or will the kindness he sees in her blue eyes push him to be the man he once was?

​BLOOD CURSE
​
Four years after the Blood Curse, Pril of the Peddlers vows to protect her child against the evil men who hunt her. With her clan unaware of the branded girl among them, Pril has to keep the identity of her daughter a secret. When her child is kidnapped, she is forced to ask Merchant runner, Kade Walker, for his help.
Kade Walker needs to find the gypsy child. Blackmailed and pushed beyond his own moral code, he is determined to do whatever it takes. When he comes across the Peddler clan, he is sure the girl is there, however all hope is lost when the gypsies capture him. Time is running out—until Pril makes him an offer he cannot refuse.
Amidst greed, lust, revenge and love, Pril will need to trust Kade. But as the evil nears and doubt creeps in, will she discover that the enemy has been standing next to her all along?

​SACRED LEGACY

Tsura is a Chuvani, and with that comes great power…
Desperate to escape the memories that haunt her, Tsura Harris returns to Jamestown, the very place her mother forbade her to go. A gifted Chuvani, Tsura has sworn off all magick, thus making her vulnerable to the Renoldi clan, who wish to kill her and take the pendant that is the key to her power.
Red Wolf is hell-bent on living his life on the sea, until he runs into Tsura on the docks. His pride wounded from her rejection years before, he hoped to never see her again. But when the evil Corsair, Romulus Black, demands to know where she is, Red Wolf must protect her, as is his duty.
But is duty and honor his only reason, or does Red Wolf still carry a flame of love in his heart? And will Tsura finally discover her destiny?


Author Bio

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. She has her Certificate in Freelance and Business Writing.
A member of many writing groups, Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. Kat loves to teach writing classes and give back to other aspiring authors. She volunteers her time at the local library facilitating their writing group. She’s been published in numerous periodicals throughout her career
Her debut novel CHASING CLOVERS has been an Amazon Top 100 Paid bestseller twice. LAKOTA HONOR, BLOOD CURSE, and SACRED LEGACY (Branded Trilogy) are Kat’s three award-winning novels and HAZARDOUS UNIONS is Kat’s first novella. Kat is currently hard at work on her next series, THE MONTGOMERY SISTERS.


Visit Kat at: www.katflannerybooks.com
Find her on Facebook: Kat Flannery, author
Follow her on Twitter: @KatFlannery1
Goodreads

​Book Excerpt: Icy Stone Steps:
 
A full moon had risen in the cobalt sky casting a bluish glow over the icy, snow-swept mountainside, illuminating the entire hamlet. Icicles dangled from the steep, high pitched roofs of cottages nestling here and there, jumbled together at odd angles wherever the mountainside allowed. Jagged, ice covered stone steps, cut into the mountainside, curved up and around the icicle laden cottages until finally reaching a summit—a high, flat plateau. And it was on that plateau—high overhead and overshadowing the village—that a Citadel, a snow-covered stone fortress—overwhelming with its massive and imposing presence—rose up out of the mountain as though etched and carved from the rock itself.
They stood exhaling puffs of frosty mist; entranced by the ethereal beauty of their snow laden destination and shocked by the terrible price they must pay to get there. Finally realizing the price for warmth and comfort for the night so they would have an audience with the Oracle tomorrow was a midnight climb up jagged icy stone steps tonight. It was foreboding and frigid; it was ethereal and sublime.
         “We can do this,” Eleanor whispered. She slipped over and laid one arm on Ivan’s shoulder and the other on Tilly’s. Addison silently reached down grabbing Brody’s hand—and he let her do it. Claire moved over to stand beside Levi who had taken Esmé back into his own arms. He smiled a grim smile, and then he turned, planting his foot on the first jagged, icy stone step as each of the cousins formed a silent line behind him, breathing in the cold, frosty air, and preparing to follow.

About the Book

Title: The Peacock Door
Author: Wanda Kay Knight
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
In a magical tale of adventure, eight cousins sneak through forbidden treehouse doors, only to find themselves separated from each other and lost in strange worlds. In their quests to return home, they must unravel mysteries, escape snares and villains, find one another, and search for the elusive Oracle. The Peacock Door is a rich story of camaraderie, loyalty, love, and determination with a bit whimsy sprinkled throughout.


Author Bio

Wanda Kay Knight lives in the Pacific Northwest, teaches literature, strives really hard to keep up with her adventurous/competitive family, makes things out of yarn (mainly unique hats), enjoys collecting pretty rocks, and writes a lot.


Links

Website: www.thepeacockdoor.com
Youtube video
Youtube video
Email address:    [email protected]
My personal email:  [email protected]

Book Snippet

Gabriel casually walked over to the pantry which was just a little closet to the right of the kitchen across from the large table. He opened the door and began examining the pantry itself. You see, the pantry was tiny. It was the size of a little broom closet and everything else in this treehouse was of much larger magnitude. It just didn't fit. If you had a table and eight chairs you had multiple people meeting or eating here and this pantry would only hold enough food for a few people, not to mention wouldn’t store anything of substance. Standing eye level in the pantry, his eyes became fixed on an old lantern sitting on the middle of the shelf, surrounded by canned food. Why in the world would an old lantern, just like the two they had found in the cave, be sitting in the middle of a pantry inside of a treehouse? And, surrounded by food, nonetheless. It was completely out of place.
Gabriel grabbed the lantern and picked it up. As he did, the pantry floor began to move and he quickly jumped back into the kitchen and looked down. To his disbelief, the floor had opened revealing a dark staircase. Gabriel looked up and saw Magdalena and Hubert staring at the floor in amazement alongside him.
“No, no, no. I'm not doing this! If we go down those steps and that trap floor decides to shut, we are stuck, stuck, stuck and no one will ever find us!” screamed Hubert.
Magdalena stood there contemplating. Hubert had a good point. Curiosity was killing the cat quickly, but, he really had a good point. If they became trapped underneath the pantry floor, no one would ever find them and they would die there. She was all about adventure, but that was pushing it a little she thought, even for her.
She walked over to Gabriel, pulled another match out of her pocket, lit the lantern Gabriel was still holding in his hand from the pantry, and said, “Hubert, you stand watch and keep this lantern with you. Do not let this floor close on us. Gabriel, let’s go check this out!”
Gabriel looked at Hubert and said, “Don't let us down! If that floor closes you better run through that cave and get help. Don't be scared, just do it!”
Hubert didn't know what was worse, going down those stairs or the thought of running back through that sacrificial carved cave by himself. The next time Gabriel or Magdalena knocked on his front door asking if he wanted to go on an adventure exploring for the day, his answer would be a big fat NO!
​

About the Book

Title: Magdalena Gottschalk: The Crooked Trail
Author: M. Gail Grant
Genre: YA Fantasy
The enchanted secret of Lily Brooke was safe and sound, until Magdalena and her thirteen-year-old friends accidentally unleashed the revengeful demons of the past. How were they supposed to know that a friendly expedition in the woods on a stress-free Saturday morning would lead to the most intense and scary moments of their lives? So many mysterious happenings have occurred ever since they found that crooked trail leading to the sacrificial cave, and hidden monstrosity of a treehouse. With the chanting voices and shrill noises that only Magdalena could hear, the friends decide there is something sinister living amongst them. Time is of the essence to save Lily Brooke and their childhood club, the Mystical Alliance of Lily Brooke, knows it is up to them to capture the demons hiding in their community and set the town free. Witches, wizards, and some black magic may just be what it takes for Magdalena and her best friends to save the day.

Author Bio

Melinda Gail resides in Canton, Georgia with her three daughters, husband of over twenty years, and two adorable fur babies.  Surrounded by the north Georgia mountains, the scenery provides for inspirational settings for her novels. Being raised in the south, she brings a little southern flair and tradition to her characters, all the while remembering the adventurous nature of middle grades to young adult age children. With a passion for the extraordinary and imagination, Melinda hopes you enter a world of fantasy as you see life through the eyes of the characters.
Writing has always been her underlying passion in life. With a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and a minor in Sociology, she felt understanding and studying human behavior on the individual and collective level, would apply to anything and everything chosen to do in life. Identified as being a strong writer for her age at the time, she attended a summer literary writer’s camp around age twelve. She flourished and loved every moment of the experience and it has stayed with her throughout adulthood.
The desire to write has always been an integral part of who Melinda is, and about eight months ago she decided it was time. Having always been an avid reader of topics from intense young adult fantasy and thrillers, to light hearted summer romances, she chose juvenile to young adult ages for her book. In middle school summers, she would stay up to the wee hours of the morning reading because she just couldn’t put the book down. This basic idea, not being able to put a book down, is the principal she built on while writing Magdalen Gottschalk: The Crooked Trail. It has moments of ease, moments of intensity, moments of humor, striving to offer some of her own personality in her writings. There is a time for sweetness, a time for seriousness, and always a time for kindness and life lessons. Her style isn’t made up. It is simply who she is, on paper.




Links

For author signed paperback and hardcover editions:   http://www.MelindaGailBooks.com
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