TERRARIUMS
Book 2 - Hiram
Contemporary Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 8.2K
$0.99 e
Welcome to BEWITCHERY Floral Arts & Gifts.
When the old man came to buy a tulip for his sick wife, something about him
tugged at Agatha's heart. It wasn't until she learned the story about Hiram's
plight that she knew she had to do something to make his and his wife's life
better.
That was before a kid entered the shop with a gun.
NEW!
BULLETPROOF
Dark
Paranormal Romance
By
Linda Mooney
Word
Count: 56.3K
$3.99 e
/ $10.99 p
Wanting
to wind down after a week-long seminar, U.S. Federal Marshal Stokker Teague
finds himself in a hotel bar with plans to celebrate with a few drinks. Seeing
a cute female sitting alone a few tables away, he’s interested and decides to
make his move to see if she’ll bite. He’s got some time to kill before his
flight home in a couple of days, so why not?
Diane takes the bait, but their one-night stand ends up being so much more than either of them expected. Diane knows she’s getting sidetracked from her job but this time it can wait. She deserves some fun, even though she’s sure it won’t last.
When time starts ticking on a job, Diane must strike when the opportunity presents itself. She takes her shot and runs. It breaks her heart to leave Stokker, but she convinces herself it couldn’t last. Her job would always keep them apart—except it seems fate has other plans. They keep running into each other no matter how much she wants to stay away and keep Stokker from finding out the truth.
When Stokker discovers who Diane really is and what she is, he’s torn between his job and his heart. Does he turn her over to the police for murder, or should he allow her to keep delivering her brand of vigilante justice?
Warning! Contains bullet flushing, a Dastardly Good Donut Shop, faulty (?) surveillance cameras, wearing socks in bed, a girl named Carla, a look that can kill, and two people learning to cope with the uniqueness of their love affair.
Excerpt and Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/Bulletproof.htm
New!
G8
The 8th Species, Book 2
Contemporary Sci-Fi/Paranormal Romance
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 46.2K
$3.99 e / $10.99 p
G8 Children and the others are adjusting and learning to live freely outside of the underground bunker that they were once led to believe was normal life. They’re trying to find jobs as they scrounge for food and clothing, although the town is nice enough to help them whenever possible. But they’re determined to do it on their own, for the first time ever.
When a fire at Docenti Labs sent everyone running, Ingrid Shyne was told to wipe the computers and get out, but she couldn’t leave the babies behind. How could anyone? She escapes with them, hiding out at her parents’ place, but she knows she can’t keep the infants forever. They’re Chimeras, created in a lab like the other “children” who escaped, and they need to be with those who understand them. When she reaches out, she’s welcomed with open arms, especially by one in particular.
Ingrid can’t wait to share all the firsts with G8—first love, first changing of the seasons, first holiday season, first birthday celebration. It breaks her heart that he and his family have been deprived of the joys in life she’d always taken for granted. But all of this could be taken away before they ever get a chance to experience any of it.
The sheriff soon calls G8 up to begin work in his new deputy position and aid them in investigating the abandoned labs, along with the help of Ingrid since she worked there. But they soon realize their lives are at risk. For good reason. They’ll need everyone’s special abilities, along with local law enforcement, to protect themselves as well as the second generation of Chimeras.
Warning: Contains no wrong moves, eggs with beans,
surviving, healing, a classic Chevy, BOOM!, and two people refusing to give up
hope for love and a life together.
Excerpt and Buy Links: https://lindamooney.com/8thSpecies.htm
New!
ZODIANS
12 Romantic Vignettes Based on the Star Signs
Paranormal/
Contemporary Fantasy
/Post-Apocalyptic
by Linda Mooney
Word Count: 24.2K
$2.99 e / $9.99 p
Capricorn
– Phillip discovers his guide is more suited for the terrain than he knew.
Aquarius – Meomi inherited her family farm, only to be hit with a major
drought.
Pisces – Elliot came to get his fortune read. Instead, Dorrie discovered
hers.
Aries – Thugs thought the old couple camping out would be easy prey.
Taurus – Tark saves a young heifer sent to the slaughterhouse where he works.
Gemini – Lucia thought she was the last person alive after an apocalyptic
event.
Cancer – Arlene offered him water on a scorching summer day, not realizing
how he would react.
Leo – Linsie discovers why one particularly reclusive movie star is
considered to be “the least vain man in Hollywood”.
Virgo – Penni finds out that sometimes a minor traffic infraction can be a
good thing.
Libra – It has been years since Myles has met a woman so pure of heart.
Scorpio – Aria’s story about a missing child isn’t what Hart expected to hear.
Then again, she was nothing like he expected either.
The full
moon illuminated the open field adjacent to the cabin. It enabled Crestan to
make his way like a silent ghost toward the building whose windows now shone
like tiny suns in the night. Smoke from the chimney rose upward until it
appeared to envelope the glowing orb.
Reaching
the line of trees that edged the field, he quickly shed his outer skin. Bared
in his human form, he shivered in the frosty air, but he continued toward the
cabin. Partially formed ice crystals crunched beneath his feet, cutting into
his flesh, but he tried to ignore the pain. He had to see inside the cabin to
make sure.
He
carefully peered inside the first window he came to and spotted the fireplace
on the other side of the room. It cheerfully provided warmth and more light along
with the two lanterns already lit within.
He could
hear muffled voices, but the people speaking weren’t visible from this end. He
moved to the end of the cabin where the other window was located. Here, the voices
were clearer. Even though his natural form had more acute senses, he wasn’t
able to understand human conversation unless he was in his human form.
Slowly,
gradually, he raised his head above the sill to look inside. Sitting at a table
near the window was an older man with a young boy. They were eating from bowls
as they conversed.
“So this
moon is called the Hunter’s Moon cuz this is when we go huntin’?” the child,
who couldn’t have been more than twelve, asked.
“In a way,”
the man replied. “You see, in the olden days, this is the time of year when hunters
and farmers would go out and hunt near and far. They’d bring in as much game as
they could. They’d skin it to use the hides for clothing and whatnot. Then
smoke and preserve the meat, and store it so they’d have enough food to last
them through the cold winter months when the game would be too scarce to find.”
“Why didn’t
they go to the store to get food?” the child asked.
The man
chuckled. “Grocery stores didn’t exist back then. They had to hunt, or grow
their own food in gardens.”
“And that’s
why we came here to the cabin you and Grandpa always came to? To hunt so we’d
have enough food for the winter?”
The man
laughed again and reached over to tousle the hair on top of the boy’s head. “Yes.
To hunt. Most of the time we do it more for sport. We don’t really need the
meat. Although your mother does enjoy fixing stews and all with the deer meat
if we happen to get us a buck or doe.”
“At school,
Mrs. Tafta told us the full moon this month was called the Dying Grass Moon,”
the child stated, reaching for a cracker.
“She did,
huh?”
“I guess
that’s because the grass is all dead and turning brown, like the leaves die and
turn colors on the trees.”
“Could be,”
the man said. “Never heard it called that before, but it sounds about right.
Although I have heard it called the Travel Moon a couple of times.” He snorted.
“Heaven knows why it’s called that.”
They ate in
silence for a while, when the boy spoke again.
“Do we
hafta hunt for deer? Can we hunt squirrels and all, too?”
“We’ll see
if we can’t get us a turkey if we come across any,” the man admitted. He
gestured to the child’s bowl. “Hurry up and finish your chili. Then dress up
good and warm. It’s gonna be a cold night tonight. Oh, and don’t forget your
gloves!”
“I thought
you and Grandpa hunted in the mornin’ ‘for the sun come up,” the boy commented
before shoving a spoonful of chili in his mouth.
“Normally
we do. But since the moon’s so bright out, and the deer love to feed when it’s
a night like this, I thought we’d sneak out to the deer blind and see if we
can’t bag us a nice buck before daylight.”
Grabbing
his bowl, the man got to his feet. Crestan quickly ducked below the window to
prevent being seen. He heard a chair scrape and knew the two males would soon
be leaving the cabin to venture across the field to the other side where a tiny
hut on stilts sat at the edge of the tree line.
Which meant
his time was limited.
Hurrying
back to the far side of the cabin, he resumed his natural form, taking a few
seconds to let the warmth soak back into his muscles and blood. With his feet
now hooves again, the brittle grasses and ice crystals no longer hurt, and he
bounded across the field to reach the safety of the trees.
He quickly
retreated to the small copse of sheltering oaks. There, he found his mate
lightly dozing, waiting for his return.
“Vuli!
Vuli, wake up!”
She opened
her eyes, her slender head jerking up at the sound of urgency in his voice.
“What’s wrong?” Her eyes suddenly widened. “They’re back, aren’t they?”
“Yes, but
it’s the father and his young son this time. And they’re preparing to go out to
the small hut to hunt tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“Yes! We
have to leave and find shelter somewhere else to stay until they go away!”
She
awkwardly got to her feet, her body ponderous with the pending birth of their youngling.
“We need to warn the others,” she told him.
“We will.
Come. I’ll clear the way for us.”
He went
ahead, using the massive rack of antlers on his head to keep the overhanging
limbs and brush from biting into her distended sides. Whenever they encountered
a family of squirrels, they let them know to remain hidden from sight until the
humans left. The squirrels promised to spread the word.
They
traveled most of the night. At times they thought they heard the distant sound
of gunfire coming from behind them, and their hearts bled at the thought of the
animals who might have met the end of their lives tonight.
When Vuli
could go no farther, he found her a large strand of maple where she could take
refuge. As she trampled down the dead leaves to make a comfortable bed to lie
on, Crestan stood guard. Overhead, the shiny white moon cast its bright light
over the surrounding trees. With his enhanced vision, he could see a great
distance in either direction.
Nothing
would get to his mate or to him tonight. Or the next night. Or the night after
that. He would give his life for her and their unborn babe.
“Crestan?”
Her voice was as weak as she was, but for now they were safe.
He glanced
down at her and gave her a loving smile. “Don’t worry, my Vuli.”
“I was so
worried when you were gone.”
“I had to
go. You know that. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have learned they were back, or that
they were going hunting tonight.” He motioned upward with his nose. “Did you
know this moon is called the Hunter’s Moon?”
“My mother
always told me it was the ‘danger moon.’ When the leaves turn color and start
to fall off the trees, that is when life is the most at danger.” Sighing, she
set her head down between her front legs. “Tomorrow when the sun comes back,
will we have to leave again?”
“I don’t
think so. But if we must, we’ll do it when it’s dark. It’ll be safer then. Their
eyesight is pitiful, even with the moonlight.”
“Crestan,
lie next to me? I need your warmth.”
He
stretched out beside her. Truth be told, he was as exhausted as she was. Moreso
because of his worry and fear for her.
Before
long, she was asleep, her nose nestled in his fur. Somehow, he managed to
remain awake the rest of the night and allowed himself to rest only when the
Hunter’s Moon finally sank below the horizon to make way for the sun.
Easter eggs in our stories could be messages, or perhaps jokes or puzzles that we add for the reader to find. I haven't included them often in my stories, but I think they're fun to add. They can be simple things or maybe mentions that only a small number of people would understand.
In my book Once Upon A Princess: Land of Dreams the heroine is a lost princess (which makes sense since it's a fairy tale retelling). The hint to her identity is in her name - at least it is for readers of the other two books in the series.
Since this is a sequel to book one, I continued the story with a few of the characters. The heroine is named after the grandmother in the first book. So, a reader who is paying attention will know the heroine's origins before they are revealed to everyone else.
Here's another example: in my Hathor Legacy series, the planet Hathor has twin moons called Isis and Osiris. I chose them because of the symbolism of what those mythological characters represent. In the first book, the heroine Nadira is helping Jonathan (the hero) to find his father. In Egyptian mythology Isis is looking for her husband Osiris. So, the names of the planets reflect the journey of the hero and heroine in the book. In addition, the goddess Hathor is patron of miners, and the planet Hathor's economy is based on mining.
For my novella Metamorphosis, that is part of a series called Worlds of Fire, (and will be included in the upcoming Pets in Space 6 Anthology) I included two easter eggs. I won't be giving away spoilers by mentioning one of them. In that story world phoenix shifters are very important. When they transform, they create the portals that open up the pathways to other worlds. They play a role in this story and in my upcoming book in the series, Blood Red Moon.
And the Floating World, the location of the beginning of Metamorphosis, also plays a central role in Blood Red Moon. Readers of both books will see the connection. Which might inspire them to find other connections between these books and others. It's part of the fun - for the author to include these mentions and for the reader to find them. If you haven't hidden any in your books perhaps it might be a good idea to give it a try.
Interested in checking out Metamorphosis? Pets in Space 6 is now in pre-order and launches on October 5th.
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Writer, podcaster and author of fiction & non-fiction books.
DBaileyCoach.com/Brightbooks
There’s a meme
going around twitter: post five things about your novel. My current Work In
Progress is By Glamour Deceived, a paranormal romance. So here goes. It has:
--a faerie princess, who didn’t know she was a princess, who is also
--a video game designer, who can twist story elements with her magic
--a spell to find True Love
--a Troll and an Elf, who were born one half-blood being, but were split in two as a child
--and an Evil Queen (did it even have to be said?)
Just for fun, I’m going to do Five Things from my latest release as well. Feral is a YA paranormal.
--Teen werewolves and Pack dynamics
--A girl Alpha and a boy Beta
--a mysterious plane crash
--a character from Slavic folklore
--a small town near a large forest in northern Canada
Anyone else want to play? Post your five things in the comments.
I wrote my first book at age 13 and never stopped. I write SF/fantasy and paranormal for both teens and adults. My latest novel is Feral.
LEGEND. LORE. LOVE. MAGIC.
These are the hallmarks of Dani Harper’s award-winning tales of faeries, shapeshifters, ghosts, and more, for a mature audience. A former newspaper editor, Dani’s passion for all things supernatural led her to a second career writing fiction. There isn’t anything she likes better than exploring myths and legends from many cultures, which serve to inspire her sizzling and suspenseful stories.
by Maureen Bonatch
I’ve joined up with a group of 13 other authors to write a short story to be release on Friday, November 13th. I’d always wanted to write something a little darker, so this seemed like the perfect opportunity. As I reviewed the requirements to connect the story one thing stood out—no paranormal.
Wait? What? I hesitated but then thought, sure, that’s no problem. Well, it was more of a problem initially than I anticipated. As I wrote the story I had to keep chasing out ghosts, and other paranormal elements that were just dying to get into the story. I hadn’t realized how much my mind strayed to a paranormal path on its own.
The story started and stopped and I shifted things around and then got frustrated that a short story—with a goal of 13,000 words—was proving harder to write than a full-length novel. I took some time to reflect on the story and the characters that were waiting to tell their tale. That’s when I realized what I’d known all along. The truth is often stranger than fiction. This year has proven that time and time again, but when you take a look at the news, and the people that fill the pages with bizarre stories that leave us asking ourselves, what would make someone act that way?
Indeed, what would. I’ve always been fascinated with the mind. Many of the movies that frighten me the most are the ones that seem as if they could actually happen because they’re about normal people, acting abnormally evil.
The story began to write itself without any paranormal elements and came out pretty creepy (as I’d hoped) just the same. I discovered I did enjoy writing a little bit on the darker side, but I still loved my paranormal elements.
You can be the judge this fall when Till Death is released along with 12 other author’s murderous mysteries and suspense stories just in time for Friday the 13th—if you dare.
If you want to find out more about the creation of this story, and more, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter.
Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter
I wrote my first book at age 13 and never stopped. I write SF/fantasy and paranormal for both teens and adults. My latest novel is Feral.
