Single mom Grace Mason doesn’t believe in miracles, magic, or love at first sight. She likes the quiet life, complete with her eight-year-old son, their tiny house, and her teaching job. For Grace, happiness means that nothing much ever changes in Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Then, one thousand miles away, tragedy strikes. A massive heart attack leaves Grace’s estranged father comatose in an Upstate New York hospital. While a team of doctors fight to keep Henry Mason alive, Grace and Evan rush to his bedside to say their final goodbyes.

Henry’s passing brings little closure for Grace, but she finds herself inexplicably drawn to her new surroundings. What begins as a short trip results in an entire summer spent with Henry’s second wife, Kathleen, and her next-door neighbor, Ryan Gordon, the town doctor. When a series of unlikely events lead to Evan’s disappearance, Grace must face her worst fears to find her son and bring him back home.

Stardust Summer explores the complexities of forgiveness, what it means to be a family, and the fabulous possibility of falling in love—again.

EXCERPT
The scream of an ambulance siren pierced the air. Grabbing his white coat and keys, Dr. Ryan Gordon bolted out the door, past his office manager, and waved at his first few patients of the day. "Be right back," he promised.

Ryan cranked his pickup, turned the wheel, and called the ER. The nurse on duty had sketchy details:  Henry Mason had collapsed in the kitchen after his regular morning run. A neighbor, looking to borrow garden tools, found him sprawled on the floor, and called 9-1-1.

Kathleen, Henry's wife, was attending a ladies' breakfast at church. She'd been notified, and was already at the hospital.

At the next intersection, Ryan gripped the wheel, tapping it with his fingers, waiting for the light to change. He needed to be there. Henry was his patient. More than that, Henry was his friend.

Inside the ICU, the attending cardiologist couldn't offer much reasurrence. Despite valiant efforts from the local rescue squad, chest compressions, and two rounds of defibrillation, Henry had suffered a stroke. Moments ago, he'd slipped into a coma.

Through the glass, Ryan saw Kathleen. She rushed to meet two doctors, friends of his, at the door of Henry's room. They took turns, talking in low tones as Kathleen raked her eyes across her husband's motionless body. One physician patted her on the back stiffly. The other squeezed her hand. Ryan watched as they paused, nodded, and exited the small space.

Kathleen, now alone, sank into the seat next to Henry, clasping his arm. Monitors flashed and broke the silence with an occasional beep. The ventilator sighed and hissed.

Ryan waited for Kathleen to turn, look up, and see him, but she sat perfectly still, as if carved from stone.

The sight of Henry's wife, almost trance-like, unnerved Ryan. He'd rather a spouse cried or got angry, even yelled for answers or demanded endless explanations. Then again, no rules defined this sort of situation.

Perhaps Kathleen was praying. Or deep in thought.

There was no reason to interrupt, Ryan told himself. He wasn't family. And, at least for now, Henry's condition seemed stable.

That same afternoon, back in his office, Ryan pressed a button on his cell phone to silence the noise. He scanned the message, his fifth in the last hour.

The answering service connected him with a distressed and tearful mother, at home with her sick infant. She described the baby's symptoms; he had a history of nasty ear infections. Ryan listened closely, took a few notes on a pad on the counter, and asked if she could bring the boy to his office in the next fifteen minutes.

He glanced at the clock. Sure, it was Monday evening and he was leaving soon, but he had time, Ryan explained. He always had another few minutes. Everyone in the community knew that.

Long hours were part of being a doctor. Ryan still had a practice to build, a reputation to maintain, and patients who needed him. Every day, he left the house at dawn for hospital rounds and walked back in the door after dark. He didn’t hesitate to answer questions in the grocery store, at the bait and tackle shop, or on the sidewalk downtown.

 Ryan's dedication wasn't in question, but he'd forgotten one important lesson in the time since medical school graduation. A promise he'd sworn to abide by every day of his life.

Primum non nocere. First, do no harm.

One tenet of the Hippocratic Oath.

True, Ryan did serve, heal, and save lives, but he'd neglected to nurture his own marriage.

Almost two years after his wife left him, Ryan never quite accepted that Lori wasn’t coming back. Additional responsibilities at the hospital, weekend office hours, and taking call for other physicians all allowed Ryan to bury himself deeper in his cocoon of work.

During any downtime, usually on Sundays, he sailed in the mornings with Henry Gordon. Later, he'd swim or bike until it was too dark or too cold. Just keep moving, he told himself. Don’t give yourself time to think.

But today was different.

He thought about Lori. And Henry. Especially his good friend.

His phone rang again. The display showed a familiar number and Ryan answered. A colleague of his, a neurosurgeon, confirmed that Henry had suffered another stroke. His friend had only a few days left. Seventy-two hours, maybe less. A pinprick of time.

In the privacy of his office, Ryan let down his guard to grieve. He detested this part of his job. End of life was never easy, but the senseless, untimely deaths were hardest to take. During his residency, everyone warned against getting attached to patients. They also said he’d get used to the loss of life, but he never did. They were failures. His failures.

It haunted him those first years, especially the children who died in his arms fighting cancer or incurable disease. They were the hardest to take. Now, years later, the feeling was down to a dull ache, but nothing he could fully ignore.

Ryan pulled open his laptop and clicked through several pages, stopping when he reached Henry's information. There, his friend's life was displayed in dizzying quantities of numbers and letters. He scrolled through, looking for the smallest hint of an answer.

Henry's chart revealed years of check-ups recorded, medicines added as he got older, remarks about a winter cold or an occasional bout with the flu. He showed up for appointments on time, took his medicine, exercised, and ate right. He was only fifty-seven. They'd joked about Viagra, but he’d never needed it. Everything was under control.

What had he missed?

Thirty minutes later, he shut the laptop and closed his eyes. They felt grainy and dry from lack of sleep and stress. He had been working too hard, his nurses told him. Go home. Every day, around seven o’clock, it was the same mantra.

Take a break, schedule a vacation, do something other than come to work. His staff chorused like a hundred-person choir, singing from the same sheet music at the top of their lungs.

Ryan rubbed his head and grabbed his stethoscope, slinging it around his neck. Maybe they were right, but there was no time for rest today. The little boy with the ear infection was coming soon.

And he'd promised himself another stop by the hospital. He had to see Henry one last time.

Lauren will be awarding winner's choice of either Dancing Naked in Dixie or Stay Tuned (in .mobi .pdf or .epub) to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop. Also, a $20 gift card to Amazon or BN.com (winner's choice) will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour and a signed paperback copy of Dancing Naked in Dixie and Swag will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour (USA ONLY).

Lauren Clark writes contemporary novels sprinkled with sunshine, suspense, and secrets. A former TV news anchor, Lauren adores flavored coffee, local book stores, and anywhere she can stick her toes in the sand. Her big loves are her family, paying it forward, and true-blue friends.

Lauren is a member of the Gulf Coast Writers Association, the Mobile Writers Guild, and a regular contributor to Parents & Kids Magazine's Mississippi Gulf Coast Edition. Check out her website at www.laurenclarkbooks.com.

Stardust Summer for Kindle

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William Auch will give a random commenter a $25 Amazon GC

Blurb:
When John Martin is forced to sell his tech company, he decides to take a six-month vacation to the south of France. 

When he meets Madame Garcin, her daughter Sophie, and her granddaughter Isabelle, his life is changed forever.   What began as a long vacation becomes a journey of self-discovery marked by love, loss, and tragedy. 

He is molded by this family of three generations of women, tempered by tragedy themselves, in ways that he could never have imagined.

EXCERPT:

It seemed to John that the next three weeks could not go by fast enough. He was energized and quickly got back into the routine of jogging along the Embarcadero. It was a Sunday morning and John had made it all the way to the Marina Green, which was farther than the length of his usual run.

The green was filled with joggers, mothers pushing strollers, and the sailors heading for the yacht harbor. The sky was bright blue and cloudless, and a stiff breeze blew into the harbor from the other side of the Golden Gate. John stopped in the middle of the green to catch his breath and looked up to see a sky full of kites. There were large ones, small ones, one that looked like a dragon, and another which resembled a bird, all in a kaleidoscope of colors that were enhanced by the sun from above. They all danced in the wind, some darting side to side, and others diving toward each other as if to demonstrate who owned the skies. Some would descend to the ground then dart back up into the sky again.

Off to one side was a small girl with a pony tail, who ran across the grass as though she were about to lift off like a bird. Behind her she towed a small red kite, which stubbornly refused to become airborne despite her best attempts to launch it. Each time the kite plunged to the grass she would tighten the string again and make another run at it, only to have the kite rise about ten feet, then plummet to the grass. She tried over and over again with such determination, John wondered how long she had been at it. After each failed attempt she would look over at her mother who was keeping an eye on her from a distance, then the girl would continue with more determination than the previous attempt. John thought about Isabelle and how much he missed her. He could not wait to see her. He could imagine Isabelle when she was young, pulling on the kite string with the same determination as the little girl.

John walked over to her mother sitting on the grass and asked with a smile, “Do you mind if I give her a hand?”

Her mother raised her eyebrows at first and studied John from top to bottom, but then a smile slowly crept onto her face. “Sure, why not?”

Review 3.5/5

Love in Provence by William Auch was not what I expected. It was hard at first to empathize with the main character, John Martin, who enjoyed his flashy females and expensive life style. He had made it and liked flaunting it. I persevered because previous reviews promised me John would become a much more likable person. He did. Love in Provence turns into a classic tale of John learning what really matters in life. Spoiler alert: it isn’t how many Rolex watches he owns.

On the advice of his more adventurous friend, Mike, our protagonist decides to spend six months in France. He attends a French school in Aix, interacts with the townspeople and takes life at a little slower pace. During his sojourn, he realizes he never had anything more than superficial relationships, which explains his sense of loneliness.

With the help of an elderly widow, who resides in his apartment building, he begins to look at his life differently. Up to this time, he has lived his life in fear as opposed to embracing it.

In some ways, this story read like a travelogue through France, describing famous streets, museums, even the food consumed. Auch attempts to give us the feel of living in a French village.

Love in Provence will appeal to armchair travelers, those who enjoy memoirs and general fiction similar to Rosamunde Pilcher.

William Auch is a physician residing in Sacramento, California. When not seeing patients, he writes, studies French, and travels the world.

 LINKS:

BUY LINK:  http://www.amazon.com/Love-in-Provence-ebook/dp/B00ALZFM16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358005740&sr=8-1&keywords=love+in+provence

Victoria will be awarding a $25 (grand prize) gift card with two gift cards for $15 each; the cards would for either Amazon or Smashwords (winner’s choice).
 
BLURB:   
For the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good girl.  Now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and feeling more and more disconnected from her own life.  When she’s passed over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life will never change, something snaps.  In the blink of an eye, she’s quit her job, sold her house, cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving town on a six month road trip.

After placing an ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most read – and most controversial – blogger for the e-zine, What Women Want.  Zeke’s true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the same time.

Now, armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.

REVIEW ****

A Life Less Ordinary is Victoria Bernadine’s debut novel about a desk-bound employee who longs for adventure after not receiving a well-deserved promotion. Manny, the heroine, could be any woman of a certain age who suddenly discovers life has reach its summit and is barreling down the other side full speed.  The controlled Manny has her life timed right down to minute for all the good it does her.

After eschewing a husband and family, and devoting herself to her career, her boss promotes a young woman big on cleavage and short on experience. He excuses his behavior by saying his new hire will help the department achieve more ignoring the fact that Manny’s department is the highest achieving unit in the firm. The straw that breaks Manny’s will to serve is when the new hire refers to her as being ancient. The words, “I quit,” pop out before she even considered them.

Manny cashes in her savings, advertised for a male traveling companion and plans to discover herself by traveling. Her friend and sister battle between wanting to discourage her or applaud her.

Her companion is a closed mouthed New Zealand bloke named Zeke. One of the reasons he is so reticent to say much about himself that he is using the trip as fodder for his online blog where he ridicules the foolishness of middle age women trying to find themselves. It is obvious from the get go that despite movie star good looks, Zeke is horrible at relationships.

The third member of this troupe is an imaginary man named Harvey. He’s Manny’s constant companion who often offers witty comments and insights. He changes outfits and attitudes with Manny’s mood. The three of them head out across the United States in a camper on cross-purposes.

A Life Less Ordinary often touches on the lives of Manny’s sister, Daisy, and friend, Rebecca, who at the beginning seem to have more excitement in their lives than she does. It also delves into the infertility issues of his Zeke’s producer, Leah, and her spouse. I was okay with the sister and friend side stories, but the infertility story was too much. It felt like filler too me, which was unneeded. The story would be great with just Manny, Zeke and Harvey.

A Life Less Ordinary is a fun tale that is easy to read. It gives you a different view on what it means to be a middle-aged woman. I was little confused on what genre it was so I am calling it women’s fiction because Amazon did. I think women of a certain age will gobble this book up in one setting. I would not expect anyone under thirty to get it. I’d also keep my eye on Ms. Bernadine because this is only her first book, I can hardly wait to see what she has in store for us.




EXCERPT: 
“All I ever wanted was a life less ordinary.”

Manny lay flat on her back, eyes wide, staring at the ceiling while she waited for her clock to hit 6:00. Another day of work, she thought. Another day older and deeper in debt.

She had the alarm timed to the millisecond. The jarring noise had barely begun when she clicked it off. She sighed then threw back the covers and got out of bed.

She padded into the bathroom, glanced without interest in the full-length mirror that doubled as her shower doors and took her morning inventory.

Plain face? Check.

Looking tired? Check.

Thirty pounds overweight? Check.

Dark circles under deer-caught-in-headlights eyes? Check and check.

She shook her head at her limp, mousy hair and wondered when she’d gotten so old.

She sighed in resignation then conjured up her Perfect Fantasy Man–or Harvey, as she liked to call him–to give her a morning lift. She cocked her head to one side as she stared into the mirror and imagined him standing behind her. She smiled at the handsome man, and he smiled back, putting his hands on her shoulders. Everything about him was warm, in stark contrast to the cold shades of grey in which she lived her life. He had warm brown eyes, warm brown skin, and a warm smooth voice that always reminded her of golden honey. Today his hair was black with greying temples, and yes, even that seemed warm to her.

He was perfect, everything she considered ideal in a man–and extra-perfect, of course, because he was a fantasy. Just the thought of trying to establish a relationship with an actual man felt too much like work.

She sighed and Harvey disappeared.

“Instead I ended up in a rut–everything planned and executed to the minute.”
 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Victoria Bernadine (a pseudonym) is, as the saying goes, a “woman of a certain age”. After twenty-something years of writer’s block, she began writing again in 2008. She began with fanfiction about a (now-cancelled) TV show called Jericho and particularly about the characters of Heather Lisinski and Edward Beck. From there, she expanded into writing original fic and she hasn’t stopped since.

Victoria enjoys reading all genres and particularly loves writing romantic comedy and post-apocalyptic science fiction. What those two have in common is anybody’s guess.

She lives in Edmonton with her two cats (The Grunt and The Runt). A Life Less Ordinary is the first novel she felt was good enough to be released into the wild.

Victoria can be contacted through Love of Words Publishing Inc. (loveofwords@shaw.ca) or through her brand new blog at http://victoriabernadine.wordpress.com/.

A Life Less Ordinary is available for sale on Amazon in both Kindle and hard copy formats at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMJBOSQ.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BLURB:
When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she's sure she's found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle.

Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor's eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband's best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.

Eleanor can't resist Dorian's honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people's love can't protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.

The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women's fiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt Two:

"The dragon stood and lumbered toward the first cave. It passed the other unicorns, slowing every few steps, and they responded with reassuring whinnies. The next dragon appeared, followed by two more of Tremor’s unicorn guides. The first dragon called to the second, who screamed once in return. Both creatures seemed eager to get underground.

The transfer continued for nearly an hour without much fanfare. Eleanor thought she must have miscounted when there was a break in the procession.

“This will be the last one,” said Gregory. “I wonder what’s taking so long.”

Tremor paced at the mouth of the cave. Dark smoke rolled from under the ground. Tremor sent two of his fellows down below, and when after a few minutes they did not return, Thromba called to him to send two more.

Without warning, and with an earsplitting scream, and a new dragon burst from the cave. Stubby horns revealed her as a doe.

“Ho!”Gregory yelled. “Nestlings!”

Three baby dragons, about the size of saddle horses, squealed and circled their mother’s feet. She screamed and shot fire at the wall of men and unicorns. The men fell back. The unicorns just shut their eyes. As Gregory steered Eleanor toward the cabin she caught a flash of white behind the dragon’s legs.

Teardrop had somehow been pushed from the line. She was pinned between the raging dragon and the canyon walls. As the dragon backed and reared, her massive tail, all wrathful muscle, swung in a deadly pendulum.

“Teardrop!”Eleanor screamed.

Teardrop zigged, looking for a way around the mother dragon. The dragon’s tail came down hard and clipped the mare across the shoulder. Teardrop slammed into the rock wall. She cowered, stunned and heaving.

“Teardrop!”Eleanor yanked free of Gregory’s grip.

“Eleanor, stop!”

She ran past the startled guards and into the chaos.

“Get back!” Tremor snorted.

“I won’t!” She yelled to be heard over the dragon. “I’m going to help her.”

“You can’t, and we must control this situation.”

“I will, damnit!” She tried to get around the stallion but he stepped in front of her again. “Get out of my way!” she stormed.

He lowered his head. “If you insist on this foolery at least let me help you.”

Gregory was shoving past the guards, but she climbed onto Tremor’s back before he could reach her.

“Eleanor!”Gregory screamed.

She clung to Tremor’s mane as he raced at the dragon. Her eyelashes stuck together in the blinding heat. Tremor dodged and wheeled as the dragon spit fire. Two other unicorns flanked them.

Tremor skidded to a stop. Eleanor leapt off and ran to Teardrop.

“Hurry!” Tremor called.

Foam dripped from Teardrop’s muzzle as she pressed against the wall. She wasn’t bleeding—her thick hide was nearly impenetrable—but a raised welt marred her shoulder. Her eyes rolled.

“Teardrop,”Eleanor tried to keep her voice calm over the screams of the dragon as it went after Tremor. “Help me. Take me back to Gregory.”

Teardrop swung her head at Eleanor’s voice. Her dark eyes came into focus. “Why are you here?” she whispered. “You will be killed.”

“So you must take me out.”

Teardrop nodded, and Eleanor grabbed her mane and pulled herself onto the mare’s back.“Go, now,” she called. “I need you to get me past this dragon.”

Teardrop scraped at the ground with one hoof and pricked her ears. She watched Tremor and his helpers and the mother dragon. She spotted an opening and dove for it. The dragon spun and swung her tail again. Eleanor held on as Teardrop leapt. They barely cleared the spinning spikes.

They came to a stop past the line of unicorns, and Eleanor’s legs gave out when she slid to the ground. Gregory caught her, cursing and kissing her.

“Dammit, Eleanor,” he said. “You’re the most stubborn, disobedient, brave, exasperating woman.”

She sat on the ground with her head between her knees. The magicians bustled around Teardrop. They tried to examine her injury, but she snorted them away. She stood over Eleanor, breathing down the back of her neck.

Eleanor raised her head as Tremor called a dozen of his fellows into the skirmish. The doe blew fire, but more unicorns pressed in and she backed down. Her children squeaked and smoked around her. Tremor stepped from the line and knelt on one knee. To Eleanor’s amazement one of the nestlings crept out from under its mother’s belly and slunk toward him. The doe hissed a warning. Tremor stood, and gently touched the baby dragon with his horn.

The doe exhaled a long blast of fire, but this time there was no fight in it. The other baby dragons came forward, and Tremor touched them all before nudging them toward the new cave with his muzzle. Their mother let our several low whistles and followed them.

Once the doe disappeared under the ground, Thromba ran to Eleanor and Gregory. “Dear HighGod, sire,” he said. “It was a botch-up, and the princess nearly roasted.”

“No, Thromba,” Gregory said. “We both know you can never tell how the does with nestlings will react. Last year we lost three men to a new mother. Not so bad, really.” He knelt beside Eleanor.

“Are you angry with me?” she asked.

“No,”he said. “How can I be angry? But you must be more careful.”

He helped her stand on her shaky legs. She ran a hand over Teardrop’s withers and the white hide twitched under her fingers. “Does it hurt?” she asked.

“Some, but we heal quickly.”

“Princess,”said an airy voice behind her. It was Tremor.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’m sorry if I made things more complicated.”

Tremor lowered his head. “I thank you,” he said. “For reminding me of what is important.”

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Stephanie Alexander grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the oldest of three children. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women, a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2003. After six wonderful years buried in diapers and picture books she returned to her childhood passion and wrote her own fairytale. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. Stephanie is an adjunct professor of Sociology at the College of Charleston.

www.thecrackedslipper.com

blog.thecrackeslipper.com

www.facebook.com/thecrackedslipper

twitter: @crackedslipper

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cracked-Slipper-Series-ebook/dp/B007FLG8KS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364778060&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cracked+slipper

BLURB:
She’s entered a world where blood, sex, and cash rules everything around her.

What do a four hundred-year-old vampire and a mid-level necromancer have in common? Money. Jeliyah needs it to pay off the people who trained her and Teaghan enjoys killing to get it. Together they hunt rogue vampires—assuming Teaghan can focus on something other than getting her in bed and Jeliyah doesn’t put a bullet in him first.

The uneasy partnership promises to be lucrative until Teaghan and Jeliyah get on the wrong side of a feud. Jeliyah is forced to use forbidden magic and finds herself bound to a man she should hate—but whom she can’t stop fantasizing about.

Every second they stay alive fuels a growing desire Jeliyah is unwilling to deny. Is it the magic? The danger? The only way to get the answers she craves is to outrun the enemy or kill them. She knows Teaghan’s preference but it’s Jeliyah who must put their mind-blowing sex aside and make the choice that will decide both their fates.

Excerpt #2

Teaghan knew it. A coup was about to happen. He didn’t know the players and didn’t care. So long as the bills got paid, the person in power didn’t matter. From one leader to the next, nothing ever changed.

He said, “Fine. You want me. I get that. Leave the necromancer out of it. No one would miss me but take her out and you’ll have the higher-ups gunning for you and your boss.”

“You’re right, the higher-ups would be quite upset if we killed the necromancer, and that wasn’t my intention. The others wanted to have some fun with her before handing her over but that was all.”

Jeliyah gripped the door handle and her eyes widened.

Teaghan said, “The higher-ups won’t overlook you molesting one of their own.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. They’ve given us permission to do with her as we please so long we return her to them intact.”

Jeliyah yelled, “They would never do that.”

Fredrick chuckled. “Well, hello, Jeliyah. Ephraim tells me you smell of vampire seed and blood. Recent seed. Old blood. I had thought you would hold out against Teaghan much longer given your initial reaction to him. Either I overestimated you or underestimated him.” He made the vocal equivalent of a shrug. “Doesn’t matter since I felt the need to pass on the news of your little indiscretion to Hirsch, who then relayed it to the higher-ups. They are very displeased that a high-middle class such as yourself would give a vampire permission to invade her body. That displeasure graduated to anger when I informed them of the blood sharing as well.”

Oh please, no. No. No.

Teaghan grabbed Jeliyah’s hand in a firm grip to anchor her to the here and now. She clutched at him and stared at his profile. Tears rimmed her eyes. He knew she was holding it together by a thin thread of will. Images of the bleeding chamber raced through her mind. She was imagining herself in the place of the person she’d seen when she was young.

He told her through their link, I’ve got you, Jeliyah. Nothing’s going to happen.

Fredrick said, “Stop the car and give up. Make this easier for all of us.”

“Denied.” Teaghan released Jeliyah’s hand so he could snatch the phone off the dash and hit the end button.

Jeliyah asked, “What do we do? They want you dead and me—” Her words choked to a halt and she pulled in a shuddering breath. A single tear slipped down her cheek.

He retrieved her hand and squeezed it. “Easy there, necromancer. Don’t fall apart on me now.”

“Why? All you did was kill a rogue.”

“That’s why. It’s a changing of the guard. It happens every few centuries. Family infighting. They involve people from neighboring families who have been promised some little tidbit or other to help the wannabe head take power. It’s a story as old as the vampires. Seems you and I got in the way.”

Teaghan changed his destination. The enforcers probably knew which hotel they’d used by now and might be lying in wait. He steered the car back on the highway. If one family wanted him dead then his only protection was to seek refuge in another family’s territory.

While a risky proposition without petitioning for entrance first, the destination Teaghan had in mind came with a sponsor. He released Jeliyah’s hand once more to bring up a number he hadn’t called in years. He hoped it still worked.

 






















AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Zenobia Renquist lives in her imagination. When not traveling through her fantasy worlds, she can be found in Hawaii living with her husband and two cats.

She is an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife, which means she’s accustomed to travel and does it whenever possible (so long as she doesn’t have to fly). Her favorite pastime is torturing her characters on their way to happily-ever-after for the enjoyment of her readers.

On the few occasions her muse flees the scene of the crime, Zenobia likes to read (comics, manga, and romance), go to the movies, play a few levels of whichever puzzle game has hijacked her interest or experiment with a new chain maille weave.

website - http://zenobiarenquist.com
blog - http://blog.dreneebagby.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/Author.DRBagby.ZRenquist
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/zenobiarenquist

Buy Links:

Ellora’s Cave: http://www.ellorascave.com/cream.html

BLURB:
Shannon Running Deer is American Indian by blood, but he has forsaken his people's ancient ways to embrace the "modern" world as a wealthy, highly successful trauma surgeon.

His comfortable existence begins to unravel when, seemingly by chance, Shannon finds himself gradually drawn into the past. Pursued by an ancient evil, he knows he can change the future, if he can survive the past.

In the tradition of Diana Gabaldon, S.R. Howen's MEDICINE MAN is a distinctive and atmospheric novel full of spirituality, mystical time travel, romance, passion, and suspense.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:

   The child blinked her large eyes. Not green now. Not glowing. He’d been cursed on every hunt. Others landed fat deer, numerous quail, fat rabbits and even the old men came upon a lost buffalo bull. He came home with a thin half-starved squirrel, if luck favored him at all.

  His wife cowered in the snow; her silent sobs made her shoulders shake. Her fault. How else could this have happened? She never wanted the others in their home. The mid-wife had never come to see them, and his wife never went into the village center. She always stayed out here, away from everyone else.

  He knew what he had to do. He couldn’t lose what little he had. When he started towards the circle of lodges and the bright central fire of the meeting circle, his wife scrambled to her feet and started to follow him, making noises that echoed in his head, but didn’t form words. She became an annoying insect swarm of sound, and he smacked that sound away, taking step after step through the blowing snow. He’d leave the child. He couldn’t kill it. No, that would only make whatever evil had spawned it angrier. If he took his wife and his belongings and left, the blizzard would hide them, no one would even miss them if they ever realized they were there to start with.

  And the evil grasped in his hand would be someone else’s problem.

REVIEW ****

When I heard of the book, Medicine Man, I thought of the movie with Sean Connery. In a way, they were similar because I loved both of them for some of the same reasons. First things, first, Medicine Man: Chief of All Time is a fiction novel by S.R. Howen.

Dr. Shannon Running Deer leaves the reservation and tribal ways and beliefs to become a trauma surgeon. The reservation represents the old world, which he considers his past while medicine is his future. A strange thing happens as he evolves into a brilliant trauma surgeon. He finds that there is mysticism in healing that does not rely on textbooks or research studies. This realization causes him to question putting aside his total refutation of ancient traditions, especially the healing ones.

Morning Dove is the romantic lead who often appears to be more femme fatale than girlfriend. Will she distract Running Dear from his true destiny with her body and beauty? Although, Morning Dove continues to show up, this is not her story.

How is Medicine Man: the Chief of all Time similar to Medicine Man, the movie? They both have strong male doctor leads. Both are told from the doctor’s POV in first person. Both doctors are willing to abandon traditional medicine for a walk on the tribal side. Both men are paired with beautiful woman as they travel a voyage of healing and self-discovery.

  Medicine Man is a book that abandons probably what most people think of as a western book to embrace actual Native American practices and beliefs as opposed to movie ones. This might make it a more difficult read for some since people tend to go with what they are familiar with. On the other hand, it is an enjoyable trip off the ordinary path.

Medicine Man should appeal to those who enjoy Native American Tales, mysticism, and coming of age and cultural issues. Two thumbs up from this reviewer.

BLURB:
 Contemporary witch Cara Augustine goes international and inter-dimensional, from San Francisco to France to an alternate Eden-like
  dimension, in this second book of the Synemancer series.

 Cara is a fugitive, pursued by the Portalkind police for breaking a
major covenant. When she accidently made a werewolf her witch’s familiar, it amounted to enslaving a human. And the punishment is death. On the run for her life, she and her companions stumble into a strange paradise dimension. But they quickly find the dangerous world is filled with strange creatures, deadly and beautiful. And, because she’s quickly learning a Synemancer’s life is never simple.  Cara has to deal with an
amorous Nephilim (half-angel half-witch), a dangerously deranged French
werewolf, and the darkly handsome Nightkind she just might love. Each powerful supernatural man has his own reasons for wanting to possess Cara, body and soul. But if the Portalkind police catch her, she’ll be in a fight for her life.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Excerpt One:
The nape of my neck tingled with the familiar sensation of being stalked. I glanced over my shoulder to see my bodyguard, Azrael. He was named after the angel of death, but he was no angel—in any sense of the word. I used to think it was a nickname. It wasn’t. We were both witches, but he came with specialized security training.  He watched me from his favorite indoor spot halfway up the stairs to the second story of our Berkeley hills house. His sky blue eyes stared at me hungrily.That stare reminded me of a hawk watching a tasty mouse.  Irritated, I took a last bite from my nearly finished apple, turned, and threw the core at him with deadly precision. I’d been practicing using non-magical self-defense skills. My magic skills were unreliable to say the least.The apple core flew between the wooden posts directly at his beautiful face. He deftly caught it in a blur of motion, put it up to his nose, inhaled deeply, and slowly licked the apple. His eyes never left me.

REVIEW  ( 3.5 Stars)
Angel of Syn by Mertianna Georgia is the second is the Synemancer series starring witch Cara Augustine. Ever get in trouble for a mistake you didn’t know you made? Well if you did, it might be easy to sympathize with Cara. It appears she broke a law by making a werewolf her familiar. She didn’t know she broke a law. Unfortunately, the penalty is death. Just call her witch on the run.

What is worse than running from the Portalkind law? It might be deciding between three sexy supernatural males who are determined to make Cara
and her emerging powers part of a power couple. Cara has a lovelorn Nephilim who is half angel and half witch. There is a crazy French werewolf, who wants her. His intentions may not be entirely romantic. Add to the trio, a sexy, semi-scary Nightkind who actually wants to marry her. The group follows Cara as she seeks sanctuary in the Garden of Eden,
which has its own share of dangers.

 This is a three part series as far as book goes. It is highly recommend reading the first book, Syn in the City before reading this one. It explains things like Nephilim, Nightkind and more of what Cara is up too. It is a little bit like walking into a conversation about people you don’t know and the conversation continues without any explanation. Most things can be figured out through context.

Ms. Georgia’s writing is fun and often steamy. It flows well making the story a joy even if everything isn’t clear. If you are looking for a paranormal with attitude and bite, then this is the book for you. Just make sure you read Syn in the City first.

To escape a deadly stalker, Caitlin Fitzgerald flees her home in Ireland and takes a governess job in the top end of Australia.
In her chosen safe haven, she has poisonous snakes, spiders, and crocodiles to contend with. And the very handsome and moody station owner, Jake Monterey, to
keep her awake at night. But not only is Caitlin at risk of losing her heart to Jake and his two adorable children, the danger she thought she’d left behind has found her again. Has she unwittingly placed the lives of those she loves in jeopardy?

Review. **** Stars

With Murderous Intent by Maggi Andersen is a romantic suspense published by Black Opal books. Caitlin Fitzgerald is the victim of a romance gone bad, very bad. The only way she can avoid her crazed ex-boyfriend is to flee Ireland. With this in mind, she accepts a nanny position in Australia, far, far away from her intimidating ex.

Caitlin would like a chance to start over and do something that matters. Her plans did not include landing a new man. That is the farthest thing from her mind, but it still doesn’t stop her from noticing her handsome boss.  The man isn’t for her since she is well on his way to marrying a wealthy socialite. Instead, she focusses on her two charges.

Jake has his life in order, or at least he thinks so.  The nanny he advertised for may turn the tide in the children’s favor as far as his
fiancée goes. It is no secret that his wealthy, gorgeous girlfriend isn’t
anxious to become a stepmother. It would work out better if his fiancée could be more like Caitlin.

 Caitlin realizes her job might end if Jake’s fiancée gets her way. Worse yet, she has suspicions that her distant, dangerous ex might have followed all the way out to the bush.  The last thing she wants to do is to endanger Jake or the children.

With Murderous Intent explores the world of Australia with facts about the climate, landscape, fauna and wildlife. This is a sweet romance with the flavor of the outback.

AUTHOR
Bio and Links:
Maggi Andersen and her lawyer husband are empty nesters, living in the countryside outside Sydney with their cat and the demanding wildlife. Parrots demand seed, possums fruit, ducks swim in the stream at the bottom of the garden, and the neighbors chickens roam their yard
providing wonderful eggs. She began writing adventure stories at age eight. Three children, a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing degree later, her novels are still filled with adventure and suspense, but are also passionate romances. Georgette Heyer among others, brought inspiration to her seductive Regencies and she also writes darker, Victorian novels, contemporary romantic suspense and young adult.

 She supports the RSPCA (The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals) and animals often feature in her books.  
 
Buy links: Author website:
http://www.maggiandersenauthor.com

 Blog: 
http://www.maggiandersen.blogspot.com

 Twitter:
  https://twitter.com/maggiandersen

 Facebook:
  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggi-Andersen-Author/372854959805

 Publisher website: 
Black Opal Books
  http://bookstore.blackopalbooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=18&products_id=58