Friday 30 March 2018

Shamanism in the 21st Century by August Lageman




Inspirational / Self Help
Date Published: 6/26/17
Publisher: Jan-Carol Publishing, Inc.

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This book grew out of the first seven years of August Lageman’s practice as a shaman. The book shows how the teachings of the Four Winds Society actually work with clients. In addition, August kept an open mind and integrated tools and insights from other forms of healing such as reiki and Holographic Healing. This book demonstrates how a person with a rocky childhood can heal from early wounds with the help of skilled shamans. August writes from his heart. You will learn how a shaman needs to be ready for the unexpected.




About the Author


August had a career as a pastor, a college teacher, and a psychotherapist. He served in the military for over twenty-nine years and did enlisted service in the US Marine Corps in the early sixties. Then August was commissioned as an officer in the Army Reserves and National Guard, serving both in the reserves and on active duty. He retired with over twenty-nine years of service as a full colonel in 2003. August trained as a shaman in the Four Winds Society, graduating in 2010.



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Tuesday 27 March 2018

Piece Keeper Review


About the Book:
Teresa Prince, a small town girl with a big heart, had dreams of working in law enforcement her goals put on pause in the worse way possible. Will she overcome this tragedy and emerge triumphant with her mind and soul intact? Or will the mental anguish be too much for her to bare? 
James, a twisted soul with ideas of love and grandeur with a woman that doesn’t feel the same for him, at least not yet. That will all change if he has anything to do with it. Also, her old flame has stepped into the picture. Will James be able to win her over and make her the love of his life before the flame is rekindled between her and her ex? Or will he be left in the cold while they live happily-ever-after?
Black Love was always a white collar kind of guy more so than a gangster when an unfortunate incident occurs in a small town in Illinois he rushes to the side of his ex-fiancĂ© to attempt to save the day. It does not take long to figure out that not everyone wants to see justice served. On top of that, his feelings for his past love may not only cause conflicts in the case but also add a rift to his new relationship. Will Black put his past behind him and find out who violated Teresa? 
In this fast-paced tale of pain, misguided passion, and lost love we follow these three souls as they embark on a journey of romance, rape, and retribution. When there’s no one to count on but yourself will you stand and deliver? Or bend and break? Each will face that question in the midst of what they once thought was true. They all find out that when love turns to war, someone has to be the Piece Keeper!


Book Links:
Piece Keeper via Amazon   Piece Keeper via Barnes & Noble   PieceKeeper Paperback


About the Author: 

Antwan Floyd Sr. is a Publisher, Author, and Reviewer. He publishes Crime Fiction novels under his publishing company Maleah Solange Books. He has released two titles in the Black Love Detective Series: Piece Keeper & Cannibal in the City. He has also written Dope Fiction and Dope Fiction pt. 2 "Greed Between the Lines". Originally from Chicago, IL he currently resides in Indianapolis, IN where he is penning his next novel.


Contact the Author: 
Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * MaleahSolange Blog

Review:
This book was not an easy one to read. The rape scene at the beginning of the book was difficult to read and in some ways it sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Teresa is a tough woman. The ordeal she goes through and then fights back to get some normalcy in her life makes her a champion to the readers. The character of Black Love was interesting. As an attorney he knows the lines very well and he is not afraid to test how far they can be pushed. Even crossed at dire moments. Its the character of James that would intrigue the readers the most. Throughout the book he is the one who makes the readers wonder the most.

On the other hand I am not sure about the way law enforcement was painted in this book. There is corruption everywhere, including law enforcement - to bring that out was a good idea. But I feel that at parts, the author could have reigned in it a bit.

It is a good beginning to what can be a thrilling series. 



Friday 23 March 2018

Curse of a Dragon's Claim by Ciara Lake

About the Book:
 The flame within a dragon warrior's heart awakens Arianna's passion as she begins a journey in which she will discover she's something more than she ever imagined possible.

The realm of the dragons is a world of magic, danger, and mystery. For centuries they've been at war with the vampires, but now the two enemies must work together to save all immortals, and the mortals they co-exist with, from an ancient evil. In order to do so, they need the help of the Forsaken, descendants of immortals who were cast out into the human realm, their memories wiped clean of their true heritage.

Clayne MacDagon is a powerful dragon warrior who is sent on a mission to find one of the Forsaken. Although he's told that this woman is his fated mate, he can't believe it could possibly be true. Arianna Mergliano possesses both dragon and vampire blood, and Clayne has an intense hatred for anything even remotely related to vampires, the evil beings who were responsible for his beloved twin's death.

When Arianna meets Clayne, she's convinced that the man is insane, or maybe he's a warlock or even the devil himself, but whichever it is, she wants nothing to do with him.

Clayne knows he can't fail at his mission. And once he meets Arianna he also knows that what he's been told is true—she is, ironically, his intended mate.

Convincing her to accept him is only the beginning. He has to protect her from those who might want her dead. Together, they must face the shadows and evil that have long plagued the immortal realms and find a way to survive the coming war.

Book Links:

Read an Excerpt:

Kissing her forehead, he took her hand in his. His lips were cool, but the heat off his body was intense. The contrast made her tremble. Clayne placed her hand over the bulge in his breeches. Arianna cupped him, rubbing him with her palm.
“Oh, feels good. Do you feel how I want you?” Nuzzling her neck, an animalistic sound escaped from him. His voice roughened. “I want you to ride my cock.” Kissing her face, his tenderness made her heart flutter. Faint, dazed, she yearned for him. “You make me burn, my beautiful mate. My dragon’s heat boils within me.”
“I love how it rushes through me too.”
“It soothes me, stimulates me, and makes me want to fuck you more. I can’t get enough of you.” His words caused a volcano of desire to erupt inside her. “Let’s take your clothes off so I can feel your skin against mine.” Clayne pushed her hair behind her back. Gently, he placed his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her to him. He kissed her face and neck. Arianna pressed herself against him, encouraging his touch.
“Clayne,” Arianna said between his kisses. “I want you between my legs.” Wetness escaped her pussy and dampened her thighs. Emboldened by the press of his erect cock against her, she said, “I want you inside me.” She rubbed her hands up and down his back. He was strong, muscular, an exceptional specimen of masculinity. “I love being with you.”
“You smell perfect. Like a woman who’s eager for me.” Inhaling deeply, he turned her around and began to undo her dress’s buttons. “I need to get you out of this gown. I’m impatient to give what you ask of me.” He nipped the back of her neck. Juices flowed to her pussy.
“Oh sweet lord, you bite.” A shiver of desire raced down her spine, pooling in her womb.
“Nah, I just tease. But I do have fangs.” He flashed a suddenly fanged mouth. “I can look like a vampire, but they’re my dragon teeth. We have sharp ones too.” His large hands cupped her breasts. They were heavy, aching with need. When he squeezed them, she moaned, leaning back against him.
“Take me, Clayne.”
“I’m going to rip this gown off. I need you naked.”
A loud ripping sound followed his words. Tiny seed buttons bounced on the floor as the gown fell to her feet. A thin chemise still covered her. Clayne picked her up, and then her back hit the soft mattress as she bounced on the bed. Standing naked by the side of the bed, he watched her. His penis jutted from his body.
“Arianna, take your undergarment off,” he ordered. “I need you free of all clothing. I want nothing between us, and I want to be inside you.”
Sitting up, she quickly removed her chemise, pulling it over her head and tossing it on the floor. Her heart beat fast and hard. Dazed with the rush of desire his words inspired, she spread her legs in bold invitation. She swung her hair back over her shoulder and rose up on her elbows, beckoning him.
Standing before her with his cock in his hand, he rubbed its firmness. It was swollen and long. The tip was darker, redder than the rest of the firm organ. She was thinking he was gorgeous.
“Beautiful.” He echoed her thoughts. “You’re the most beautiful female I know.”
Clayne stole her thoughts right from her brain. Their unique communication continued to amaze her. In an instant, he was upon her. Pushing her thighs further apart, he settled between them. His cock rested against her leg. She kissed him, closing her eyes as she absorbed the exquisite sensations. The heat and ecstasy of his kisses made her surrender completely to him. She reached for his cock, rubbing it with her hand. It fascinated her. The feel of the smooth skin stretched over the incredible hardness excited her further.
“It’s so large and firm. I like the feel of it inside me.” More moisture escaped her, dampening her inner thighs. “I like what we do.”
With a quick thrust, he was inside her, deep until she swallowed up his entire length.
“Arianna, you like that?”
“Yes.” She opened her eyes to stare into his shiny blue ones, bright as diamonds. His stare was hot. It penetrated her, warming her insides even more than the heat she was already experiencing.
Continuing to watch her with intensity, he moved within her. He closed his eyes, and his face relaxed as if he were experiencing pure joy. Arianna wrapped her arms around him, holding him close. She ran her hands over his firm buttocks as he worked in and out of her. The man made her feel dainty under his massive body. She liked that feeling as well.
“You’re nice and tight.” Clayne rested fully against her as he pushed inside her tight pussy. Skillfully, he pulled out and pushed in again. The gratifying friction against her clit made her squeeze his cock, release, and squeeze him again. He moaned. “You like how I’m fucking you, my beautiful mate?”
“Yes.” Arianna could barely answer him.
Clayne pounded harder into her, and then stopped, partially withdrawn from her. Kissing her sensitive nipples, he laved them with his tongue. He made love to her breasts with his mouth. Pulling his cock fully from her body, he turned her onto her stomach.
Arianna whimpered. “Clayne, I want you to…”
“To what?” He pulled her to the edge of the bed until her feet touched the floor. He pushed his cock into her wet pussy. Standing behind her, he pounded with great efficiency. With each push into her, the enormous bed moved across the floor. “You feel so good.” Resting, he lay against her, fondling her breasts with one hand and rubbing her clit with the other as he pounded into her. “I love fucking you. I’m pleased I’ve found you.”
“Clayne… Clayne,” Arianna screamed. Intense shudders passed through her, silencing her.
“Yes, my mate. You’re fucking good.” His body shivered as he fully rested against her. For a few moments, he was completely still. “Mate, you make me burn. The passion I feel races hot.”
“Clayne…” Before she could say more, he grabbed her under her arms, pulling her to the head of the bed. Moving the bedding out of their way, he positioned her under the covers, following her beneath.
“Let’s rest, my mate. We’ve had a very long, intense day.” Curling her into him, he held her in his arms. The great heat he’d generated had waned, yet his arms were still comfortably warm.
More questions for him danced through her head. Her mind was fully charged with activity, thinking over every detail he’d shared with her. However, exhaustion took over, quieting her. The bed was comfortable. It smelled of lilacs, soothing her further. The mattress cushioned her body softly along with his warm embrace. She decided to close her eyes, only for a few moments. Darkness enveloped her. Involuntarily, sleep overtook her.

About the Author:
Welcome to Ciara Lake's World. Meet Gorgeous Werewolves, Vampires, Dragons, Mermaids, Wizards, Witches, Mythological Gods and Goddesses, Mere Mortals And More! Fiction has always been a passion of mine. Creating worlds and developing characters is a great way for me to relieve the stress and strain of my everyday world. In fantasy (paranormal) and sci-fi stories, the author has the unique ability to invent wonderfully exotic places and people. I do that in my books. These fantastic genres provide a limitless ability to be creative and inventive. My stories provide an escape into a special world filled with unique and otherworldly things. And there is always a happy ending.


Contact the Author: 


Author Interview - Dhruba D Roy

About the Book:

“Oh God, why me?”


This is perhaps what we think of when we go through a ‘breakup’.
This story is about Anirudh and Anvi.
Both of them have their own thinking which are not alike.
The story begins with Anirudh meeting with and accident. As he slowly succumbs to the pain, he starts reflecting about his bygone college days where he found his love for music. He loves Anvi dearly who is a long-lost friend of Anirudh.
The story reveals how Anirudh struggles as the hands of reality strikes him down.




Book Links:

Interview:

Is being a writer a gift or a curse?
For me, it’s a gift. I am actually not very good at expressing myself when I am around people. So writing gives me that medium to reciprocate my thoughts and feeling.  
Sometimes  my thoughts in the form of writings might not be well accepted by the people, but that’s the life of a writer. Our thoughts and writings are different, some people will like it, some won’t and I appreciate that fact. Perhaps this is the driving force that inspires me everyday to be a better writer.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?
All of it.This is my debut novel and I am very new to this. I never plan out my chapters. Ofcourse I have a few things in mind, but the writings are more about discovering myself and that’s very challenging.

Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I don’t remember precisely the first story that I read, but I remember one story that I read when I was a kid and I was heartbroken by its ending. It was called ‘The Postmaster’ by Rabindranath Tagore. Being a kid I always expected that all stories would have a happy ending, but that’s where the kid Dhruba D Roy learnt that the ways of life can be mysterious.

Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
Hahahaha… this is embarrassing, but I will still answer that. It was my about my imaginative cartoon character whom I named ‘Mosquito’. The story was also about a Mosquito who was a vegan.

When you develop characters do you already know who they are before you begin writing or do you let them develop as you go? 
It a two way process. I do have a sketch in mind of how the characters will be like and also improvise them at the same time.

How did you break into publishing?
It was a long process. Most of the Authors will tell you the same story as I am about to. My Manuscript got rejected on numerous occasions, sometimes it was the in 1st round of selection and sometimes it was in the last round. A time came when I thought of even quitting my dream of being a published author. Then one day (after a long interval of  2 years) I received a mail that my project had received funds, but there were certain terms and conditions that I had to accept first. It was good enough for me and here we are with my debut novel,  My first Breakup.

About the Author:

Dhruba Das Roy  is a freelance writer, a musician by passion, and a software engineer by profession. He is from Assam, but born in a small town of Meghalaya, where he finished his schooling. He then obtained his degree in engineering from the esteemed college of National Institute of Technology. He discovered his love for music there and was the lead vocalist of his band, “The Rozarts”.

He loves rock and roll and is a great fan of the pioneers of rock and roll-(Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Queen and the list goes on).Unfortunately, as engineering life came to an end, the band had to split. Recently, he moved to Kolkata where he is working in one of leading software service based companies in India.

Not everyone can put their thoughts into words. Dhruba had never tried his hand in writing; but he had an experience, an experience which changed his life for the better. Being a vocalist, his only way of expression was through the creative way. He decided to pen down his thoughts and he discovered that writing came naturally to him. His thought process in the novel relates to the general mass in many ways. He decided to stretch his limits and ended up voicing his thoughts in a different way this time.





Tuesday 20 March 2018

Broken Bitch by A.L.Simpson



Contemporary Romance
Date Published: January 1, 2018

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Callie McKenzie hadn't had a good introduction to life.

A drug addicted mother caught in the crossfire of a bar shootout saw her dumped in the foster system at the age of thirteen.

Life finally seemed to take a turn for the better when she was offered adoption by a kindly couple but, she knew it couldn't last. Tragedy puts an end to her dream of a happy life when she is taken to the isolated farm of an abusive distant relative.

At the age of seventeen, beaten and bruised, fearing for her life, Callie flees.

In the dead of night, on a lonely road, Jake Prentiss - President of a motorcycle club, finds her stumbling to freedom.

In the weeks that follow she is slowly pieced back together and falls hard for her knight in shining leather. It doesn't last long and tragedy once again strikes.

At the age of eighteen, Callie finds herself alone again and in prison.

Her cousin always said she was a BITCH.

Now, she was also BROKEN.



About the Author


I’m a Queensland, Australia gal and live in a small village in a rural area where the noise is that of birds and the air is clean.

For 35 years I worked as a Nurse in ER and Theater. I retired in 2011 and since then I have been able to devote my time to my first love and passion – storytelling.

Married to a Naval Officer for 44 years, we moved around the country on postings and lived overseas in Papua New Guinea for 3 ½ years. Living in a place, experiencing what the cities have to offer, their own unique beauty and way of life, gave me great ideas for stories I would later write.

Under my real name – Susan Horsnell, I write Western Historical Romance set in Texas or South Dakota (as I have travelled extensively in both) and so as not to confuse my readers, I write Steamy Contemporary, M/F, M/M, Menage and even a Shapeshifter under my pen name of A.L. Simpson.

I love exploring different genres and using life experience to weave into my stories. I love drama, twists, hard heroes with a soft center, which is sometimes hard to find and strong heroines who find themselves completed when they find their soulmate.

In our retirement, my husband and I travel a great deal although now, with an aging and ailing dog, we have confined it to exploring the beauty of Australia in our very well-appointed caravan as we are able to take her with us. I document our travels on my Facebook page for all to enjoy with me.

I hope you will take the time to pick up one of my books and I look forward to hearing from my readers either via Facebook or email.



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Thursday 15 March 2018

Forsaken Heart (The Forsaken #1) by Elise Whyles

About the Book:
Punished for sins not her own, can a mortal claim her vampire mate?

The world of immortals must unite to save both themselves and the mortals they co-exist with from an ancient evil.

For Bede MacTaggert this means trusting in the warrior sent for her sister—a man of mystery, of power, and one who could easily sweep her into a world she's destined to be part of.

An imperial guard to the king of vampires, Gawain has always tuned out the needs of the flesh. Dedicating himself to the service of the royals, he's lived on the fringes of his people for centuries. Now he's forced from the shadows and into the arms of a woman who will awaken his heart and body to a passion unequaled.


Book Links:
Goodreads * Amazon

Read an Excerpt:


"Frails are not to be toyed with," Gawain ground out and grabbed the girl, spinning her away, his sword at the ready as the man heaved upward, a dagger clutched in his hand. Gawain's sword rested easy on his palm, ready, the surface slicked with blood as he faced the coward.

"She's mine to do with as I choose." He gurgled, collapsing to the ground, his weapon falling from pudgy fingers. "Paid ten pieces of gold for 'em both, and I aim to get a might of use out 'em."

"Now she's mine," Gawain declared. Raising his sword, he drove it through the man's chest, pinning his twitching frame to the ground. He stepped back, his gaze sweeping the clearing. Males such as this did not travel alone, his cohorts would be close. He'd need to find and kill them…

Searing pain lanced through him, splitting his chest. Gawain glanced down. The thin, sharp tip of a blade stuck from his chest. He touched the blade and snarled. The metal was warm, when it should have been cold. Shock slammed into him as the blade began to glow, turning a searing red before changing back to normal, or as normal as it could be with blood racing down the weapon.

Whirling, his hand already scrabbling for the dagger's hilt in his back, he grabbed his assailant by the throat and lifted. Grunting as he pulled the weapon free, his lips curled upward. "You'd do well, wench, to know your place."

"If you think I mean to let you do her harm…" Sputtering, her nails digging into his wrists, the girl's brown eyes stared into his. Fear lay within the depths but something else stirred. Something dark, dangerous, easily recognized if one knew what they were looking for.

His fingers moved, tightening, loosening as he pulled her against him. Inhaling, he caught the faint scent of blood, fear, sweat, fire, and something sultry, sweet, and light on his tongue. Drawing the scent deep, he wallowed in it, his body responding to the aroma he'd dreamed of but never found.
Gawain inhaled slowly, his muscles tightening, burning. Using the tip of her dagger, he pushed the material of her shift aside. The scrolling marks of a serpent flared before his eyes. It coiled and danced beneath the girl's flesh.

About the Author:
Born in Northern British Columbia, Elise is a small-town girl. She writes in a variety of genres including paranormal, contemporary suspense, m/m in various lengths. Currently, she lives in British Columbia with her husband and son, one dog, one cat, and a gecko. Elise enjoys reading as much as she does writing, with some of her favorite books being read until they fall apart. 
She is currently working on the next book in the Forsaken Series, Burning Rain. As well she has a new contemporary she’s working on. For more information on Elise, or to check out her books you can find her on Facebook, twitter, and her website.



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Wednesday 14 March 2018

One for the Price of Two by Howard Weiner





Fiction, Thriller, Crime
Date Published: March 15, 2018

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He's a special forces operator, a trained assassin. He marries into an organized crime family. Not an ordinary crime family, but one with a tradition and specialty in murder for hire.










About the Author


Howard Weiner is a recent addition to the literary genre of fiction. Writing mysteries, thrillers, crimes—with a touch of romance—an approach described by one reader as “one bubble off.”

Many authors sharing the genre have characters whose fortune is determined by others. They literally have dodged the bullet that otherwise would have killed them. Weiner’s characters make their own fortune—good or bad—and they live with the results.

Weiner’s own experiences are blessed with no small number of noteworthy characters and events. He brings these slightly off-kilter individuals to life, complete with their own stories and dramas. Like the child prodigy in his first novel, "It Is Las Vegas After All", who comes to the starting edge of adulthood and then loses the approval of his doting parents, the sponsorship of one of America’s great institutions of higher education, and gains the enmity of his girlfriend’s father—an international arms dealer—to become a home-grown terrorist operating on U.S. soil.

A survivor of rich, nuanced bureaucracies in the public and private sector, Weiner writes about characters whose career choices and decisions are morally questionable. A student of personal behavior in complex circumstances, Weiner brings these often cringe-worthy characters to life. Some are amoral, others immoral in a narrow slice of their lives, yet they otherwise look and act like people we all know from work or even childhood. Like one of the female leads in his novel, "Serendipity Opportunity", an out-of-the-box thinker who flunks most of life’s basic relationship tests, yet she is someone you never want pursuing you in the cause of justice. There’s a former foreign security official who uses his protected status as a witness for federal prosecutors to provide cover for his own mayhem and murder in Weiner’s third novel, "Bad Money".

Many of Weiner’s stories are born out of real life events: The mix-up in luggage claim at the airport in, "Bad Money", the chronic high school slacker in "Serendipity Opportunity" whose one stroke of good fortune creates his opportunity to perpetrate a complex series of frauds, or the brilliant student in "It Is Las Vegas After All" who uses his prodigious talents toward an evil end.

As a former federal official, Weiner can neither confirm nor deny having the highest security clearances in classified security programs. Yet, his knowledge of the dark web, criminal organizations, and security organizations takes stories from the popular press to the next level.


Contact Links




Purchase Links


Also Available at Barnes and Noble, Kobo, &iBooks upon Release





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Monday 12 March 2018

Unstrung Series by Kendra C. Highley


YA Sci-Fi Series Blitz

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UNSTRUNG (Book 1)

Lexa Pate, 17-year-old thief extraordinaire, has burned a bridge or two in her life. You don't make a career out of stealing other people's property without making enemies.

When a risky job goes from bad to worse, Lexa and her adopted family find themselves on Precipice Corporation's hit list because they've accidentally stolen the wrong thing - plans for a new model of genetically-engineered super humans. Now every bounty hunter, cop on the take, and snitch in the city is after them.

Lexa's world crumbles around her as she fights to keep her family safe even as someone strolls out of her forgotten past. Quinn claims to know who Lexa really is, but can she trust a stranger she met while robbing his boss?

More importantly, does she really want to know what Quinn has to tell her?



UNFINISHED (Prequel Novella)


In a world where genetically-engineered humans serve as slave labor to “real” humans, ten-year-old Quinn is an anomaly. Designed with superior intelligence and physical attributes, he lives and trains at Maren DeGaul’s lakeside mansion, being readied for some mysterious purpose as dictated by Precipice Corporation. Despite the comfortable surroundings, Quinn is frequently pushed to his limits by his human guardians, often learning lessons in pain and loneliness.

That all changes the day they introduce him to a new artificial, one who is both his equal and his soulmate. But when Maren decides the new artificial is flawed and should be decommissioned, it’s up to Quinn to find a way to save his only friend.



UPRISING (Book 2)


Master thief Lexa Pate always prided herself on never being caught. That changed the night she freed the artificial humans of Triarch City, a people she’s still learning to identify with. Now, imprisoned by the government, she’s separated from her family—and the love of her life—while facing murder charges. What she doesn’t know is something far worse awaits her: the Quad intends to make her pay for her crimes.

After helplessly watching Lexa be captured, Quinn has to place his trust in a group of people he barely knows to save the girl he loves. The rebels outside Triarch City have the equipment—and the information—he needs to rescue Lexa. But, knowing the Quad has sophisticated brainwashing techniques, his biggest worry is who she’ll be even if they do manage to bring her home.

Pawns in a game they barely understand, Lexa and Quinn will have to use all the gifts they possess to fight the powers seeking to control them and find a way back to each other.

Before it’s too late.



UNIFIFED (Book 3)


Lexa Pate has been called many things: thief, artificial, lover, friend. Now, as she faces the biggest crisis of her life, she realizes there’s another title trying to define her: murderer.

After she was freed from the Quad’s clutches, Lexa thought her life would go back to, if not normal, something resembling that. Sure, the band of rebels she’s joined have ideas of freeing the world from the Quad (delusions of grandeur might be more accurate), but Lexa is reunited with the men who’ve become her ragtag family. In her new home, she’s safe, she’s surrounded by people who care for her, and Quinn is always close at hand, ready to show her how much he loves her. So why does she feel like killing him every time they’re together?

Quinn thought rescuing Lexa from the Glass House would be all he needed to find his happy ending. But Lexa’s incarceration has changed things between them, and he fears the Quad altered more about Lexa than anyone suspects. With tensions in the rebel camp rising between the humans and the artificials, Quinn knows the war will reach a boiling point soon, and he may be the only one who can stop it. But if the rebels continue to believe Lexa is dangerous, he could lose more than the war—he could lose the girl he loves.



Excerpt From Book 1


I stare blankly at the wall in my room. My Exeprin high has worn off and I changed back into my pajamas at the first chance, unable to get the chip off my mind. Our little team has ceased being annoying but forgettable and has become a critical target. Everyone from cops to bounty hunters to the Quad’s security team will be after us. All because we stole the wrong thing. Sure, we hadn’t planned to steal that particular chip, but our mistake doesn’t change one simple fact.

We are so dead.

“…run another diagnostic,” Turpin calls from the hallway. He’s been holed up in the lab with Jole, examining the data on the chip. A moment later, he knocks. Unlike Jole, he waits for me to say “come in” before opening the door.

“Hey,” he says, taking a seat on my desk chair. “You okay?”

I drop my pillow over my face. Maybe I should suffocate myself with it. “If I hadn’t tripped and set off the alarm, there’d be no trace of how the chip was taken. Now…they’ll find us.”

“Lexa, there’s no way to plan for the unknown. Besides, anyone else probably would’ve set that security device off sooner and not gotten away.”

A headache starts throbbing behind my eyes. Stars, this is the worst time to be coming off Exeprin. “I’ll remind you how you said it wasn’t my fault when we’re rounded up by Maren’s people.”

“You won’t have to,” Turpin says. “I’m the one who took the job. We go down, you can blame me.”

He sounds so dejected, I sit up, hugging the pillow to my chest. Maybe I should be scared, but a morbid curiosity about Maren’s artificials gets the better of me. “What are the new versions like? Can you tell from the plans?”

“Most of it is over our heads—the genetic engineering data is very complex—and part of the chip is heavily encoded. But I understand enough to know these are the most human-like versions I’ve seen. Circulatory systems that actually regenerate synthetic blood cells, skin cells that scab over when cut, fully functional digestive tracts. Stars, even their hair, fingernails and bodies will grow like a human’s.”

My headache intensifies. “Wait, what do you mean their bodies will grow?”

Turpin goes to my window. “Instead of making adults, like usual, these prototypes appear to be equivalent to six-year-old children. All of them with critical thinking processors akin to a person with a one-forty I.Q. The plans cover maturity cycles and learning rates by age. The only thing I can guess is that her scientists want to mimic the learning capability of a child’s brain.”

My room suddenly feels cold. “We stole the plans for a super-race of fake human beings?”

“It would seem that way. And all of them programmed to think the way the Quad wants them to think. Hyper-intelligent, but without the experience or knowledge to have true free will. I’m wondering about that, though,” he says, coming to sit on the edge of my bed. “If Maren’s playing God to this extent, how will she maintain control of her ‘kids?’ Can you imagine them as teenagers?” He gives me a rueful smile. “You’re hard enough to handle.”

I punch his arm, more out of respect than annoyance. Everything is so topsy-turvy, I wonder if I’m going soft. Soon I’ll be letting Jole off the hook for coming into my room without knocking. “Maybe it’s good we stole those plans. The new K600s are advanced enough that I can hardly tell they’re artificials. These new…things would be an abomination. A crime against nature.” I stand and pace, needing to put my nervous energy into the ground. If I don’t, I’ll blow, and I can’t afford a meltdown. “Bolts shouldn’t be so human. It blurs way too many lines, don’t you think?”

“The bigger question is what we tell our clients,” Turpin says. “Because we can’t give the chip to them. It’s too dangerous.”

He has a point. “I say we tell them the chip self-destructed as we decoded it. Who cares if they get angry. I’m less scared of them than I am of Maren.”


About the Author


Kendra C. Highley lives in north Texas with her husband and two children. She also serves as staff to four self-important and high-powered cats. This, according to the cats, is her most important job. She believes in everyday magic, extraordinary love stories, and the restorative powers of dark chocolate







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Monday 5 March 2018

The Tea Shop by Bernadette Marie






Bestselling Author Bernadette Marie is known for building families readers want to be part of. Her series The Keller Family has graced bestseller charts since its release in 2011. Since then she has authored and published over thirty books. 

The married mother of five sons promises romances with a Happily Ever After always…and says she can write it because she lives it.



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Seeing the future is a curse that Abigail Weston has carried her entire life. Knowing how and when someone will be hurt, or the whereabouts of missing people, haunts her enough to move away from the town that no longer trusts her.

When real estate developer Carson Stone meets the intuitive Abigail, he can't help but feel the connection to her and wonder if love at first sight is possible, especially since they share a passion for old buildings. She believes they all should remain, while he builds new ones in their place.

No matter Abigail's feelings for Carson, knowing that their future is to be together does not ensure them a happily ever after, especially if she can't figure out what the other side is trying to show her--because in her visions Carson's future is dark and cold.






A Snippet from the Book

"If he weren't a tyrant who tore down old buildings, you'd be head over heels in love with him already, wouldn't you?"
Abigail wasn't even going to consider an answer to that, let alone give it any thought. Because unfortunately, she was sure her cousin was correct.



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The American Outsider by Homa Pourasgari

  "A charming read with characters who come to life on the page—and who live for a cause whose urgency shines through the story." ...