A deathbed promise—a secret kept for decades… Everything about DEA Agent Jake Castillo’s life is a lie and he doesn’t know it. Seeing two fellow agents killed right before his eyes has left him with PTSD and a thirst for revenge on the drug lord who murdered them. He vows to bring El Toro to justice. When the enigmatic Gabriella abducts him, Jake wakes up a week later in his San Diego home with no memory of what happened. Convinced his kidnapping was not a random act, he ignores department policy and returns to Colombia to unravel the secrets of his past. But can he live with the truth?
A fan of dark and dangerous medieval Scotland, Connie C. Scharon published her first Scottish historical romance in June of 2013. The success of that book led to eight other romance novels, but Connie wanted to mix things up a little.
Her medical background gave her a desire to create stories that wove her hospital experiences, visits to the morgue, and tours of the forensic lab into crime-focused novels.
In 2020, writing as C. C. Scharon, she transitioned from her romance roots into mystery and suspense with the international thriller BLOOD NEVER WASHES OUT.
Connie is a life-long resident of Maryland. She belongs to multiple professional organizations, including Pennwriters, Romance Writers of American, and Maryland Writers Association.
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For as long as I can remember I loved stories, so it seemed natural that I wrote them. I can’t pick any specific date when I started, and I guess I’ve never stopped. My husband sent me on the path of doing it professionally when I expressed my desire to write a book. He told me to stop talking about it and get to work. The first novel I completed will never see the light of day, but I learned a great deal fleshing out a complete book. It was written in long hand in spiral notebooks that I kept in my nightstand. You never know when a good idea is going to hit you. It could be the middle of the night. Now I go to my office and boot up my computer if I must record my thoughts immediately. Several tries later, I got some viable manuscripts, which later made it into print.
What I love most about writing is the author’s God-like ability over everything that happens. What characters do, what dangers they face, who lives, and who dies. Your story is the only place in the world you can control fate of everyone. The only limit is your imagination. It is the greatest feeling in the world when the story catches fire and almost seems to write itself.
A fan of dark and dangerous medieval Scotland, my first books were Scottish historical romances that took place in the 1300s. When I visited Scotland, it captured my imagination and resulted in eight books I later dubbed the Highland Legends series. These were all published under Connie C. Scharon, while my new venture into mystery and suspense is penned by my alias C. C. Scharon. I wanted to separate the two genres as they are for distinct audiences.
When I begin a book, I start with an inciting incident, the main factor that gets the whole story rolling. I know then how I want it to end, but little else. As the story progresses, I begin a rough outline consisting of a few sentences about what scenes will happen in each chapter. My favorite part to write is the big finale where all the pieces come together with a few extra twists. After all, I wrote the whole book to get to it.
Follow Mara Ellington’s trip across Europe riding the Orient-Express where she suddenly gets entangled in a complicated terrorist attack threat.
As she rushed down London’s Victoria Station, feisty Air Traffic Controller Mara Ellington fought her apprehensions about this journey. It was no longer the trip of a lifetime she had dreamed about with her best friend. Instead, fate had turned this exciting adventure into a lonely voyage to honour her deathbed’s wish. After arriving at the train’s platform, a strange incident will leave her baffled but not as much as her unexpected confrontation with Counter-Terrorist Agent Drake Steinfield who has also boarded the legendary Orient-Express, on a mission to thwart a terrorist threat.
The sexy and tenacious agent is on the tail of an elusive Al-Qaeda Extremist leader who has planned a string of massive explosions along the train’s route. Additionally, he may be using the tourist as a pawn in his schemes and according to the CT agent, this makes her his best lead to stop him. Mara and Steinfield will need to join their forces and race against the terrorist’s deadline to prevent these massive tragedies, if they can put aside their clashing personalities and growing attraction. What destiny awaits them down the line of this Express Pursuit?
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Caroline Beauregard was born in Montreal, Quebec. After her nursing degree, she obtained a Bachelor in Anthropology, an MA in Medieval studies, another MA in History of Arts before continuing on to do Phd level courses in History and Comparative literature. She has over 35 years of experience as has a Health Care Professional in geriatrics and works as Health and Wellness Manager in a Senior Residence. A seasoned travel, she loves to write about her trips in her travel journals. Express Pursuit, a romantic thriller, is her debut novel. She lives in Montreal with her husband and two Siamese cats.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
No. However I wrote two memoir for Masters degree. One on criminal law in France Ancient Regime and also, The Iconography of the femme fatale in the art of John William Waterhouse. Express Pursuit is my first venture in fiction.
If your book had a candle, what scent would it be?
Amber, clove, damask rose, pink pepper, jasmine and gardenia. PS: Why am I so specific with this answer? It’s because I started, a few years ago, to create perfumes as a hobby after taking a perfume class in Grass, in the south of France. I have my own little lab at home! Twilight of Kaizerin Sissi, my creation is my favourite fragrance.
What did you edit out of this book?
The prologue and the epilogue. The prologue was a slow scene which ended up compressed as a quick flashback in an early chapter. Chapter 1 needed to start with a bang and give a more active tone to the story. I also took out the epilogue. As one often say, better quit while you’re ahead but you can read the epilogue in my Website, Newsletter 12. Spoiler alert.
Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?’-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
Sign up to read all twelve Newsletters about Express Pursuit. They contain fun and interesting facts about the story locations, character profiles and insights about my writing journey. Visit my Website here: https://carolinebeauregard.mailchimpsites.com
Jessica Aspen always wanted to be spirited away to a world inhabited by elves, were-wolves and sexy men who walk on the dark side of the knife. Luckily, she’s able to explore her fantasy side and delve into new worlds by writing spicy paranormal romance. She loves indulging in dark chocolate, reading eclectic novels, and dreaming of ocean vacations, but instead spends most of her time, writing, walking the dog, and hiking in the Colorado Rockies.
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Fated Mate (Fated Mountain Wolf Pack book 1) by Jessica Aspen ~ Genre: Paranormal Romance
I’ve been abandoned. Left on the side of the road with a Rocky Mountain storm on the way and the only person I can turn to is a stranger—but Aaron has his own secrets…
When Gwynn’s dad sells her off to pay his gambling debts the only person she can turn to is a stranger. But how is she to know her knight in shining armor is actually working for the bad guys?
Aaron’s been forced to work for a criminal for too long, he’s just counting the days to freedom. When the opportunity rises he’s ready to jump. The only problem is—in order to get what he wants he has to betray a stranger. Too bad she’s his fated mate…
Now, Aaron has to save Gwynn, keep the pack lands the boss has promised him, and convince the only woman he’ll ever truly love that fairy tales are real—and so are wolf shifters…
For sexy Shifter Romance you can’t put down…
Buy FATED MATE today.
Discover your new pack—Fated Mountain Wolf Pack…
Come to Colorado where the rivers run cold and the alphas run hot!
Claimed Mate (Fated Mountain Wolf Pack book 2) by Jessica Aspen ~ Genre: Paranormal Romance
Mistaken identity. An accidental kiss. And the mating fever begins…
When the sexiest woman alive walks up to Gabe and demands to make love, he knows he’s met his fated mate. But will falling head-over-tail for Serena turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life?
Serena’s move to Colorado isn’t going as planned. Her new boss hates her. She’s falling in love with the wrong twin. And a stalker is sending her roses. Now both brothers are suffering from mating fever but only one man is Serena’s fated mate.
If Serena can survive the obsessive love of a stalker one brother will have the mate of his dreams. And the other—a chaotic fall into the wild…
Sexy Shifter Romance you can’t put down…Buy CLAIMED MATE today.
Fated Mountain Wolf Pack… Come to Colorado where the rivers run cold and the alphas run hot! For Sexy Shifter Romance that you can’t put down…Buy CLAIMED MATE today.
Stalked Mate (Fated Mountain Wolf Pack book 3) by Jessica Aspen ~ Genre: Paranormal Romance
It was just another ordinary day for Glenna…until she was violently attacked and thrown into a world of wolves—a world she never knew existed.
Now she’s hell-bent on escape.
After nearly going wild wolf, Sam Wulfric is back and sane—mostly. The last assignment he wants is babysitting a new wolf shifter—and all the chaos that involves. Even worse, she’s one of the sexiest women he’s ever seen. And to top it all off—she’s driving his wolf crazy.
But everyone from the US Government to an unknown assailant is after Glenna and Sam’s instincts take over. Now, he’ll do anything to keep Glenna safe—even if her new found mating urge drives him over the edge.
Sam’s already found and lost and he’s hell bent on never going through that again. But fate has other plans…
Sexy Shifter Romance you can’t put down…
Buy STALKED MATE and discover your new pack today.
Fated Mountain Wolf Pack…
Come to Colorado where the rivers run cold and the alphas run hot!
Hunted Mate (Fated Mountain Wolf Pack book 4) by Jessica Aspen ~ Genre: Paranormal Romance
A forbidden love…Too many secrets….Fated to be Mates…
Glimpses of her dead sister push Sarah to leave the safety of her rich, privileged life, and venture into the dark. But when pursuing the truth leads to more than she’s bargained for…she risks not only her life, but the life of her sister—If Glenna is still alive…
Rico’s been tasked with keeping Sarah out of harm’s way—as well as hide every detail of her sister’s new existence as a wolf shifter. But how can he do that when sexy Sarah is determined to turn over every rock and hunt out the pack’s secrets? And when a mysterious informant contacts Sarah—Rico knows she’s in danger.
To protect Sarah, Rico risks his job, his status in the enforcers, and his life. But most of all…he runs the risk of losing his fated mate.
Sexy Shifter Romance you can’t put down…
Buy HUNTED MATE today.
Discover your new pack—Fated Mountain Wolf Pack…
Come to Colorado where the rivers run cold and the alphas run hot!
Wolf Mate (Fated Mountain Wolf Pack book 5) by Jessica Aspen ~ Genre: Paranormal Romance
On the hunt for her best friend, Natalie discovers it’s more than murder…it’s wolf shifters.
All Natalie has is her GPS, her best friend’s last known location, and a desperate hunger for the truth. Her dangerous search for clues leads her to a blood soaked piece of land and a trip down a rocky ravine—straight into the arms of a sexy angry cowboy.
Could it be fate?
Luca has been a lone wolf his entire life. Discovering Natalie trapped and injured on Fated Mountain ranch—her big brown eyes and determined attitude break into his lone wolf reserve. But Natalie’s human. And her insistence on hunting down the truth conflicts with the pack’s needs.
What happens when fate draws you to the wrong mate and murder might be best covered up?
Sexy Shifter Romance you can’t put down…
Buy WOLF MATE today.
Discover your new pack—Fated Mountain Wolf Pack…
Come to Colorado where the rivers run cold and the alphas run hot!
Hi! I’m Jessica Aspen and I write Urban Fantasy romance—fast paced, sexy, and a little on the dark side. And right now I’m writing sexy alpha wolves. Yum! When I very first started writing about wolf shifters I discovered there was a whole world out there. Fated mates, betas, alphas, how packs worked…so many choices and all amazing! Each author get’s to choose how these pieces go together, but you’re the one who decides if you like the way the puzzle fits.
Deciding what goes into my books is a super fun process. I’m also a firm believer in love at first sight, so could I take that and make it mate at first sight? Oh yes I can! And what happens when the mating bond get’s complicated, like when you find out you’re essential to this man’s life in a way that you never imagined? That’s when the romance really get’s good!
What do you love about shifter books? Are fated mates your jam? How about packs? Does the commitment of the pack make it or break it for you?
KB Anne once smashed into a tree while skiing. The accident led to a concussion, a cracked sternum, temporary notoriety as a sixth grader returned from the dead, and the realization that fictionalized accounts are way more interesting than just slipping on the ice.
Wide Awake (The Goddess Chronicles Book 1) by K.B. Anne ~ Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Where witches, werewolves, and magic aren’t just bedtime stories, they’re my story.
If I keep following the advice of Scott, my reputation for being a badass will be ruined. How dare he expect me to attend class when there’s all sorts of weird voodoo crap going on?
Gram tells me Druids live among us. They worship the forgotten Celtic gods that once ruled the Earth, and for centuries, they’ve practiced in Vernal Falls without incident.
I know nothing about Druids or Celtic gods. I only know the visions began when Breas, the new foreign exchange student, moved in next door. I also know my best friend, Lizzie, is obsessed with the spell book I found in Gram’s attic.
And someone is following me . . . which I find oddly comforting.
Breas provokes me–I mean really pisses me off. My friends protect me–but it’s mostly from myself. And a mysterious stranger wants me. I’m not sure what his intentions are, but I’m willing to take the risk.
Meanwhile, evil forces are at work, and I need to decide if I’m the one to save the world from them. Any guesses what I think?
The Goddess Chronicles are a fast-paced contemporary fantasy adventure with a kick-butt heroine, some hot powerful heroes, and loads of magic just to make things more explosive. If you like Linsey Hall, M. Lynn, and BR Kingsolver, you will love The Goddess Chronicles.
Blood Moon (The Goddess Chronicles Book 2) by K.B. Anne ~ Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
It’s the final countdown to world domination.
So I accidently released Clayone, the Original Werewolf, which one would think would be the worst of my troubles… Oh, how wrong one would be. Gram and Uncle Mark, who happens to be my dad (I’m still reeling about that one), just informed me that I’m from a long line of Druids, and according to some prophecy I’m the Celtic Goddess Brigit reincarnated. I’m not even remotely magical, let alone a Goddess, but one of my friend’s is already dead and another one’s been bitten.
For now, Clayone’s trapped in a church, too weak to leave, but on the eve of Samhaim, October 31, during the Super Blue Blood Moon’s lunar eclipse, he will be more powerful than he’s been in a thousand years. Lucky me.
If he can destroy the reincarnated goddess while she’s in human form, the werewolves’ curses of imprisonment–the silver bullet and the full moon–will be lifted, and the unbridled reign of the werewolf will begin at last.
The fate of the world is in my hands, but the real question is, do I actually believe I’m Brigit, a reincarnated goddess, and if so, will I lock Clayone back in the hell where he came from before it’s too late? I think we all know the answers to those questions. All I really know is that the full moon has never looked so terrifying.
Dark Moon (The Goddess Chronicles Book 3) by K.B. Anne ~ Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Time to put my magic to the test or die trying.
Scott worries about my soul. Can you believe that crap? I’ve killed multiple people because I was too darn stubborn to accept that I was the reincarnated Celtic goddess Brigit, and now, that I’ve embraced my goddess self, I’ve figured out how to bring everyone back from the dead, and he’s too busy worrying about my soul when what he should be worried about is my boot in his rear end.
To make matters more complicated, Alaric returned from his show with shocking news. If I was smart, I would hop on the next plane and get out of Kildares, but I’ve never been very good at taking care of myself.
And do you know who showed up? I can’t freaking believe it. I thought he was out of my life for good, but bad luck always follows me like many of my bad habits. I don’t have time to play games. I need to learn to use my magic before the Dark Moon approaches or I’ll miss out on my chance to bring back to life everyone who died trying to protect me.
Shadow Moon (The Goddess Chronicles Book 4) by K.B. Anne ~ Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Three reincarnated gods walk into a wizard’s keep and break all the rules.
Once, Caer was a princess loved by her father, the faerie king, and they lived happily ever after until the eve of Samhain. Balor, a giant, one-eyed pirate, betrayed the king’s trust by spilling his blood across the throne room floor and claiming Caer as his prize.
Forced to live in the shadows, Caer’s only companion is an all-powerful shapeshifting wizard who does not even know she exists. Watching from afar, she learns what makes a warrior’s heart strong, but the early arrival of the brother and sister promise to derail her plans of revenge.
The hunt for Alaric continues, but Gigi’s magic can’t track him. Scott aims to help her by providing protection, along with constant banter, but his true love haunts his dreams. If he doesn’t find her soon, his sanity might break. Gallean feared the day Caer, Gigi, and Scott met for the trí cumhacht, the three powers, would be set into motion. Each of the three could barely control their own powers, let alone be able to handle the union of the three.
But, when three gods walk into a wizard’s keep, there’s bound to be trouble, and a good bit of mischief.
The quiet town of Craven Falls is depleting in population. One by one…
Scarlet Fitzgerald thought it would be fun to play a game on Laura Stevenson, a nobody at Craven Falls High. But what happens when the game unleashes buried secrets Scarlet doesn’t want anyone to know? Secrets that could get someone killed, including herself.
Three can play a game, but one of them ends up dead…
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Donna M. Zadunajsky started out writing children’s books before she wrote and published her first novel, Broken Promises, in June 2012. She since has written several more novels and her first novella, HELP ME! Book 1 in the series, which is about teen suicide and bullying.
Fly Away by Kristen Hannah, Two by Two by Nicholas Sparks, Misery by Stephen King, These Hidden Things, Before She was Found, and One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf, A Husband’s Secret and Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
What book do you think everyone should read?
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
How long have you been writing?
Fifteen years
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
As I write.
What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?
I do lots of research, though it depends of the plot of the story. In Family Secrets ‘Secrets and Second Chances’ Book 1 was about breast cancer and the main character worked for NASA, so a lot of research was done to know her education and what she was about to go through with the cancer. Every book is different.
Do you see writing as a career?
I do and hope that one day I can make a living just writing. It’s like having coffee in the morning. I can’t function unless I write something each day.
What do you think about the current publishing market?
I wish there were more literary agents that could and would give us self-publishers a chance. Just because we self-publish our books doesn’t mean they are poorly written. I spend a great deal of money having all my books edited very well before I publish them. The book cover is very important to me as it is the first thing you see before picking up the book and reading the summary. I am one who based a book on its cover.
Do you read yourself and if so, what is your favorite genre?
I love to read books. I read every day. Mystery book and YA romance stories. Oh, and books based on real life events.
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
Write in silence because I get lost inside my head and I can’t think with interruptions.
Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?
One, usually, but if an idea comes to me, I will write it down.
If you could have been the author of any book ever written, which book would you choose?
Misery
Pen or typewriter or computer?
Computer
What made you want to become an author, and do you feel it was the right decision?
I love to write stories. Yes, I do believe it’s the right decision because only I can write the stories I’ve written.
A day in the life of the author?
I get up at 5 a.m., write until 7 a.m. get ready for work, leave the house at 7:20 a.m. Come home at 5 p.m. Shower, cook, watch some TV, read and go to bed around 9:30 p.m.
Advice you would give new authors?
Read and write as often as possible
What makes a good story?
The plot and characters
What are you currently reading?
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?
I have a plot that comes to me and then start writing and let the rest come to me.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Not having enough time to write in a day.
Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I’m an original writer
If you could tell your younger writing self-anything, what would it be?
Start writing in high school. Take more creative writing classes
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
KB once smashed into a tree while skiing. The accident led to a concussion, a cracked sternum, temporary notoriety as a sixth grader returned from the dead, and the realization that fictionalized accounts are way more interesting than just slipping on the ice.
Throne of Silver (The Silver Fae Book 1) by K.B. Anne – Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Meet Starr Bishop, the girl next door. Well, if the girl next door can deliver a dropkick to the throat and is possibly supernatural.
A secret organization wants me as an assassin. Me, kill someone? No way. The General also hints that I’m a superior being—whatever the hell that means. But it might explain the strange flickering thing that’s been happening to me lately.
And then there’s Christian, the goth-loner who casts disdainful glares in my direction like it’s his day job. When I go missing, he goes all superhero and finds me. And what’s with his eyes changing shape when he doesn’t think I’m looking at him?
Now there’s this crazy-ass chemistry between us, but I must deny my feelings. Christian is a complication, and my life is complicated enough. If I give in, I could put both of our lives at risk, and I’ve already lost two friends because of the Organization.
But when Christian goes missing, I follow him into a world of deception, lies, and secret realms. No worries. I’ve got this. After all, the General wanted me as an assassin. If I can learn to tap into my true nature, I can kick the Organization’s ass.
The trouble is, the Organization will stop at nothing to pick up their top recruit. Will I figure out what superior being I am before it’s too late?
If you like Linsey Hall, CN Crawford, Chandelle LeVaun, Leia Stone, Michelle Maddow, McKenzie Hunter, and Jaymin Eve, you’ll love the highly addictive Silver Fae series.
Fae aren’t real, right? Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.
But when my grandparents locked me in the library, thanks for that by the way, I remembered things from my childhood, back when my dad was still alive. Things like silver thrones, pointed ears, and fangs.
Christian and I knew we couldn’t fight the Organization on our own. We needed help. Di, a mutual friend and anti-everything is a no-brainer, plus her taser will come in handy. Frank, my absolute best friend will put his life on the line for me. Ben and Coda, not to be outdone by also swore their allegiance. Christian’s the only hold out. He knows what the Organization is capable of and has the beaten body to prove it, but when I want something, I usually get it.
And now, though I keep denying my “other” nature, every time I get angry, each time I feel too much, the flickering happens. My Fae side wants to break out. Will Christian, Frank, Di, and the rest of the team accept me when they find out what I am?
Life becomes tense on the Qualla Boundary, sparks fly, and the Organization is about to smash in our door.
Inspired by the Eastern Band of Cherokee legends, bestselling author KB Anne weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change everything in the urban fantasy Silver Fae trilogy.
Check out the new series for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu, Shannon Mayer, Linsey Hall, Leia Stone, Michelle Maddow, McKenzie Hunter, Jaymin Eve, and CN Crawford.
Betrayal cuts deep. A Starr gone. A team betrayed.
You never know who your true friends are until a gun’s pointed at you. One will take a bullet, and the other will pull the trigger. I learned that lesson the hard way.
When the Organization decided they wanted me as an assassin, life took a dive in the deep end. One, I learned I’m a Silverlain and evidently, a faerie princess. Two, there was a secret cult run by Jerry White but somehow related to the Organization and my grandparents who all wanted me as their own personal…I don’t know what. And three, Christian, well Christian betrayed me. I trusted him, believed in him, loved him, and he tossed that love in the garbage and aligned himself with Sami and Jovie instead.
Did I mention they’re still alive and want me dead? You’d think I’d sleep easier at night, but not so much.
Christian’s betrayal hurt me. I will never give my heart away to anyone ever again, and since I’m jailed by the Organization, I will become the Fae assassin they want me to be. But Treadwell better watch his throat because if I get close to him, I will rip it out myself.
Sami is one of my guards. Talk about unfortunate circumstances.. But don’t worry, I’ll create my own team, albeit I won’t be able to trust any of them, but on the plus side, I’ll get my revenge. After all, I am the Heir of Wings and Shadow.
Inspired by the Eastern Band of Cherokee legends, bestselling author KB Anne weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change everything in the urban fantasy Silver Fae trilogy.
Check out the new series for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Marie Lu, Shannon Mayer, Linsey Hall, Leia Stone, Michelle Maddow, McKenzie Hunter, Jaymin Eve, and CN Crawford.
A part-Cherokee goth loner. A Peroxide Barbie. What possibly could they have in common?
Turns out a whole lot more than crazy-ass chemistry–or is it electricity?
Christian Evergood tries everything to ignore the girl who reminds him of his past, but when Starr goes missing, he must find her. He’ll hide his true nature from her for as long as he can, but eventually he’ll need to tell her. He’ll use stories of his people to lay the groundwork for revealing his secret, but the Organization has other plans for him.
Inspired by the Eastern Band of Cherokee legends, bestselling author KB Anne weaves a stunning, high-stakes tale of alliances and deceptions, characters who aren’t what they seem, and secrets that could change everything in the urban fantasy Silver Fae trilogy. Silver Shift, A Silver Fae Novella, can be read as a prequel, book 1.5, or a standalone.
Maj. Michael Crooke, USMC-R, takes leave from combat and heads to the white sand beaches of a remote Caribbean island. While exploring, Michael uncovers an ancient map and joins Jacob Hatch, a veteran salvage captain hiding from his past on a treacherous treasure hunt.
After recovering a vast fortune from the deep laden with arcane artifacts, Hatch’s enemies seize the treasure, kidnap Michael’s wife and flee to a mountaintop temple in Brazil, believing they have killed both Hatch and Michael.
Michael must now find a way to turn Hatch’s lust for revenge into a rescue mission. But head-hunters, poison darts, deadly snakes and demonic monsters all stand in their way.
From the depths of the ocean to the savage jungles of the Amazon Treasure is a non-stop terrifying thrill ride.
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Thomas Holladay studied creative writing at the prestigious American Film Institute and has completed more than a dozen feature length screenplays. His original ideas and movie moments have appeared in feature films and on television. He has now completed four novels and is working on a fifth. Treasure: Temple of the Crystal Skull is his published work. He is proud to be among some very fine authors at Severed Press.
Driven, talented, and determined to live up to her family’s fame, Sasha Nikolayeva is ballet’s crown princess. But just when Sasha lands her most prestigious role yet, she falls prey to a host of disturbing neurological symptoms that threaten to end her career and her very life. As her mind and body deteriorate, Sasha spirals into a nightmare world where beauty and cruelty exist in the same breath and villains rule from the shadows.
In the glittering, sharp-edged City of Roses, Sasha is no princess. She’s a thrall, a slave. Thousands like her suffer in cursed silence while citizens enjoy the splendor of the City, blissfully unaware that their servants are anything more than living dolls enchanted to do their bidding. But the City’s slavers know the truth, and they are always watching. One misstep could cost Sasha her life—or her soul.
Even as she endures the violence and indignity of captivity, Sasha can’t help being drawn to the beauty of her nightmare world and the underground rebels who offer her friendship, shelter, even love. Before Sasha can break her chains for good, she’ll need choose between the life waiting for her at home and the countless lives she could save if she stays. To choose a nightmare over her real life, her future, would be madness…but maybe a little madness is just what it takes to change the fate of a city built on lies.
Dreams and reality perform a captivating pas de deux in this tale of legacy and longing. A lyrical and original fantasy that, like its heroine, has the soul of a dancer.
In retrospect, I probably should have realized a lot earlier that I was meant to be a writer. Even as early as kindergarten, I struggled to pay attention in class because the outside world was just not as interesting as what was going on in my head. By that time, I had already made my storytelling debut (“Squirm the Worm,” delivered at age three) and had spent countless hours playing make-believe with my 284 stuffed animals, every one of whom had a name and detailed backstory.
Though I quickly learned to pay attention (or at least look like I was paying attention) during school hours, I retained a tendency to daydream and a love of stories. When I left high school to attend the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College, I learned to translate both emotional and programatic content into music. Now, as an exam prep and college essay tutor, I have the time and flexibility to really dig into fiction again. My work has appeared online and in print in such venues as Timeless Tales Magazine and Quantum Fairy Tales.
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“The legends say that in the earliest days, we lived and died in darkness and despair.” Luca’s voice tickles my ear, and, though he drops his hand, he stays close. “Farmers toiled in the fields without respite, never tasting the fruits of their labor. Blacksmiths forged tools and weapons, never toys or lovers’ trinkets. Housewives gave birth to children who grew too quickly into adulthood, never knowing laughter. Soldiers killed and were killed without mercy—without knowing why, even. But for all their toiling and striving, they were pale, listless, fearful beings. There was no beauty or courage in the world, only survival. Only hardship.
“But one day, a young blacksmith dreamed of something better. He dreamed of the three Graces: Joy, Passion…and, shining like a beacon, her arms around the other two, Beauty. When the blacksmith awoke, he wept, for now he knew all that his life lacked. He wept a lifetime of tears that had never been shed, and, when his tears ran dry, he fell to his knees and prayed.
“When the blacksmith rose, he went to his forge and fashioned a chalice from gold—a soft, silly metal that served no useful purpose. So he had been told, and so he had believed until he dreamed of Beauty. When the chalice was completed, he went to the vineyards, where the vintner made vinegar to preserve food, clean wounds, quench thirst—useful, practical, necessary tasks, of course. But the blacksmith told the vintner of his dream and showed him the golden chalice, and the vintner in turn showed him what he had discovered: His casks of vinegar, if opened early, produced a liquid with a pleasant taste and even more pleasant warmth.
“The blacksmith and the vintner filled the chalice with wine and offered it to the villagers, who began to laugh and then to sing. When the chief’s suspicious soldiers came to investigate, they, too, drank the wine. One soldier after another faltered in the march, and they began to dance.
“And so the chalice performed its miracles, passing from hand to hand, intoxicating the people not only with drink but with joy and wonder. ‘There is beauty in the world,’ one villager would say. ‘Drink deep.’ ‘Life is sweet,’ the next might say. ‘Drink deep.’ The villagers drank deep from the chalice and began to expect more from life than mere survival. As they sought out beauty and amusement and love, they also found genius and passion for good works, for excellence, for innovation. They found their Gifts.
“The villagers transformed their huts into houses, then villas. The villages grew into towns, then cities, then a kingdom. To this day we gather in the Temple of Graces to seek out the beauty in the world and in ourselves, and every year we celebrate the blacksmith and his Chalice of Gifts.”
Luca falls silent. I blink, still entranced by his story and dazzled by the stars. Finally, I look at him and feel a smile spread across my face.
“I love it,” I tell him, and it feels like something more, something like… I love you.
“Unlike some writers, I was not born knowing I would be a writer. But hindsight shows me every moment of my life was all in preparation for this job. In 2002 I suddenly had the time and the means to begin the process of learning the craft. Amidst all the conventions and seminars and on-line classes, a level of ability was born. At the same time, the characters began popping up in my head along with their stories.
“I continue writing because readers say my stories give them something to think about. THAT is all the encouragement I need.
“Follow my lead, and I will take you to worlds ancient and contemporary for adventures of the heart, mind, and spirit.”
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Transformation (Dreya Love Book 1) by Dana Lyons ~ Genre: Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance, Crime Thriller
Surviving attempted murder by genetic modification left FBI Special Agent Dreya Love with a new life. Now she just has to stay alive.
Agent Dreya Love prefers to work alone. But when her friend, a senator’s daughter, is killed, she’s forced to partner with Detective Rhys Morgan, or get assigned to ‘the backside of hell.’ More deaths with bodies matching their first victim brings Interpol Agent Quinn Kingston to the team. As their investigation uncovers a secret genetic research program, a government cover-up, and a warning to ‘walk away,’ the case turns deadly. The hunt for a killer, a boutique drug, and an unearthly ingredient unite these three in ways they couldn’t imagine. Soon, they discover the truth leads to a hell they never knew existed.
On a black-ops space station, a blood thirsty dragon shifter goes on a killing spree–until Dreya and her team get in the way. Welcome to the backside of hell—Draco Station. On Draco Station, an ultra-secret installation over the planet Draco Prime, mining Vulkillium is a mega billion-dollar business. But to work the surface you need a special kind of human—a Draco Demon. When bodies start turning up on the space station, Dreya Love and her team set out to investigate, and come face to face with Dr. Anthony Lazar. Dr. Lazar is brilliant. Unfortunately for humanity, he’s also insane. He has a vision of humanity’s future and the tools to implement his twisted ideals. After all, he is smarter than God. A madman, a dragon with dreams of blood and fire, and a sheriff with a grudge—all complicate the search for answers. If Dreya’s not careful, she and her team could end up dead … or worse. Follow Special Agent Dreya Love and her men, Rhys Morgan, and Quinn Kingston as their lives change and entwine … forever … in ways they could never imagine. Dana Lyons combines crime mystery, reverse harem, and shape shifters for an exciting out-of-this-world paranormal romance … with a double dash of the unexpected!
A serial killer is murdering for love, and he has Dreya Love in his sights. There’s no going back. Martin Nash was once seven years old and longed for words of love from his mother. At thirty-five, he knows he’s never going to hear them from her. But he’s willing to kill for as long as it takes … until someone tells him the words.
As Dreya, Rhys, Quinn, and Simon discover the dangerous position they’re in by being Noble, they search for a way to fit exceptional into their everyday life. While old habits provide a never-ending challenge going forward, no one would go back.
Nobility transformed them and their lives. Nobility, a genetic modification created by Dr. Anthony Lazar, uses latent animal DNA to cage the human ego and bring mankind a higher moral code free of envy, greed, and jealousy. Noble means possessing an exceptional character in the face of adversity. Dreya, Rhys, Quinn, and Simon discover being Noble and exceptional in a human world isn’t easy.
In the midst of this uncertainty, Dreya puts herself in the line of fire with a serial killer who has a fetish for eyeballs. What she doesn’t know is … Nothing is safe and nowhere is private. It’s not a good time to have secrets.
A haunted forest, a broken man, a pack fighting for survival. Can Dreya and the boys heal Quinn’s pain, or is staying a wolf the only answer for him? Sasha Ivanov, sold as a young boy into slavery, becomes a monster in the relentless drive to never be a victim again. Deemed the worst of the worst by Dr. Anthony Lazar, the geneticist who wants to remake the human race, Sasha discovers he will never be the same. Quinn Kingston knows what Dr. Lazar can do from personal experience. But as a Nobilized and highly evolved human, is he able to forgive Ivanov of the most heinous acts?
They can save each other, but can they save the world?
Simon and the team pursue a betrayal from his past and stumble upon a diabolical plot for global genocide. As they endeavor to stop this, clues lead them to a prominent list of participants … all above the law.
In this thrilling final book in the series, the team comes to understand what it means to be a pack … and to be Nobilized.
Find your heroes in this reverse harem, shifter, crime thriller series. A strong intelligent woman, three alpha males, an inseparable pack. If you want deep romance slow burning until it catches fire, with enough twists to keep you on your toes, you’ll love Dreya Love!
Becky Morgan has a life most women would envy until a car accident lands her in the hospital. She insists she’s fine, but it quickly becomes clear she’s changed. She’s forgetful, paranoid, short-tempered. Her husband wants to write off her change in personality to the IVF hormones she’s taking in an attempt to get pregnant.
Becky’s best friend, Jules Dalton, is a gorgeous, single woman, with a habit of sabotaging relationships. When Jules loses the man who could have been “the one,” she confronts the realization that being adopted at birth is contributing to her trust issues. She’s obsessed with finding out why she was given up and turns to DNA testing in hopes her matches will lead to her birth parents.
As Jules dives into her DNA results, Becky’s life soon becomes one she doesn’t recognize. Those closest to her are accusing her of things she simply can’t explain or remember. She’s terrified of losing everything: her career, her marriage, and her dream of becoming a mother.
Desperate to put the pieces of her shattered life back together, Becky needs her best friend more than ever. What she doesn’t realize is that Jules knows something that could explain everything away.
Becky has a dark past she’s unaware of. A darkness that’s coming for her.
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I’ve always been an avid reader and a fan of the suspense/thriller genre. Several years ago, we decided to solve a family mystery using DNA and my obsession was born. My love of writing and my new addiction led to my first novel, “Where the Truth Hides”, newly released in May of 2020. It will kick off a series of books delving into the mysteries that DNA can reveal.
What did you enjoy most about writing and publishing this book?
Seeing my book evolve from the earliest draft (which was way too long) into the version readers have today has been a labor of love.
I felt like the first draft gave away the twist too early, and I hated that. As a suspense reader, I always try to figure out what’s going on throughout the book, but I don’t REALLY want to be right! When I started circulating the revised draft to beta readers, I felt this tingle when they told me they didn’t guess the ending. But those were people I knew. Were they just being nice?
When I put advance review copies out there, I held my breath. When time and again, reviewers said they loved it and were shocked by the ending. I let out a sigh of relief. One of the reviewers wrote, “You probably shouldn’t try to guess the ending. If you do, good luck getting it right.” I loved that! There is nothing more gratifying than knowing something you put your heart and soul into has been enjoyed.
Do you feel connected to your characters?
It might sound odd, but Becky and Jules feel like friends of mine. When I have to go a little bit without writing about them, I kind of miss them! I feel like we should be scheduling a happy hour or some girl time to catch up.
Even as I wrote about their individual struggles, I wanted so much for them to find what they were looking for, but I also had to be realistic as a writer. There’s not much suspense if everything goes perfectly.
In Jules’s hunt for her birth parents, I wanted to show the reality of what could happen. Some reunions are welcome and heart-felt, and sometimes an adoptee doesn’t get the reaction they’re hoping to get. I wanted Jules to have a little of both. In the next book, The Inheritance, Jules will get some resolution with her birth mother. She just needs to have a little patience.
Tell us about your main characters- what makes them tick?
What I love about Becky and Jules is they’re a little like all of us. They’re not perfect and maybe even a little crazy sometimes. I mean, who hasn’t stalked an ex-boyfriend just a little, right?
Becky moved away when she was young, and never found the kind of friendship she had with Jules. When she moved back, the first place she wanted to go was to reconnect with Jules. She has a loving husband, but Jules is definitely her “person.”
Jules is the fiercely loyal friend every woman wants to have. She may be single, but she believes women can have friends who are soulmates, and Becky is hers. She needs the connection the two of them have like she needs air to breathe. Becky is the one relationship in her life she trusts completely.
The two best friends both want something they feel is life-changing. I always envision Glinda the Good Witch from The Wizard of Us. Dorothy thinks she needs the ruby slippers to get what she wants most of all but is shocked when Glinda tells her she actually had the power all along. Becky and Jules travel parallel paths toward different goals, but ultimately learn some powerful lessons about appreciating what they already had.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
They say write what you know, right? A good portion of Becky is me, right down to her parking deck phobia. We don’t look alike at all though. As I wrote her, I pictured Jennifer Love Hewitt (ala Ghost Whisperer timing) or perhaps Tiffany Amber-Thiessen (post Beverly Hills 90210 – the first 90210 for people younger than me!)
Although the DNA obsession is all me, Jules is mostly based on my best friend Stacy, right down to her red and black cowboy boots and huge smile. While she wasn’t adopted, she is still single which I will never understand. Just like Jules, she’s quite fabulous! Her younger self was always what I pictured as Jules started to take shape, although Stacy does spend her spare time trying to figure out who she wants to play her in the movie. I think currently Jessica Biel is in the lead …
Tonya was based on a running buddy, and Becky’s husband Bryan is loosely based on my boyfriend. Yes, there are men that love to cook, and I’m lucky enough to have one of them!
I didn’t know my boyfriend when he was Bryan’s age, so his visual was different. I actually work full-time for Coca-Cola in Sports Marketing. (Right now you’re probably thinking, Aha, now I know why her characters only drink Coke products.) It was the beginning of football season, and I was at the coach’s table for a UCF kickoff luncheon. As I looked across the table at my coach crush, Scott Frost, I thought, well, damn, he’s the living breathing version of Bryan. (He coaches for Nebraska now which made me really sad, but look him up and see what you think.)
What did you edit out of this book?
Too much to mention! I lost a good deal of the flashbacks: how Becky and Bryan met, Tonya and Becky meeting in college and becoming business partners, the day Becky found Sherlock and tried to sneak him into the house before she told Bryan about him.
I streamlined a good deal of the IVF information. While it was important that the process resonated with authenticity, I understood (or was convinced, however you want to look at it …) that too much information bogged down the story. I didn’t want to lose readers that weren’t as intrigued by all the elements of egg retrieval, so I took a good deal of the minutia out while hopefully leaving enough so that the storyline made sense.
I also had a great scene (again, I liked it, but perhaps my editor thought it wasn’t quite necessary) that really told the story of the IVF hormones wreaking havoc with Becky’s emotions. What woman can’t understand a little bit of crazy that goes with being a girl sometimes? And to Bryan’s credit, he was able to understand it was the hormones talking, so he was able to dismiss a little bit of Becky’s stress that she had unloaded on him. Just another reason Becky is so lucky to have him.
Advice you would give new authors?
As a new author myself, it’s hard to think I could give worthy advice. I will share the advice I found most valuable, and it came from a fellow author and backed up the way I already felt.
When I started working with Jonas Saul, a fabulous author who also helps fellow writers with editing, he gave me some great insight. He told me that when a book is poorly edited, the reader is let down. They don’t feel the author felt they were important enough to spend the money to properly edit and proofread their book. You only get one chance to make a first impression.
It’s so important your book is professional so your reader can lose themselves in the story instead of the fact that it’s not edited well. There may be writers who disagree, but I don’t really think you can do a final edit of your own material. No matter how many times you read it, there are things that are going to slip by you. I had a small typo that an early reviewer pointed out, and even after the told me, I still couldn’t see it when I read and reread that sentence. I thought I was going crazy!
How do you feel about reviews?
I never gave much thought to reviews until I became an author. I remember the first one I got on the book for an advance reader copy I had sent out. I keep reading it and rereading it. She loved it! That is the most incredible validation for something you have put your heart and soul (and time and money!) into. Reviews really are important to an author. Good reviews help the author sell more books.
It’s important to have a thick skin though. Even the most well-known authors don’t always get five stars on their books. Not every book is for every person, and that’s okay. But, the ones you do touch – there’s no better feeling.
Nina Soden 