A Magical's Gift by Maya Tyler #Paranormal #Romance @RABTbooktours

 

Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 06-07-2022

Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing

 

The feud between fairies and wizards is an ancient threat in the magical world. Yet peace is possible. The child of a fairy and a wizard could reunite the factions of The Annunaki and end the unrest.

Niall Warde had been a carefree soul trapped in the rigid, ordered life of a wizard apprentice when he discovered the girl of his dreams was a fairy. He would never know if their forbidden love could survive because she disappeared without a trace. Unable to find her, Niall blamed his father for Amelie’s disappearance and left home without looking back.

Amelie Ricard knew she had to protect the baby she and Niall created. The fairies don't want peace and her mother, their leader, would stop at nothing to prevent armistice, including killing her own grandchild. So, she must leave her son Kurtis with his father to be raised as a wizard. She left the infant on the steps of his father’s cottage then disappeared, also leaving behind the only man she’s ever loved.

Thirty years later, Niall is called home for his father’s funeral where he reunites with Amelie. When Kurtis’ life is put into danger, Niall and Amelie must face the demons of the past to protect him.

Neither can bring back the past, but can they have a future together? Will their son unite their people in peace?

 

Excerpt

The heavy conversation hung in the air as thick as the humidity. Amelie understood the pain of losing a parent, but what could she say to comfort Niall? “I didn’t mean to intrude, Niall. Professional hazard? My subjects are usually less lively.”

He let out an unrestrained chuckle. “Amelie, you have a wonderful sense of humor.”

“I’ve been accused of many things, Niall. Having a sense of humor is not one of them.”

He smirked, communicating an entire conversation with the knowing look in his eyes.

She blushed under his direct perusal. “If you didn’t come with the high school tours, what brought you to the university today?”

He looked away as if trying to conceal his discomfort. When he turned to face her, he wore a hesitant look on his face, biting at his bottom lip in a way she just knew was out of character. “It’s foolish. I had a fight with my father. He wants me to join the family business. I don’t.”

Niall paused, but Amelie could see he wanted to confide in her, so she waited for him to continue.

“I parked at the edge of campus and wandered around for a bit. When I saw the large crowd outside the hall, I got curious.”

She muffled a giggle behind her hand. “I bet you were surprised you’d walked into an anthropology information session.”

“I won’t lie. It was the last thing I expected.”

 

About the Author

 Maya Tyler is a multi-published author of paranormal romance novels and blogger at Maya’s Musings. An avid reader, Maya writes the books she loves to read—romances! Her paranormal romances come with complex plot twists and happily-ever-afters.

When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, listening to music (alternative rock, especially from the 1990s), practicing yoga, and watching movies and TV.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

BookBub

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

Murderous Interruptions (The Veils of Parallel Times, Book 2) by C.J. Carson #Paranormal #Mystery

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. C.J. Carson will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

The paranormal mystery The Veils of Parallel Times continues with “Murderous Interruptions”. Allie Callahan’s nemesis is a challenging and formidable adversary.

Travel with Allie as she finally accepts and embraces her ancestral gifts to stop her archenemy who would have her destroyed for his own lust of power. Explore the depths of her relationship with this rival in this life and beyond the veil.

Read an Excerpt

When I turned from the fire to respond, the woman hushed me. “You have much work to do, my dear, now rest.” She held me in her arms, swallowing me up in the most comforting sleep I could remember for a very long time, maybe ever.

Hours later, the warm glare of the sun’s first light sliced through the trees of the forest, waking me from a sound sleep. The air was cool and crisp, and I was laying next to the fire that had burned down to smoldering coals. Suddenly, realizing I wasn’t dreaming, I was in unfamiliar surroundings. I remembered the woman I had met the evening before, but she was not within eyeshot. Glancing around to get my bearings, it was shocking to be sitting in the middle of a small clearing of the woods. Several teepees made of tall tree branches wrapped in animal skins sat along the edge of the clearing. Standing and sliding out from under the animal skin blanket, I looked down to see myself dressed in unfamiliar clothes, and leather moccasins covering my feet. I had the strange sensation I was in a familiar place, but still not where I belonged.

Before I took one step, I scanned the area. Then something compelled me to approach one of the dwellings. As I drew closer, an Indian brave stepped out. Grabbing me by the arm, he pulled me into the teepee and shoved me to the ground. Walking to the edge of the space, he retrieved a large round basket and shot it at me with such force I thought it might fray. Shocked, I gazed up at him, he looked oddly familiar, but it was his eyes that gave him away. These new experiences were teaching me that the eyes were indeed the window to the soul. Those dark brown eyes were those of a man I knew all too well. Makya! Could this be Makya? Had I known him through other lifetimes? Although he spoke in a different tongue, it somehow translated perfectly for me.

He was angry and started barking. “You are a lazy dreamer. Why you insist on leaving our dwelling and choose to lay with the fire in place of me is a mystery. You need to do your gathering, and you are late in starting your day. I am off to hunt. You will obey me and begin behaving like a squaw worthy of me.”

I heard footsteps outside as someone was approaching. “Calian, are you coming? We are late; the morning is half over.”

Stunned, my eyes widened. Makya? Although the man called him Calian, the spirit was too familiar. It was the evil spirit I’d come to know as Makya! It didn’t look like him, but it was his temperament.

As I pushed up to my knees, Calian glared down at me, striking out in my direction. Although his hand never touched me, a force knocked me back to the ground. As I raised my hand to him, he grabbed my wrist, twisting it, and forced me back to the ground.

“You know better. Do not use your powers on me. I will strike you down every time. You are no match for me!”

Panic rose in me as I struggled to understand what was happening. If this brave was indeed Makya by a different name, how did we get here?

Pushing through the opening in the structure, he paused without turning to me. “Do not return this afternoon unless you have filled that basket with berries and some healing herbs. You must learn your place and mind your responsibilities. Do not make me the laughingstock of this tribe one more time!”

I listened to his footsteps as he jogged off, mounted his horse, and rode away before I got up from the ground.

About the Author:

CJ Carson was inspired by a great story from a very early age. What brought her to this juncture in life and encouraged her to put pen to paper are the many rich experiences and opportunities of her life's journey.

While working in the medical field, she explored energy work and became a Polarity Therapist and Reiki Therapist.

Exploring acting brought her into the theatre world both on the stage and behind the scenes.

Painting introduced her to a group of artists that shared her passion for bringing a scene to canvas.

Her love of singing allowed her to travel twice to Europe as a soloist with conductor Sonja Dahlgren Prior, who inspired her to do something, she never dreamed possible.

CJ Carson has always wanted to write. Now she is introducing to the world her second published book, "Murderous Interruptions," from her trilogy, Veils of Parallel Times.

Website

Audible
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

COVER REVEAL—Love You Again (Love You, Maine, Book 2) by Julia Kent @jkentauthor #romcom #romance

 

Release date: July 19, 2022

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer:  Najla Qamber, Qamber Designs (https://www.qamberdesignsmedia.com/)

Audiobook Narrators:  Erin Mallon and Teddy Hamilton

Tropes/Themes:  Small Town, Second Chance, Single Dad/Nanny, Slow Burn

 

Retailer Description:

 

An unexpected rescue rekindles an old romance between a single dad widower and a woman caught in a small town scandal that made her flee the one place where she belongs. Can a second chance at first love end in a happily ever after? 

 

Luke Luview has given up on love. Finally ready to let go of his late wife’s clothes, the grieving small-town police officer and single dad thinks he’s hearing things when he opens the charity box door. Who knocks from the inside of a donation bin?

 

The raccoon he assumes is in there turns out to be way prettier – and very familiar. Rescuing the first girl he ever kissed means life has dealt him a wild card with Kylie Hood, his late wife’s best friend who left town suddenly fifteen years ago under a cloud of scandal.

 

Kylie Hood will never depend on a man again. Dumped by her boyfriend and fired by his parents from her children’s programming job at their ski resort in rural Maine, she hits rock bottom while throwing out her ex’s clothes — along with her phone and car keys. 

 

Being rescued by Luke Luview, of all people, is a gift and a curse. The boy she once loved is now all grown up, everything her ex wasn’t – and absolutely off limits.

 

Accepting his offer to be his temporary nanny while she job searches in New York City, Kylie falls hard for his sweet daughter, and even harder for Luke. A clause in her employment contract means they can’t fraternize, but fate has other plans, and forbidden fruit is twice as sweet.

 

As the town she reluctantly left years ago accepts her more and more, and Luke makes it clear he wants ta second chance with her in their close-knit community, Kylie has to decide: an exciting new career in Manhattan on her own, or an instant family and a sense of belonging in her small hometown?

 

And as Luke wrestles with the pain of being left behind by his wife’s accidental death, he has to balance his responsibilities to his daughter with his own needs. Needs he’s ignored for far too long.

 

Needs only Kylie can meet.

 

But not if she leaves.

 

Can Luke and Kylie rekindle their first love and find a new future together in a place where love conquers all?

 

If you’re looking for a fun read about first kisses and second chances, featuring a hot single-dad police officer and his accidental nanny, set in a small town in New England, with a golden retriever named Jester, a heroine whose dream in life is to run a fairy camp, and a hero who wants to build a place where everyone belongs–then this is your book.

 

Grab a cup of coffee or tea, and maybe some edible glitter, and get your happy meter ready as you read the second book in the Love You, Maine, series–where love isn’t just a feeling… it’s a way of life.

 

✓Standalone

✓Slow burn

✓Single dad widower

✓Nanny/police officer

✓Second chance

… and a golden retriever named Jester

Buy Links: 

 

Amazon US:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09R1C3JJ9

 

Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09R1C3JJ9

 

Amazon AU:  https://www.amazon.com.au/Love-You-Right-Enemies-Romantic-ebook/dp/B09R15LTCH/

 

Amazon CA:  https://www.amazon.ca/Love-You-Again-Second-Romantic-ebook/dp/B09R1C3JJ9/

 

Apple Books:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/love-you-again/id1606789311

 

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/love-you-again-1

 

Nook:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-you-again-julia-kent/1141369096?ean=2940160947457

 

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Julia_Kent_Love_You_Again?id=hr5rEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US

 

Print:  https://www.amazon.com/Love-You-Again-Second-Romantic/dp/1638800634/

 

Website:  https://jkentauthor.com/books/love-you-maine/love-you-again/

 

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/books/love-you-again-small-town-second-chance-romantic-comedy-love-you-maine-book-2-by-julia-kent

 

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59694685-love-you-again

 

Audible:  COMING SOON

 

Amazon Audio:  COMING SOON

 

iTunes:  COMING SOON

 

Author Bio:

 

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Julia Kent writes romantic comedy with an edge. Since 2013, she has sold more than 2 million books, with 4 New York Times bestsellers and more than 21 appearances on the USA Today bestseller list. Her books have been translated into French, German, and Italian, with more titles releasing in the future.

 

From billionaires to BBWs to new adult rock stars, Julia finds a sensual, goofy joy in every contemporary romance she writes. Unlike Shannon from Shopping for a Billionaire, she did not meet her husband after dropping her phone in a men's room toilet (and he isn't a billionaire she met in a romantic comedy).

 

She lives in New England with her husband and three children where she is the only person in the household with the gene required to change empty toilet paper rolls.

 

She loves to hear from her readers by email at julia@jkentauthor.com, on Twitter @jkentauthor, on Facebook at @jkentauthor, and on Instagram @jkentauthor. Visit her at http://jkentauthor.com

 

Social Media Links:

 

Website:  http://jkentauthor.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jkentauthor/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/jkentauthor

Newsletter:  http://bit.ly/2PIBi9n

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jkentauthor/

BookBub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julia-kent

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3238619.Julia_Kent

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Julia-Kent/e/B00A99V268/

 

Excerpt:

 

A white puff of air filled the space between him and the steering wheel, and he realized he’d sighed. How long had he been sitting here, mind and memory in the past? Shoving his hands into gloves, he opened the rear door, grabbed the white plastic bag, and made his way to the front of the bin.

Determined, focused, and grim: That was Luke Luview these days. A bad match for a town that existed to make people feel good about love.

Living in Love You, Maine–heck, being a Luview–was never harder than when you had a broken heart.

Time to let go of some of the pain.

“AAAAAAooooooooo,” called out a band of coyotes in the distance, making Luke jolt. His personal weapon was at home. He didn’t carry it in the glove compartment or on his body when he was off duty, but as the coyote population grew in the area, maybe he should.

A few feet from the donation bin’s front, he looked at the lever to pull down, squeezing the bag slightly. A whiff of Amber’s perfume caught his nose, so faint he almost imagined it.

Colleen had washed all the clothes a few weeks ago, so he knew he imagined Amber’s scent. Didn’t matter. He’d take the illusion. That was how much he hurt.

A skitter inside the box made him frown.

Damn animals. They got in those bins all the time. He felt sorry for the poor sap who emptied these metal boxes, carting all the goods to the warehouse in Manchester where they cleaned and sorted, getting it all ready for the second-hand retail stores.

Just do this, he thought, swallowing hard as the coyotes mated in the distance. The sound was violent and creepy, but for whatever reason, it felt fitting.

Throwing the tangible reminders of that terrible day into the donation box felt dangerous, too.

“I love you, Amber,” he murmured. “But I have to let you go. Have to let that day go. Harriet needs a daddy who isn’t tied down by grief. Just because I’m doing this doesn’t mean I love you any less, though.”

Tears pricked his eyes. “Why is this so hard? Because it’s hard,” he said with a huff. “That’s what you would say if you were here. You’d hug me and comfort me and tell me feelings are meant to be felt or they’d be called something else. You’d have all the right words. I don’t have any. I just have a big hole in my life, Amber. And you’re never going to fill it. Colleen says I can’t feel guilty for moving on. I don’t. But I sure do feel weird.”

And then he reached for the handle, pulled it down, and threw the bag in while calling out loudly, “I love you.”

To his utter shock, she replied from the darkness of the box, “I’m in here!”

 

Cover reveal organized by Writer Marketing Services.

Colorado Takedown by Cricket Rohman #Western #Romance @Rabtbooktours

 

A Romantic Western Adventure

The McAllister Brothers, Book 1

Contemporary Family Saga

 

 

A vegetarian from the city and a cattle-raising rancher sounds like a match made in hell. But what if they need each other more than they realize?

When Hannah Hudson finds herself abandoned and alone on a Rocky Mountain ranch, even a lottery win doesn’t change her bad-luck life. The seclusion of this ranch house threatened to take her breath away, but she managed to smile and thought, so this is what it’s like to be a country girl.

Trace McAllister needs only his horse and wide-open spaces, but it’s clear his new neighbor needs much more. If only she wasn’t so stubborn, he could help her. Unfortunately, it seems to take an accident – or was it a murder? –before she lets him into her life. They have one thing in common: zero talent for handling their feelings. Trace’s amazing cattle dog, Oatie, plays a part in bringing this unlikely couple together.

From day one, Hannah’s unique relationship with her new horse keeps her grounded despite mysterious conflicts, secrets, and a relentless, unidentified villain. . Nothing will stop a McAllister cowboy from protecting the woman he loves.

Other Books in The McAllister Brothers Series

Montana Countdown

The McAllister Brothers Book 2

A story-telling rancher’s own words entice two eavesdroppers to venture to his Montana ranch and search for hidden treasure.

Wyoming Sundown

The McAllister Brothers Book 3

Let cowboys in blizzard conditions, life-saving animals, and the three women who love them all—entertain you. Wyoming Sundown is about family, fate, and a perilous journey. Come along for the ride!

Wild Weddings

The McAllister Brothers Book 4

Two ranch-owning cowboys team up with two city gals. The trouble the couples encounter becomes a life-threatening mystery.

 

Amazon

 

About the Author

I grew up in Estes Park, Colorado, and spent my formative years among deer, coyotes, and beautiful blue columbine. I could see snow-capped peaks in almost every direction. Living on the boundary line of the Rocky Mountain National Park I could wander in by stepping out the backdoor of my childhood home.

Today I am a full-time author writing Sweet Romance, Westerns, Women’s Fiction, and Romantic Mysteries about cowboys, teachers, the great outdoors—even Alzheimer’s. So far, there is a wonderful dog in each of my novels. (I love dogs and horses too.)

Prior to full-time writing, I was an actor, a singer, an audio/video producer, a classroom teacher, and a school principal. I claim to be an eclectic reader and, therefore, an eclectic writer who loves to hike, cook, read, and write.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

BookBub

GoodReads

BookBuzz

Purchase Link

Amazon

You Have the Right to Remain Silent by Mark M. Bello #Legal #Thriller @RABTbooktours

 

Zachary Blake Legal Thriller, #8

Legal Thriller

Date Published 04-25-2022

 

 

Conservative talk-show host Mia Folger is in therapy with Dr. Harold Rothenberg. Mia and her husband, progressive Congressman Bradley Crawford, are not getting along these days, personally or politically.

When Crawford is found brutally dismembered and murdered, the evidence points to Mia as his killer. While the prosecutor pushes for a murder indictment, Dr. Rothenberg, convinced of his patient’s innocence, turns to an old friend—high profile attorney Zachary Blake, Detroit’s self-proclaimed ‘King of Justice.’

Blake will do anything for Rothenberg, the man who successfully treated his kids in their battle with a predator priest. Zack takes Mia’s case, but has his work cut out for him because Mia has been hospitalized, shocked into a catatonic state at the discovery of her husband’s mutilated body, unable to assist in her own defense.

Sensing he must prove Mia’s innocence to avoid an eventual life sentence, Zack enlists the aid of his crack investigator, Micah Love, and Micah’s cyber-specialist, Reed Spencer to dissect and poke holes in the case. But, for this case, Micah in convinced that Zack needs more—he recommends beautiful, sharp, brash, foul-mouthed, cocky-confident New York based jury consultant extraordinaire Shari Belitz and her team of mock trial/focus group gurus.

Shari is the best of the best. Her assignment in the Folger case? Flyspeck the evidence and unleash her arsenal of psychological techniques and predictive skills—use focus groups or mock juries to determine what evidence or circumstances would cause the real jury to declare Mia Folger innocent of all charges. Zack wants no part of Shari; one cocky lawyer-Zachary Blake-should be sufficient to prove Mia’s case. Blake knows what he needs for an acquittal; a brash jury consultant from NYC will only get in his way. But Micah persists and persuades Zack him to give Shari and her team a try.

Zack, Micah, Reed, and the irrepressible Ms. Belitz join forces in an all-out attack on the evidence, while evil characters lurk in the background, engaged in a sinister plot to assure Mia’s demise.

Expect the unexpected in this whodunit legal crime thriller, the 8th installment of the Zachary Blake Legal Thriller Series, featuring all your favorite series characters and one brash, exciting newcomer who gives Blake all he can handle.

About the Author

Mark M. Bello is an attorney and award-winning author of realistic fiction and political-legal thrillers.

Retired from handling high profile legal cases, Mark now gives the public a front-row seat watching victims fight for justice in our civil and criminal justice systems. Mark's award-winning Zachary Blake Legal Thrillers mirror our times and the events that shape our country.

In addition to being an author and veteran attorney, Mark is a member of numerous trial lawyer associations and a feature writer for the Legal Examiner and other popular blog sites. He has written articles for numerous publications and made guest appearances on radio and talk shows and multiple podcasts.

In his spare time, Mark enjoys traveling and spending time with his family. He and his wife Tobye, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

TikTok

Purchase Links

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Kobo

Throwback Thursday: THE BOSS #gay #bdsm #romance @changelingpress

 

Maxwell Barnes runs the top law firm in the city, owns a private BDSM club, and has more money than he can spend in a lifetime. He gets everything he wants, and now he wants his paralegal, Aaron Marshall. Mixing work and pleasure is a big no-no, but their mutual attraction is off the charts. The one thing Maxwell isn’t looking for is love, but sometimes fate has a mind of its own.

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083BD15QV

Barnes and Noble

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-boss-gale-stanley/1135863445     

Kobo

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-boss-66

Apple Books

https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-boss/id1493232736?ls=1

SCRIBD

https://www.scribd.com/book/468552977/The-Boss

Changeling Press

https://www.changelingpress.com/the-boss-roosters-10-b-2979

https://twitter.com/GaleStanley/status/1529837771317202946

 

Fire & Ice a Mauzzy & Me Mystery, Book 2 by B.T. Polcari #CozyMystery @RABTbooktours

 

A Mauzzy & Me Mystery, Book 2

Cozy Mystery, Young Adult Mystery, Mystery

Date Published: 08-15-2022

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

 

 

After encountering a brief power outage at work, college student Sara Donovan might be allowing her imagination to run wild. The main vault in the Carlton Museum holds the Fire and Ice Exhibit, a collection of rare gems, including the Star of Midnight, a 175-carat diamond. Although all the stones are accounted for, Sara suspects the Star of Midnight was stolen and replaced with a fake.

While conducting her own investigation, what Sara uncovers is beyond even her wildest imagination: a coded message, papers with strange characters, and a mysterious set of numbers carved into an office wall. Despite dismissive historians and other experts, she is certain these clues point to a mysterious centuries-old legend.

Unfortunately, her colorful history of usually being right, but always being wrong, means she must solve the mystery to prove her theory.

 

About the Author

B.T. Polcari is a graduate of Rutgers College of Rutgers University, an award-winning mystery author, and a proud father of two wonderful children. He’s a champion of rescue pups (Mauzzy is a rescue), craves watching football and basketball, and, of course, loves reading mysteries. Among his favorite authors are D.P. Lyle, Robert B. Parker, and Michael Connelly. He is also an unapologetic fantasy football addict. He lives with his wife in scenic Chattanooga, Tennessee.

 

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Blog

Goodreads

Pinterest

Instagram

 

Preorder Link

Amazon

Harri Unbound by Rebecca York #Paranormal #Romance @RABTbooktours

 

Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Suspense

Date Published:  May 27, 2022 

When the ruthless magician Madrin dies, opportunists seek revenge for his cruelty. They kidnap his daughters, meaning to sell them into sexual slavery at a brutal club for sadistic, wealthy men. Lady Harri Madrin manages to escape before the doors close behind them and vows to rescue her sister, Morgan.

Gareth Lamb, the handsome son of a local merchant, finds Harri and hides her from her furious pursuers. When she begs him to help rescue her sister, he agrees. They decide to pretend she is his concubine so they can gain entry to the club to search for Morgan.

The master-slave charade forces them into sizzling erotic encounters. Soon, they fall in love, but Gareth knows he could never aspire to marriage with the high-born Lady Harri.

Though Harri’s magical abilities give them an edge, they’re badly outnumbered by the slavers. Even if they manage to rescue Morgan, will Gareth’s disapproving father disown him if they declare their love and attempt to marry?

EXCERPT

All rights reserved.

Copyright ©2022 Rebecca York

 

Harri Madrin woke in her narrow bed in the dark hours of the night. For a moment she thought she might be dreaming -- until she realized there was some sort of disturbance in the convent, something she had never heard in this place of tranquility.

With moonlight streaming through the narrow window, she slipped across the stone floor of the small chamber to where her sister still slumbered. “Morgan, wake up. Something bad is happening.”

Her younger sister’s eyes blinked open as the sound of rough male voices came closer. Men in the convent? Never, unless there was some task that the vestals could not accomplish on their own. And never at night.

Sister Matilda rushed into the room. “Hurry, you must hide! They are after you.” She had always been kind to them, and now her wrinkled face was full of fear.

“Who? Why?”

“For revenge. Your father is dead.”

Harri felt nothing for her sire besides a flood of relief. In all her eighteen years, she had feared her father, the magician, Madrin. Now he would no longer rail at her for being born the wrong sex -- and for not inheriting any of his powers. Or so he thought. He was incorrect about the latter, but she had kept that knowledge from him, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of her talent. It was the same for her sister, Morgan.

“You must hide before they find you.” Sister Matilda urged.

“But where?”

“Come with me,” she pleaded.

“We must dress,” Morgan protested.

“No time.” The elderly vestal ushered them out of their room. The stone floor was cold on their bare feet as they followed the sister to a small chapel. She led them up the aisle to the front of the room, then removed two candlesticks and opened the top of the altar where they saw a deep cavity under the horizontal surface.

“In with you.”

The girls climbed into the box, curling on their sides and scrunching down to fit into the space.

“I will come back for you when it’s safe,” Sister Matilda promised before lowering the lid. The sound of metal hitting wood told Harri she had replaced the candlesticks.

Harri moved in the cramped space, trying to get comfortable. She froze when a rough male voice demanded, “What have you done with them?”

“Nothing.”

“You’re lying, you old bitch.”

“You dare such sacrilege?”

“You are no better than Madrin, sheltering his demon’s spawn.”

The words were followed by the sound of a hand slapping against flesh. Sister Matilda cried out in pain.

“Where are they?”

There was no answer, but Harri heard something hitting the floor. She crammed her fist against her mouth as she struggled not to scream.

Outside in the chapel, a whirlwind of destruction erupted -- heavy pews being tossed about, glass breaking. And then silence.

Harri trembled in their hiding place, and she could feel her sister’s similar vibrations.

Footsteps approached the altar, and she struggled to keep her teeth from chattering. A sweeping noise sent the candlesticks clattering to the stones. The top creaked up, and Harri cringed away.

“And what have we here?”

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today Best-Selling Author Rebecca York began her career as a journalist writing articles for newspapers and magazines, but after several years decided to try writing fiction. She's a highly successful author of over 50 romantic suspense and paranormal novels and is the head of the Columbia Writers Workshop. Her many awards include two Rita finalist books. She has two Career Achievement awards from Romantic Times: for Series Romantic Suspense and for Series Romantic Mystery. Her Peregrine Connection series won a Lifetime Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense Series. She collects rocks, and enjoys cooking, walking, reading, gardening, travel, and Mozart operas.

Facebook

Twitter

Follow the Publisher on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Now