Showing posts with label Paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Paranormal. Show all posts

Monday, March 4, 2019

LUCK BE AN ANGEL by Liza O'Connor

Luck be an Angel 
by Liza O'Connor


For a while in college, I wanted to be a journalist. However, when I moved to the University of Minnesota, the dean of journalism convinced me that I did NOT want to be a journalist. Not sure what his motive was to convince me to do something else, but I am very glad he did. Journalism has taken a hard hit in the ‘free news’ era. I was much better off on Wall Street to begin my career. However, my character Ethan cannot imagine doing anything other than reporting the news!


BLURB
Reporter, Ethan Long, is sent into the backwoods of Arkansas to investigate a woman who claims her sixteen boys were born by Immaculate Conception. Not believing in divine intervention, Ethan plans to uncover the identity of the man who continues to impregnate Sara Smith every year, leaving her to raise her sons on nothing but luck and love. He enters their home as a tutor and eventually discovers the truth, but not before he has fallen in love with Sara and her wonderful boys. Now he must face his own crossroad in life and decide whether to follow his heart or his professional obligations.


EXCERPT
Ethan frowned. “You don’t have broadband access?” How the hell was he going to communicate with the outside world? He had intended to piggyback off their router. He shook his head. Sara had no viable means of support. Why would she have Internet?
Joshua laughed. “No, and before you ask, we ain’t got cable or satellite either, but we do have a TV, and channel seven and two come in real good.”
Colby, evidently concerned they were about to lose their schoolteacher spoke up. “Yeah, but who needs that stuff. What you will have are the best students you’ve ever taught.”
Ethan smiled and patted Colby on his back. “I’ve no doubt of that.”
True enough, given he’d never taught a student in his life. He’d spent a day acquiring fake teaching certificates and credentials, along with the home-schooling curriculum. Now he wondered why he bothered. Sara hadn’t asked to see any of it.
“You boys should get back to your chores and finish up. I’ll want you all in the kitchen in one hour, so we can figure out what each of you know.”
With terror in their eyes, they both hurried from the room.
As he unpacked his clothes and put them into the clean, paper-lined drawers of the old bureau, his thoughts returned to Sara. She looked so young, but she had to be at least thirty. First child born at fourteen, with one more for sixteen years. She was either thirty or thirty-one.
She wore no makeup, so he didn’t know if she was plain or just untouched. When she laughed, he had thought her pretty. But she’d hardly inspire men to wander from their wives. Nor did she sound like she’d welcome it.

Jacobs was right. There was a story here. Sara Smith was not what she appeared. He looked forward to discovering the truth.

SALES LINK
For
Luck be an Angel

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.


Sunday, May 27, 2018

Stargazers by Anne Kane




I am incredibly excited to announce that my Stargazers series is now available in a print Anthology! I know a lot of readers prefer an actual book to an ebook so when my publisher announced they would like to release this series in print, well, to say I was happy is the understatement of the decade.
I always wanted to write a series where the women were strong, capable characters who didn’t HaVE to have a man in their lives in order to feel successful. I wanted to create a universe where being female was a plus, something to be proud of. I wanted strong heroines who were the reason things happened, not hapless ninnies waiting to react after something bad happened. 
In the end, I created a group of futuristic witches who could tap into and control the energy of the (fictional) ley lines that connect the planets. The more talented the Stargazer, the better she was at controlling and redirecting that energy. If a male character needed that kind of power, he had to convince the stargazer (aka the woman) that it was worth her effort to work with him. At the same time, I wanted to keep the romance and the happily ever after going strong.
 I cheerfully borrowed bits and pieces of folklore from witches, druids and other earthly connected groups to add plausibility to the Stargazer universe. After all, if there are ley lines around the earth then there are most likely ley lines between the planets, and connecting the galaxies. Need I go on?
The Stargazers universe is one of my favorite inventions, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (and do) Who knows. I may yet return there one of these days!

         

Title: Stargazers (Collection)
Genres:  Futuristic, Paranormal, Sci-Fi
Themes: Magic and Mayhem
Release Date:  May 25th, 2018
Author: Anne Kane



BLURB:
Five stargazers find love and adventure as they travel across the galaxy.

Descended from the witches of old Earth, Stargazers have the ability to control the lines of psychic energy that join the planets and other heavenly bodies. They use their talents to bend the energy to their own use, much the same as the druids of Earth used to harness the ley lines. They can power space ships, run machinery on far away planets and detect people's presences from great distances. Highly sought after, both by legitimate sources who want to hire them and by pirates who enslave and sell them, they are constantly on guard.

In this collection, five stargazers defy the odds and find love and adventure as they travel across the galaxy.

This collection contains the previously released Stargazer novellas Wanton, Willful, Wild, and Wayward and Star Haven: Sinful.



EXCERPT from Wanton:

“Let me see if I have this straight.” Sarcasm dripped from Krystal’s voice. “You launched an unprovoked attack on my parent’s estate, abducted me, left me cooling my heels in a cold cargo bay holding cell for goddess knows how long, had my hands bound behind me with a set of barbaric and extremely uncomfortable restraints, and then had me brought to what is obviously an interrogation chamber.” She paused to sweep a scornful glance around the room, her gaze lingering on a padded rack with leather straps dangling from the various parts. “And now you’d like me to do a favor for you?” She lifted her chin and fixed him with a glacial stare. “Thanks, but I don’t think so. I’d like to go home now.”

He had to give her credit for poise. Her haughty stance and the way she held her head high, chin tilted just so, gave the impression she was used to giving orders -- and having them obeyed.

   He glanced away from her for a moment and gestured at the guards. “Please remove Ms. de Mylar’s restraints and wait outside the door until I summon you. He was gratified to see a faint shadow of alarm cross her face. She knew he wouldn’t give in quite this easy. He gave her a bland smile. “We need to discuss how best to accommodate her request.”
      
   The shorter of the two guards stepped forward to remove the restraints. Tarik had to think for a moment before he could place him. Brent was a new recruit, a refugee from the Intergalactic Council’s recent annexation of the Utan home worlds.

    Krystal stepped away from the guard and rubbed her wrists. The restraints hadn’t been that tight, but they’d obviously annoyed her.

A loud click signaled the departure of the guards and Tarik leaned back, stretching his long legs out under the table. “Have a seat.” He nodded toward the empty chair across from him.

“No thank you.”

He shrugged. “Suit yourself. This might take a while.”

The witch raised a brow at him. “I can’t imagine why.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment, letting his gaze wander from the sprinkling of freckles on her nose, down her lithe figure to the foot that she tapped impatiently on the floor. Luckily, the table hid his body’s reaction. He didn’t need her to know she could arouse him with just a glance.

“Fine!” She threw herself into the chair, crossing her arms on her chest and glaring at him. “Discuss away.”

Tarik had to suppress the urge to grin. She certainly had the supercilious attitude down pat. He leaned forward, focusing on her emerald green eyes. Bad idea. A man could drown in those eyes. He shifted his attention lower, only to find himself wondering what those lips would taste like.


 Read the first chapter online 

Available 



Author Bio



Anne Kane lives in the beautiful Okanagan Valley with a bouncy little rescue dog who’s breed defies description, a cantankerous Himalayan cat, and too many fish to count. She spent many years trying to fit in and act normal, but finally gave up the effort. She started writing romance in 2008, and her fate was sealed when she won a publishing contract with Red Sage Publishing and just a month later Changeling Press accepted her first submission. Since then she had published more than thirty stories in a variety of sub-genres, all with a happily ever after.


Her hobbies, when she’s not playing with the characters in her head, include kayaking, hiking, swimming, playing guitar, singing and of course, reading.

You can find Anne around the web at:

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Specters in the Storm by Pauline Baird Jones


Specters, Automatons & Evil, oh my!
 Today we have Pauline Baird Jones over with her very, very strange Novella. 
Specters in the Storm was supposed to be a completely different book. But Life Happens. Opportunity knocks. I opened the door and let it in. It was a good decision, though I wasn’t sure at first. I like what resulted much better than the novel I had planned (a novel that kept getting pushed down my production schedule, btw.)
Strange things happen when I unleash my imagination and jettison all previous expectations; when I leap into the fictional void and take a risk with a new-to-me genre. Of course, that’s also when I have the most fun as a writer. This little novella surprised me on many levels.
I had to get a bit, um, bloody with the original idea, however.
What/who survived mostly intact? Two characters. Ernest and Lord Henry. And automatons, airships, and the Great Storm of 1900 (though it is actually part of the back story in this version).
Ernest, oh that Ernest. He didn’t want to change and hasn’t since I first met” him on the page, so I was a bit worried how he’d feel about the plot changes. And yet…he had possibilities in both drafts. He was capable of growth or I’d have had to kick him to the curb. I’ve learned to be ruthless with my characters. I let them push me around IF they will attempt to change and grow through the story. Otherwise, off with their fictional heads! (Yes, I’m a mix of kindly patron and the Red Queen.)
Lord Henry? He started creepy and stayed creepy. Dude gave me nightmares. Thankfully I didn’t need him to change.
Prudence’s name stayed the same, but who she was and where she came from changed completely. She got shifted from living in the early 1900’s (a setting that clearly chaffed her independence), into a multi-dimensional time traveler from the 50’s.
The setting had to change but it showed no signs of minding. I thought I might mind, but for a novella, I needed a single location. I will say, I enjoyed drilling down to a single location because I finally got to use my love and fascination with lighthouses.
I had no idea how many really cool lighthouses there are all over the world. So browsing them and figuring out which one would best serve my story was almost as fun as writing the novella. (I’m still struggling with an overwhelming desire to tour them all.)
I also got to indulge in my love of time travel, though the inter-dimensional time travel was a first for me. I usually try to avoid it because my single dimension time travel plots almost make my head explode. (Head didn’t explode this time but it was a near thing.)
And there are the ghosts, my specters of the title. I’ve dabbled in ghosts, but haven’t ever ventured into the fringes of a horror story. And there’s a dragon, but because this is me writing this, it a dragon with a twist. And I added an octopus. It was a bit like making soup. I kind of threw him in, but then I really fell for Octavius. We all need an Octavius in our lives.
An Amazon reviewer (from when it was in a boxed set) called it an awesome paranormal detective story.” I loved that, but Specters also has elements of science fiction and there’s a romance, too.
Am I crazy to mix so many genres into my quirky little novella?
Probably.
But that’s how I roll.
How do you roll” in your reading and/or writing? Do you like to mix it up or focus, focus, focus?
 Liza replies: I like to surprise myself. 

So let's find out more about the book. It sounds very good!:


Spectors in the Storm
by
Pauline Baird Jones

Specters, Automatons & Evil, oh my!
Dr. Ernest Warren is done with love. Losing his wife in the Great Storm of 1901 left him with questions only science and interstellar travel can answer. When disturbing storms begin to brew again, he to reluctantly turns his airship back to where he lost his love in hopes of finding answers.
Prudence Pinkerton has been following Ernest's multi-dimensional career from the future and knows she has to meet him.
When he reluctantly accepts her help, Prudence doesn't waste time. She knows time is running out and the world is on the cusp of life-altering change.
Prudence must overcome his distrust of her if they are to save Earth from the evil hiding in the heart of the storm.


Pauline Baird Jones’ is known for writing  smart, quirky, funny fiction. Check out her venture into a time-bending paranormal detective story with Specters in the Storm.





Bio: Pauline never liked reality, so she writes books. Seventeen of them, actually. She likes to wander among the genres, rampaging like Godzilla, because she does love peril mixed in her romance. You can find out more about her books (and get free stuff for subscribing to her newsletter) at: paulinebjones.com

Social media links:



Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Jessica shares how to write short & her latest, Cosmic Desires, A Collection of sci-fi & paranormal shorts.

Writing Short

by 
Jessica E. Subject

When I first started writing with the hopes of publication, I had the intention of penning long sci-fi romance novels based on a dream I had, and the internal plotting I did for months. I had six stories planned out, and wrote two of them. Due to the closing of a publisher, the first is no longer available, and the second never published, but, I believe that was for the best.

In the process of getting the first published, I was told about a sub call from Decadent Publishing. As I never thought about writing shorter stories, I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I read a couple of stories in the line to get a feel of what the publisher expected. Shortly after that, I wrote my first short story.

And, I kept writing short. I was addicted to telling a story in fewer words. One of my critique partners once told me that a short story is a moment in time, not an entire life. There is little to no back story, and only necessary scenery description. The short is about evoking an emotional response. So, I always keep these things in mind when writing short.

But, as I get ready to write longer stories again, I’ve put together a collection of my short stories, some which take place over a couple of hours, an evening, or even an entire week. They are hot, and bring together unlikely couples (and more) for some adult fun, and ultimately, a happily ever after ending.

COSMIC DESIRES

Naughty Stories of the Sci-Fi and Paranormal Kind
by Jessica E. Subject

From closing time at a costume shop to an alien encounter in the woods, COSMIC DESIRES offers ten sexy stories from author Jessica E. Subject. Inside you’ll find a phoenix in trouble, a gargoyle with a mission, a hot billionaire alien, and even a sex club on the other side of the universe. The romantic pairings vary in this collection, all showing just how naughty love can be.

Includes:
Taken by the Billionaire Alien Next Door (MF sci-fi)
Replicated Consequences (MF sci-fi spanking)
Crash Landing (MMF sci-fi)
The Dungeon: A Thanh Academy short story (FFM sci-fi spanking)
Alien Lover (MF sci-fi)
Love In Disguise (FF sci-fi spanking)
The Power of Three (MMF paranormal)
Phoenix Spanked (FF paranormal spanking)
Last Minute Customers (MFM contemporary)
Sexy Suitors From Space w/a Paisley Brown (MFM sci-fi)


Available from:


Available in print from:


eBook ISBN: 978-0-9948431-2-8
print ISBN: 978-0-9948431-3-5
Words: 48,127
Pages: 153 (print)


Darryl sank into his chair, form-fitted by age. With his foot, he brushed the papers and dishes on the ottoman to the floor. He winced at the crash, but had little motivation to clean it up or do anything. Stretching out his legs, he rested them atop the cleared surface and closed his eyes. Opening them meant he would see her again, dressed in her pressed and polished uniform or with him in bed. But the memories of Beth simply messed with his head. She was gone forever. Nothing he said or did would ever bring her back.
He cringed at the abrupt stabbing pain in his chest. No one said living with a broken heart was easy. He’d known the risks of dating her, but his awareness did nothing to prepare him for the agony of losing her.
Though a military woman marrying a civilian remained a rare occurrence at Beth’s base, they’d celebrated their seventh anniversary four months ago, right before she deployed for the last time.
A knock interrupted his memories. Darryl flicked his eyes open and stared at the door. Perspiration beaded his skin. The last time someone had knocked—most rang the doorbell—bad news had followed. Two weeks ago. And he’d holed up inside ever since, only emerging for Beth’s funeral.
He set his feet on the floor before walking on wobbly legs toward the entrance. What dark tidings would he receive?
Palms slick from sweat, he turned the knob. Catching sight of the two people on his stoop, he stepped back with a startled gasp. No way the people standing in front of him existed. He had to be dreaming.
The man in full military dress gave him a quick nod. “Mr. Malloy?”
He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. “Yes.”
“I have a delivery for you.” The man touched the woman’s back, ushering her forward. “She’s all yours. Take care of her.”
She? His? But.... Beth had died. He’d watched her body lowered into the ground, received the country’s flag. No way could his wife be standing there. “There must be some mistake. Beth died.”
Strolling down the walkway, the man paused and glanced back at him. “That’s not Sergeant Malloy. It’s her clone.”
Hardly an it. Rather a copy of his wife. Darryl griped the doorjamb. His mind spun. Human cloning had just become public knowledge. And those created remained the property of the military. “Shouldn’t she be in a lab somewhere? Or training for a mission?”

The man, at his parked Humvee, shook his head. “We had special instructions to bring her here should anything happen to the sergeant.”


Jessica E. Subject is the author of science fiction romance, mostly alien romances, ranging from sweet to super hot. Sometimes she dabbles in paranormal and contemporary as well, bringing to life a wide variety of characters. In her stories, you could not only meet a sexy alien or two, but also clones and androids. You may be transported to a dystopian world where rebels are fighting to live and love, or to another planet for a romantic rendezvous.
When Jessica is not reading, writing, or doing dreaded housework, she likes to get out and walk with her giant, hairy dog her family adopted from the local animal shelter.
Jessica lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two energetic children. And she loves to hear from her readers. You can find her at jessicasubject.com and on twitter @jsubject.




Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Minder Rising by Carol Van Natta

Today, I bring you book 2 of a delightful series, Central Galactic Concordance,

Minder Rising

by

Carol Van Natta




A millennium into the future, all children are tested for minder talents, and the best are recruited for the Citizen Protection Service. Agent Lièrén Sòng is recovering from a near-fatal crash. He should want nothing more than to get back to using his talents to interrogate criminals for his covert CPS field unit, but being sidelined gains new appeal when he makes friends with a woman and her son. Imara Sesay, road-crew chief and part-time bartender, breaks her ironclad rule never to get close to customers when she asks Lièrén to teach her son how to control his growing minder talents.

Unexpected deaths in his field unit make Lièrén suspect he isn't a lucky survivor, he's a loose end. He should pull away from Imara and Derrit to keep them safe, but when the local CPS Testing Center is entirely too interested in Derrit's talents, Lièrén must make an impossible choice. Can he stay alive long enough to save Imara and her prodigy son?




Imara triggered the cold pack she’d pulled from the bar’s supply and handed it to her son. “You know the drill. Fifteen minutes on, ten minutes off. Lie down in the booth.” Derrit did as she asked without hesitation, meaning his nose was hurting a lot.
“Sit, before you fall,” she told Lièrén in the same no-arguments-I’m-your-mother tone, pointing to the barstool next to the one the bald telepath had monopolized. Lièrén smiled faintly. He looked exhausted and pale, but she’d seen him look worse, those first few days after he’d moved to the hotel.
Just as she opened her mouth to pepper him with questions, Poltorak and Okonjo finally arrived.
“What happened here?” asked Poltorak. She was a short but wide woman with a thick Russian accent and a ready smile. Okonjo was a tall, thin black man who looked like the wind would blow him over, but he was a ramper, a minder talent that made him stronger than he looked and wickedly fast. On him, bald was a good look.
Imara pointed to the telepath, still slumped on the floor, but now stirring. “Pre-chemmed guest. Wanted me for sex, and got unhappy when I turned him down, which is when I sent the Priority Two. He tried to get physical, then passed out. I didn’t serve him anything with a kick—you can check the dispense logs.” It was the truth as far as it went, and skipped over Lièrén’s and Derrit’s involvement. Fortunately, Poltorak was just as familiar with the hotel’s unwritten policy about no trouble and didn’t ask any more questions.
“Is good, then. We take him back to room, let him sleep.” She and Okonjo helped the woozy telepath sit, then get to his feet.
Okonjo looked to Imara. “English?” She nodded. “Mister… sir…” asked Okonjo solicitously of the man he was supporting. “What room are you in?”
Imara surreptitiously watched the telepath’s face for some sign of cognition, but he was really looped.
Okonjo sighed and thumbed his percomp to ping the front desk. “Iggy? Got a guest, can’t remember his room. Use security QB-2 and take a look.” Okonjo and Poltorak turned around with the man so he faced the discreet camera eye above the bar. Okonjo tilted the man’s head back so his face was clearly visible.
“He came in with an associate who called him ‘Karl,’ and he speaks German,” said Imara helpfully, loud enough for Iggy to hear. “The other guy mentioned the fourth floor.”
After a moment, Iggy came back with a fourth-floor room number. Okonjo and Poltorak half-carried, half-walked the man out of the bar.
Imara waited a few long seconds more to make sure they were really gone, then turned to Lièrén. “What will he remember?” She kept her voice low and quiet.
“That he had fantasies about you, but the last chem he took was chaotic, making him feel dizzy and fluxed, and then—fade out. The next thing he’ll remember is whatever the security team does with him. Even if they show him the video, he won’t remember assaulting you and will probably blame it on a bad chem reaction. Since you didn’t serve him any, you’re clear.”
Imara was impressed by how well the story fit together, and disturbed. She hadn’t realized how… chillingly effective high-level minders could be. “What did you do to him to make him drop like he was in 3G gravity?”
“Sifters can modulate synapses, neurotransmitters, and hormones. I flooded his receptors with a monoamine…” He trailed off, looking almost embarrassed. “I apologize for the tech speak. Think of it as doping, like applying a happy-drug slap patch.”
She wanted to ask a hundred more questions, but she needed to prioritize them. “Let me get you something to drink, on the house.”
“Thank you. Water would be welcome.” His shoulders were drooping, and one of his eyes was half-blinking with each heartbeat. Damn, but the man was polite, even when he was in agony.
“Would you like a painkiller to go with the water?” She dropped three ice cubes in a glass and started filling it. “I have several in the dispensary…”
He shook his head. “You’re kind to offer, but most chemical painkillers don’t work on sifters. I’d need a healer to follow me around for a few hours.”
“Really?” No wonder it was taking him such a long time to recover. She couldn’t imagine not being able to slap on a pain patch after a hard day on the road crew. “Well, that flatlines.”
“Yes,” said Lièrén, the corner of his mouth twitching with amusement.




  
Minder Rising (Central Galactic Concordance Book 2). 2015.
Purchase the ebook from:






Carol Van Natta is an independent author and playwright. Her novels include Overload Flux and Minder Rising, the first two books in a new science fiction romance series, and Hooray for Holopticon, a retro science fiction comedy. She shares her Fort Collins, CO home with a mad scientist and various cats. Any violations of the laws of physics in her books is the fault of the cats, not the mad scientist.

LEGAL STALKING SITES: