Men in Kilts! A Guest Post by Kayden Claremont, Author of Tartan Temptations

I love a man in a Kilt— I mean, who doesn’t?

When The Wild Rose Press asked for stories for their Real Men Wear Kilts series I was in heaven. I went through the usual list of placed you’d find a kilt-wearing hunk, but decided to have Brodie Murdock wear his kilt every day. After all, it would be such a pity to save all the scrumptiousness just for special occasions.

Since I write paranormal erotic romance, I had to come up with his paranormal quality. I made Brodie Murdock a kilt-wearing, motorcycle-riding hottie with a secret he can only share with his destined mate. Brodie took over the story so I had to make sure Cora Siegfried was he match in every way. She became a kick-ass heroine who wouldn’t back down from fighting for the man she loves.

With his throne on the line, Brodie Murdock needs to secure his kingdom by taking a bride. When the only woman he's ever wanted, Cora Siegfried, steps right into his path, he knows the legends are true.

 She is his destiny. But will she agree?

   

  Buy link: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2deP5wS 

Financial planner Cora Siegfried has returned to her hometown to settle her late father's estate. Get in, get out, that's the plan. When she's almost run over by a kilt-wearing hottie on a motorcycle, all her well-laid plans go up in smoke, and all she can think about is getting well laid by her childhood crush. But after what she hoped would be a one-night stand, leaving him might not be as easy. Talk about a tartan temptation.

With his throne on the line, Brodie Murdock needs to secure his kingdom by taking a bride. When the only woman he's ever wanted steps right into his path, he knows the legends are true. She is his destiny. The feisty female isn't hard to seduce into his bed for the night, but she's proving difficult to convince they are meant for forever. And then there's the secret that could destroy any chance of their future--a secret he's not ready to confess. Not until his stubborn soul mate admits she needs him for more than sex.

Excerpt

She rubbed her brow. That’s what she did when she was gathering her thoughts. “I can’t list the house without a stupid piece of paper from the lawyer, and he had to go away on a family emergency. What about my family emergency? My father died. Nobody cares about that.”

Brodie turned the bike off, set it on its kickstand, and stood. He shouldn’t touch her, but he wrapped his arms around her and drew her against him. “I care.”

Doubt filled her dark blue eyes. “Why? Why do you care about me?”

Destiny. She’d think he was crazy, but it was the truth. He’d always understood it. “How could I not care about you?”

Taking a step back, she shook her head. The startled expression on her face told him he’d gone too far.

She hesitated then glared at him. “What do you want?”

He glanced up at the stormy cloud, then back at her. He hadn’t fooled her at all. He was running out of time. He had to win her trust now. “Ice cream. I need ice cream. You need ice cream. We all need ice cream.” He smiled, hoping his charm worked this time.

Disbelief shone in her eyes. “Now?”

Kayden Claremont Bio

Kayden loves sexy, well-crafted stories of lust and love.  Her sensuous style drives the characters in lustful romps. When she is not crafting erotic romantic stories, she can be found crocheting or making jewelry.

Kayden is a member of Romance Writers of America, Toronto Romance Writers, and Writing Community of Durham Region.

She hopes you enjoy her other books, HELL’S BOUNTY, TIMELESS PASSION, and RED HOT all published by The Wild Rose Press.

Kayden loves to hear from her readers.

Website: www.kaydenclaremont.com/

Blog: https://kaydenclaremont.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaydenclaremont

FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/kayden.claremont/

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/9136748.Kayden_Claremont

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kaydenclaremont/

New Release: Immortal Winter by N. R. Larry and Margo Bond Collins

A princess locked away in an ice tower. 

A handsome kidnapper who insists her savior-queen is a liar. 

And a chance to break the curse that binds them all.

Jayla Storm woke up next to a dead body, with no memory of how it got there. Then Kip Stanton blew up her ice tower—the only home she’s ever known—and kidnapped her, insisting it was for her own good. 

 ow she's stuck with a group of rebels hell-bent on usurping the queen who saved Jayla's life. As her memories resurface, she's afraid to trust anyone, even while her feelings for Kip grow stronger. 

But wherever Jayla goes, the monstrous ravagers follow. If she's going to survive, and perhaps save Kip and the others, she'll have to learn to trust someone—maybe especially herself.

Immortal Winter, a stand-alone dystopian paranormal romance  

by New York Times bestselling authors N.R. Larry and Margo Bond Collins

Excerpt:

I woke in my ice tower, covered in a coating of sweat, lying next to a dead body.

With a gasp, I scrambled back against the headboard of my own bed. Other than the motionless figure beside me, nothing around me had changed, though it was tinted yellow from the flickering lanterns.

Arina’s dead body?

I’d never seen a corpse. Not a real one. I eyed the spike sticking out of her forehead and the odd snarl twisting her open mouth. My head swam and I swallowed convulsively.

I knew I needed to act, but all I could manage to do was let Arina continue to bleed out—onto the sheets and onto me. I should have been screaming. I should have been throwing myself off the bed and toward the window. But I didn’t, anchored in place by fire and sweat and blood.

I tried to connect the scene in front of me to some memory, something that swam barely out of reach. I stretched after it, catching a fragment: yesterday was Arina's day. The day I wouldn't be alone.

A pain day.

I looked forward to those. That much I knew.

Forcing myself to sit up, I scooted away from her still form, my jaw clenched with the memory of pain. I would have laughed at what lingered but there was a body to attend to. Stumbling out of bed, I stepped out of my clothes and limped toward my ivory dresser. On the way, my feet grazed against something rough. Some imperfection in the ice. Something that wasn’t there before.

I backed up and stared down at the message scratched into the ice, blood swiped across it to highlight the letters, like ink rubbed on a seal impression to darken the image.

She found me. She knows. Went to warn them. Don’t take the infusions. Watch out for Kip.

My body began to tremble, even before my mind caught up.

Yesterday.

***

Guest Post: Writing Keri’s Christmas Wish by Pamela S Thibodeaux

Writing Keri’s Christmas Wish

by Pamela S Thibodeaux

I am 100% panster so when I sat at the computer with one scene in mind, Keri scrolling through her newsfeed and grumbling “bah humbug” over the ‘Christmas in July’ propaganda, I had absolutely NO idea where the story was going or what would happen.

I was introduced to Energy Medicine a couple of years ago and find the whole concept of healing the body – or actually the body healing itself by correcting energy imbalance–fascinating. Along with EM, I’ve discovered the power of positive thoughts and prayers (see: You can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay). Add to that my belief in the afterlife and the books & movies affirming those beliefs, and well, this story practically wrote itself.

 What is so amazing and encouraging for me is that Keri’s Christmas Wish is the first romantic story I’ve written in its entirety since my husband passed away in 2009. Oh, I’ve had things published that were already in the works, but other than a couple NF pieces, it is the only thing written from start to finish. Hopefully this means I’m in a much better place emotionally and other books/novellas/stories are sure to follow.

Buy Link: http://amzn.to/2ePnias

Blurb:   For as long as she can remember, Keri Jackson has despised the hype and commercialism around Christmas so much she seldom enjoys the holiday. Will she get her wish and be free of the angst to truly enjoy Christmas this year? 

A devout Christian at heart, Jeremy Hinton, a Psychotherapist, Life Coach, Spiritual Mentor and Energy Medicine Practitioner has studied all of the world’s religions and homeopathic healing modalities. But when a rare bacterial infection threatens the life of the woman he loves, will all of his faith and training be for naught? 

Find out in Keri’s Christmas Wish   

Excerpt: 

She awoke in another dimension. Keri had no idea if she was in Heaven, but neither did she fear Hell. Her surroundings were reminiscent of a dense forest at dusk. Shadows danced against a sunset where brilliant colors bled from the sky. A light shone in the distance but as she moved toward it, Keri felt as though she plowed through molasses. Unease pricked her skin. The sound of water drew her deeper into the woods until she stood at the base of a vast waterfall and rapids so swift she dared not attempt to cross the river. 

The light grew stronger, brighter. Beckoning. 

I need to get to the light.    

 Author Bio:

 

Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

Links: 

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com 

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com 

Facebook: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib 

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/pamelasthibodea/ 

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1jUVcdU 

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pamela-s-thibodeaux      

Blog Tour: The Playmaker by Andrew Grey

Title: The Playmaker
Author: Andrew Grey
Series: Currently a Standalone
Genre: M/M Contemporary/Sports Romance/LBGTQ
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: Nov 2016
Edition/Formats Available In: eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

Professional football player Hunter Davis is learning that saying he’s gay is very different from actively being in a relationship with another man—especially in the eyes of his teammates and fans. So when Hunter needs a personal assistant to keep him organized, he asks for a woman to prevent tongues from wagging.

Montgomery Willis badly needs to find work before he loses everything. There’s just one position at the agency where he applies, but the problem is, he’s not a woman. And he knows nothing about football. Still, Hunter gives him a chance, but only because Monty’s desperate.

Monty soon proves his worth by saving Hunter’s bacon on an important promotional shoot, and Hunter realizes he might have someone special working for him—in more ways than one. Monty’s feelings come to the surface during an outing in the park when Hunter decides to teach Monty a bit about the game, and pictures surface of them in some questionable positions. Hunter is reminded that knowing he’s gay and seeing evidence in the papers is very different for the other players, and he might have to choose between two loves: football and Monty.

Blog Tour: Jax by J.L. Perry

Title: JAX
Author: J.L. Perry 
Series: It is an Interconnected Story to Bastard
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Hachette
Release Date: Nov 27 2016
Edition 1st ~ Formats ~ eBook & Print

Blurb/Synopsis:

My name is Jaxson Albright. To my friends I’m known as Jax. I’m the disgraced son of well-known Politician, Malcom Albright. You could say I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I was supposed to follow in my father’s footsteps and move into politics. My whole childhood was spent being groomed for this role, but that wasn’t what I wanted. I had other plans.

To my family’s disgust, I’m inked, I’m pierced and I own and run a tattoo parlour, in the hip suburb of Newtown. I fit in here. I can be the man I was destined to be, the man my family are ashamed of. The son they regret having.

I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my saviour, Candice. My pink-haired angel. We grew up in the same circle, but like me, she’s an outcast. She refused to conform to society’s ways. She’s the only one who stuck by me and not only encouraged, but supported my dream.

I love her. No, correction—I’m in love with her. I have been for as long as I can remember. She has no idea how I feel. It’s a battle I struggle with daily. I’ve kept my secret all these years because I couldn’t risk losing her. That’s a chance I’m not prepared to take, because she’s my best friend; my only real family.

I’ve spent the last few years moving from one hot chick to the next, trying to mask these feeling I have. But it doesn’t help—I can’t get her out of my head. She still owns my damn heart.

How do you get over the girl you know you can never have? And how do you live without the one person on this earth who is made for you?

She’s my soulmate.

Book Blast: The Curly Wolf by Michael Kayser

The settlers in the Redbud Valley are peaceable, God-fearing folk who try to follow the golden rule, but they've been pushed too far by the mayor of Blue Stone, who wants their land and seemingly has the law on his side. Just as the nesters are banding together to resist the land grab, Blue Stone's newest deputy rides through their valley. Before they realize the sleepy-eyed youngster called Arizona is a veteran gunfighter hired to bulldoze them off their claims, he has already broken bread with them, danced with their daughters…and stolen the heart of one.

Young Theresa Gutierrez believes Arizona is more than a curly wolf with quick trigger fingers and a stone-cold heart, but her parents and neighbors have good reason to believe otherwise. What everyone agrees upon is that, in the brewing range war, the Arizona Kid is liable to be right smack in the midst of the killing.

Buy on Amazon

M.R. Kayser grew up in the West--first in the frontier-like wilds of Alaska, then the rugged deserts of New Mexico, where western culture and folklore made an impression which lasts to this day. He's been a soldier, a film maker, a hot-rodder and an all-around social misfit, but has always had stories to tell--whether of the old West; the present day; or of distant galaxies and alien dimensions.

Book Spotlight: Forgotten Trails by Bonnie R. Paulson

When a Native American Salish woman seeks out her past, she must challenge her beliefs in herself and her family or lose her chance at love. 

 Rachiah has always prided herself in her heritage in the Salish community in northwestern Montana. When she finds out her dad isn’t her biological father, Rachiah determines it’s time to find out the truth everyone has kept hidden. 

 Damon has hurt a girl like Rachiah in the past. His need to make it up to her and assuage his guilt overwhelms him, forcing him to pursue a friendship with Rachiah when her aloofness would normally discourage him from trying further. 

 Will Damon’s need to fix his guilty past mess with Rachiah’s need to find herself? Or will they both diminish into the forgotten world of what-ifs and ranches? 

 Grab the next installment of the Montana Trails series and get roped into a family saga worth risking your heart for.

Buy on Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo / iBooks

Start the series for FREE - Broken Trails - Amazon / iBooks / Kobo / Barnes and Noble



Real people, real loss, real love.

Bonnie focuses on the emotional thrill of the romance, the discovery of self and the dynamic forces at play to both pull and push love growth.

With 6 children and her own eternal romance at home, Bonnie lives her own dream every day. She's spoiled with blessings and wants to share the joy of ever-after possibilities with others.

Whether it's a happy-ever-after or a happy-for-now, the emotions will leave you story drunk for days, if not years. You'll be able to say where you were when you closed the book. Surviving all things real and coming out better on the other side.

 Follow on: Facebook / Website/ Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter/ Literary Addicts / Amazon

Romance Your Autumn Nights Kindle Giveaway!

Welcome to the Romance Your Autumn Nights

Kindle Giveaway! 

PRIZES

GRAND PRIZE – Kindle eReader + $25 Amazon gift card

1^st PRIZE – $50 Amazon gift card (2 winners)

2^nd PRIZE – $25 Amazon gift card (2 winners)

3^rd PRIZE – $10 Amazon gift card (2 winners)

4^th PRIZE – $5 Amazon gift card (2 winners)

5^th Various swag items (5 winners – US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/080aaeb410/

And please join our FaceBook Party for more chances to win!

https://www.facebook.com/events/314701298907182/

Wild Women Authors: Meet Ruby; She Specializes in the Dead

Wild Women Authors: Meet Ruby; She Specializes in the Dead:



With everyone she loves in the grave, Ruby specializes in the dead.  Trip wants to bring her back to the land of the living....



Check out the interview with Ruby Silver from Wild Wild Ghost!

Enter to Win $600 in Amazon Gift Cards in the Phenomenal Fall Giveaway, featuring Authors of #PNR and #UrbanFantasy

Fall has arrived!

Enter to win $600 in Amazon Gift Cards!

One simple entry will subscribe you to 30 Romance Author Newsletters.

Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us.

Participating Authors:

Demelza Carlton | Abbie Roads | Marissa Dobson |Heather C. Myers | Tracy Ellen | Anna Lowe | Jenn Windrow | Kathleen Groger | Amy Lamont | Valerie Twombly | S.M. Schmitz | Tmonique Stephens | Margo Bond Collins | Blaire Edens | Erin Hayes | Rissa Blakely | LJ Swallow | Eileen Cruz Coleman | Michele Bardsley |C.E. Black | Grace White | Asa Maria Bradley | Jennifer Hilt | Wendy Knight | Elizabeth Marx | Laxmi Hariharan | Melanie Karsak | Mary D. Brooks | Emma Nichols | PUF Bargains

Enter to win!

http://lovekissedbooks.com/2016/09/01/enter-to-win-the-phenomenal-fall-giveaway/

The Phenomenal Fall Giveaway! Enter to Win $600 in Amazon Gift Cards!

Fall has arrived!

Enter to win $600 in Amazon Gift Cards!

One simple entry will subscribe you to 30 Romance Author Newsletters.

Unsubscribe any time, but please don't label us as spam. Better still, stick around and get to know us.

Participating Authors:

Demelza Carlton | Abbie Roads | Marissa Dobson |Heather C. Myers | Tracy Ellen | Anna Lowe | Jenn Windrow | Kathleen Groger | Amy Lamont | Valerie Twombly | S.M. Schmitz | Tmonique Stephens | Margo Bond Collins | Blaire Edens | Erin Hayes | Rissa Blakely | LJ Swallow | Eileen Cruz Coleman | Michele Bardsley |C.E. Black | Grace White | Asa Maria Bradley | Jennifer Hilt | Wendy Knight | Elizabeth Marx | Laxmi Hariharan | Melanie Karsak | Mary D. Brooks | Emma Nichols | PUF Bargains

Enter to win!

http://lovekissedbooks.com/2016/09/01/enter-to-win-the-phenomenal-fall-giveaway/

Book Spotlight: Reaper's Kiss by Allison West

 

 Published: August 30, 2016 

 Publisher: Blushing Books 

Genre: Paranormal, Romantic Erotica, BDSM   

Heir to the throne of Casmerelda, Princess Ophelia has a knack for disobeying the rules. When she sneaks out in secret to visit her boyfriend, her life takes an unexpected twist. She is murdered by an unknown assailant outside the Blue Moon Tavern and is tasked with being a grim reaper. Is it punishment for her naughty night outings or the Dacre curse? 

 Wynter Gael has no choice but to reap the soul of Ophelia Dacre and bring her into the world of the undead. Responsible for reaping souls and fixing her mistakes, he must decide if putting her over his knee is worth it or if she should be sent to the royal council for further disciplinary action. 

Reaper’s Kiss is a paranormal erotic novel with elements of spankings, anal play, graphic sex, and mild violence.

Amazon | Blushing Books | All Romance | iBooks

EXCERPT

“I don’t like it.”

 What was there to like? Larkin, the gentleman she’d been sneaking out to visit had an appointment with death. He felt bad for the guy, especially given the fact the girl he liked was recently murdered, but what could he do?

 “You’re not supposed to,” Wynter said and sighed. “Maybe you should stay here for today.”

 “The hell I am!” Leila stood up. Her hands in fists. “I’m not going to sit by and idly watch as you reap the man I love! Not a chance in hell!”

 

Interview with the Author

  What inspired you to write about grim reapers? Many years ago I enjoyed a show titled Dead Like Me which inspired the idea for this novel. It was intended to be a series for young adults and was eventually redone for the adult romance genre. Personally I felt like this story had so much more potential as I was originally writing it in the YA category and struggled to keep in tame. When the publisher that the YA series was with went under, this gave me the opportunity to really make this book shine.

  Do you plan to write a sequel for Reaper's Kiss? If the book is well received I would definitely consider a sequel or possibly even a spin-off. There are many more areas to explore in the undead world.

  I read Dead Girl Walking, is this the same novel? Yes and no. There are many story elements that are the same but the novel is definitely hotter and sexier. Edon's character no longer exists, Wynter takes on more of a role, and Ophelia finds herself bent over his knee for a spanking! I can guarantee that never happened in the young adult version!

About the Author

Allison West is a #1 International Best-Selling Author in Erotica, BDSM, Romantic Erotica, Sci-Fi, Victorian, and Historical Erotica. She also writes young adult novels under the name Ruth Silver.   

Allison West has been inventing worlds and writing stories for years. Her favorite novels are those that leave a lasting impression, long after the final page is read.

You can find more about Allison on Facebook and Twitter.  
 Visit her website here: http://spankingauthor.com/  

 Don’t miss these exciting titles by Allison West and Blushing Books!    
  Little Prim and Proper
  The Victorian Shift
  The Decoy Bride
  Delia’s Debt Little 
  Secrets
  Jailed Little Jade
  Enrolling Little Etta
  The Nanny Fire Licked
  The Murderess
  Betrayed by Blood

Spotlight On: Death Chaser by Xandra James (A Hotel Paranormal Novel)

The Hotel Paranormal is THE place for supernatural beings looking to get away from it all. Beings like werewolves, vampires, elves, sprites, djinn and more check in from all over the world for business and for pleasure—and sometimes for both. www.thehotelparanormal.com

The Hotel Paranormal series kicks off with the demonically delicious Death Chaser by Xandra James!


Sam Cross was dead and had been put on that list. She didn't get to pass go, collect £200 and live in heaven for all eternity. Nope. She had been requested by the Necromancer himself to work on his behalf as a Death Chaser—a being that collects the essence of those who have refused to honour their life contract and just, well, die.

Trouble was, dealing with demons, family secrets, recently discovered kick-ass abilities, and her sexily arrogant new boss, her life was getting more complicated by the second. Being dead was definitely stressful—especially when you turn down a deal with the devil and all hell breaks loose...

Goodreads | Amazon





About the Author

British, multi-published author Xandra James, is addicted to caffeine and chocolate chip muffins. She's also an advocate of bed hair and pyjamas when she's on a deadline. When not writing, she's usually reading the latest romance books and stalking her favourite authors. Sign up to her newsletter for more info!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | Newsletter

Enter to Win Paranormal and Western Romances from the Authors of The Good, the Bad, and the Ghostly!

The authors of The Good, the Bad, and the Ghostly are sponsoring an ebook giveaway including western and paranormal romances. Enter to win, and be sure to check out the collection!  

Sponsored by the authors of

What do you get when you mix cowboys with ghosts? A collection of eight (stand-alone) amazing stories from the Old West with haunts of every variety.

 Get your love of alpha cowboys on and feed your addiction for the bizarre (and sometimes spooky) world when you download The Good, The Bad and The Ghostly.

 New York Times, USA Today, & Amazon Bestselling and Award-winning authors are pleased to save you more than 75% on this fantastic boxed set! (Price if books sold separately)

* * *

Wild, Wild Ghost by Margo Bond Collins 

With everyone she loves in the grave, Ruby specializes in the dead.

Comes An Outlaw by Keta Diablo
An outlaw returns to his childhood home to find his parents and brother dead, and the lovely widow in grave danger.

Long A Ghost, and Far Away by Andrea Downing
Ghosts are restless souls, and Lizzie Adams is one of them. How many lives will she get to find the perfect love?

A Ghostly Wager by Blaire Edens
Even a skeptical detective needs a little otherworldly help.

How the Ghost Was Won by Erin Hayes
There are ghost stories. And there are ghost legends.

McKee's Ghost by Anita Philmar
The ghost living in his house might have saved him from an unhappy marriage and brought him the girl of his dreams but when his ex- fiancé returns, the same spirit turns his life upside down.

A Ride Through Time by Charlene Raddon
P.S.I. Agent Burke Jameson wants to find out if Eagle Gulch, Colorado has genuine ghosts. But he found far more than he expected, including a horse ride that could change his life forever

The Ghost and the Bridegroom by Patti Sherry-Crews
She's sent west to solve a case. What she finds will change her forever.  

Enter to win ebooks from these authors.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour: For Her Sister by Lara Sleath

k

FOR HER SISTER

by Lara Sleath

YA Paranormal Suspense

Evernight Teen Publishing / 61,000 words

Eighteen-year-old Bresha blames herself for her younger sister's death. She knew that Arlene was gullible and fragile. Yet she still let her tone-deaf sister meet with Saul Sanderstorm, a record company mogul whose charisma is as big as his temper. 

When Arlene is found floating in Camden Lock canal, the police call it suicide. But Bresha knows different. She knows that sleazy Saul is somehow to blame. And so does Arlene's ghost. Why else would she fog up mirrors and trace the letter S for Saul through the condensation on the glass? Now, Bresha has to find a way to prove that Saul's guilty. 

When Bresha discovers that Saul is getting a kick out of mentally breaking singers, she wonders if this happened to Arlene. The truth has to be ugly and shocking. Because why else would Saul be prepared to do anything to conceal it? 

Bresha faces a choice. Risk her life to unearth the facts. Or drop the case and be forever tormented by her sister's ghost. 

Buy Links:  Evernight Teen    Amazon    ARe   

Someone was screaming. She realized that it was her. She found herself on her feet. She took off down the path, her breath jagged, her shoes pounding over the gravel. Fire flashed against her legs, as the nettles stung her.

She ran a few more steps. She had to be faster than him. Surely, she was faster. He was paunchy old man. Her feet hit a boulder and she stumbled. She felt his hands on her back. Slam. He pushed her down. A burning pain shot across her cheek, as her face smashed into the gravel.

She scrambled up and ran on. He sprang on her from behind. Again, he brought her down. She twisted around. He threw himself on top of her, his weight crushing her. She reached up and tried to claw his face, but he caught her hands and pinned them down by her sides onto the path.

“You will not to do this to me,” he snarled. “You will not ruin me.”

Bresha tried to speak, but her tongue was frozen. She gazed into his eyes, hoping to reason with him on an unspoken level, human to human. She’d read somewhere that eyes were supposed to be the view point into people’s souls. Now she saw his soul. It looked like the photograph of a cancerous organ on the side of a cigarette packet, black and festering.

He brought his head toward her lips. Was he going to kiss her like he might have been trying to do that day on the couch? She turned her head away, pushing one side of her face into the grit. He’d never kiss her. She’d die before he kissed her.

She felt him bite into her neck. He was giving her a love bite, the sick pig. She screamed as he drew blood. 

***

British born Lara Sleath has been writing stories - on paper and in her head - for as long as she can remember. But gave up on the idea of becoming a writer because she believed that the idea was too far-fetched. Instead she took the only slightly more sensible option of working in the music industry.

But even that proved too dull for Lara. In her mid-twenties, she set off from London with her boyfriend in a battered VW van. Their aim was to drive to India. They arrived a quarter of a year after adventures with warlords and after having seen many mind-blowing sights.

Today, the boyfriend in the beaten-up VW van is Lara's husband. She lives with him and their two children in Vancouver, Canada close to the ocean and the mountains. Lara writes every day surrounded by an army of cats. For Her Sister is her debut novel.

***

Giveaway: $10  Evernight Teen Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway