Summary:
Branded on the slaves in the Northern Reaches beyond Ungstah, the scar marks each one as a Downer. It is who they are. There is no escaping this world. Still, strange things are stirring.
Two foreigners ride through the Northern Reaches on a secret mission. An unknown cloaked figure wanders the streets of the dark city of Ungstah. What they want no one can be sure, but it all centers around a Downer named Crik.
Crik, too scared to seek freedom, spends his days working in his master’s store, avoiding the spirit-eating Ash Kings, and scavenging food for himself and his best friend, Jak. Until he steals from the wrong person. When Jak is sold to satisfy the debt, Crik burns down his master’s house and is sentenced to death.
To survive, Crik and his friends must leave behind their life of slavery to do what no other Downer has ever done before – escape from the city of Ungstah.
Orgon aimed a devious smile at Crik, who was too afraid to move. “Tell me, boy, what is your hand doing on a plate that you didn’t buy?”
Crik said nothing. His hands trembled and his stomach suddenly felt as if he had swallowed lead. He tried to jerk away, but he could not free himself.
“Let’s see what we have under here.” Orgon tore open Crik’s sleeve, which revealed an ample scar on his shoulder. The man’s mouth widened, bearing the gaps where many teeth should’ve been.
“It appears we have a Downer, and in my inn no less. What shall we do to him?” Orgon looked toward Crik. “What shall we do to you? Shall we skin you? Hang your flesh above my door?”
All the men and women in the inn jumped to their feet and shouted, as if Orgon had just announced free drinks for everyone. Crik tried to pry Orgon’s fingers off his wrist, but the man’s strength was too great. He dragged Crik into the center of the hall as if he held nothing more than a doll.
“You have sticky fingers, do you?” Orgon said. “We’ll have to cure that, won’t we? Bring me my butcher’s knife! I’m about to do some carving—make me some souvenirs.”
As Skora walked behind the counter and retrieved a crudely sharpened blade, Crik searched the room for a merciful face. All of their eyes yearned for his flesh, for fresh Downer blood . . . all but one. Durgan was neither shouting nor smiling—he was standing and smoking. Though Crik didn’t see mercy in his eyes, he didn’t see the lust for his blood there either. But he knew the man wouldn’t help. Crik was on his own.
This was it. This was his end. How long would Jak wait for him in the alley, he wondered. He stared at the table in front of him, his gaze falling on a plate that still had pieces of food on it. That was all that he wanted: a bite of food.
Skora handed Orgon the knife and Crik felt the owner’s hand grow tighter around his arm. He leaned in close to Crik’s ear and whispered. “Your death won’t be completely in vain. Know that you’ll provide a meal to my dogs for a good week.”
Just then, the door to the inn opened. Orgon glanced at the cloaked woman who entered. Without even thinking about it, Crik grabbed the plate from the table in front of him and swung it, crashing it into Orgon’s face and breaking his few remaining teeth. Orgon threw his hand over his mouth, blood dripping down his chin.
Crik was free. He leapt onto the table and kicked a plate at Skora, catching a piece of chicken in his hand. Too fat to get out of the way, she tripped over a chair and fell on her bottom. Pieces of food rained down on her. Crik hopped to the next table and snatched another piece of meat before jumping to the next one. Table after table he did this, stealing food along the way and leaping over grasping arms, until he reached the door and pushed past the woman who unwittingly saved his life.
Author Bio:
Scott grew up in Black River, NY, the youngest of three children. While in law school, he realized he didn’t want to be a lawyer. So he did the practical thing – he became a writer. Now, many years later with an MFA in script and screenwriting, he is married with four daughters, two of whom he homeschools.
The Author Platform #1 Summary:
How To Build Yourself A Castle That Will Stand The Test Of Time
This first module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers is intended to provide an overview of an author platform, an explanation of its use and operation, and the simple, practical steps to follow to get started on building your own platform right now or fix an incomplete, ineffectual one.
How to Build a Novel #2
Summary:
How To Build A Novel – the easy way
The second module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified, clear way to construct a structurally sound novel, together with guidelines, suggestions, tips and a checklist to steer you away from rookie mistakes while helping you enhance the quality of your manuscript pre-edit.
10 Sane Thoughts for Harassed Writers #3
Summary:
How To Gain Perspective And Turn Setbacks Into Triumphs 10 Sane Thoughts For Harassed Writers
The third module of the Authorship Adventure Series delves into the psyche of writers and the way we relate to the demands of present-day society. Learn how to cope with your most hidden worries and fears, from the fear of failure to dealing with procrastination. Every chapter breaks down a problem before laying down tips and strategies for overcoming it.
Proof & Edit 101 #4
Summary:
Easy Basics Guaranteed To Save You Time And Money Proof And Edit 101 – Smart tips and tricks to put you ahead of the rest
The fourth module of the Authorship Adventure Series for writers provides a simplified look at basic grammar and punctuation, to give you a clear understanding of the most important factors when line editing and proofing your work. Tips and tricks for remembering easy rules, and examples every step of the way, provide you with the foundation you need to power through the mire of uncertain grammar and polish your novel to a high standard.
Use in conjunction with How To Build A Novel - What works, what doesn't, and how to fix the unfixable, to improve more aspects of your writing, whether you intend to work alone or simply want to make your editors love working with you.
Author Bio:
Ella Medler is a U.K. author and editor who lives in a corner of Heaven, on the south-west coast of Ireland, overlooking the Atlantic. She writes fiction in many genres - some after her own tastes, and some to make her readers happy. Sometimes, those two happen to coincide. A fierce supporter of genuine talent, Ella Medler founded Paper Gold Publishing because she believes there are authors out there who deserve a chance to shine, authors who would otherwise fall between the cracks of a crumbling, forever-shifting industry.
As an editor, Ella Medler has the tendency to nit-pick on plot issues while ignoring the type of rule which doesn't allow for a sentence to be finished in a preposition. If you want to win her over, make sure your books are action-packed, your characters real, and you bring chocolate.
The Authorship Adventure Series is a set of resources for writers, which is available free of charge to Paper Gold Publishing members (membership is free and unconditional).
Summary:
Get your heartbeat racing with 13 romantic-suspense novels from New York Times, USA Today, Amazon bestselling and award-winning authors. Nerve-wracking thrills and dangers, heart-melting romance and love--enjoy them all in this outstanding collection of DANGEROUS ENCOUNTERS....
Fallen Idol by Nikki Lynn Barrett
Sparks ignite between a single father and a singer making her musical comeback, but danger lurks in the distance, only getting closer as time goes on. For two people who want different things out of life, it's possible to find healing together...
Cross Examination by Denise Moncrief
Tamara Slay moves to Louisiana, hoping for a fresh start. An unexpected phone call from a Sheriff’s deputy in Florida shatters her new sense of security.
Lt. Martin Beck has been investigating the death of Brandy Fuller for years. New evidence leads him to meet the estranged wife of his primary suspect. Together, Beck and Tamara conclude that her husband Scott murdered eight women on the Florida Gulf coast.
Carnival Tricks by Jade Kerrion
A fight during Sofia's waitressing shift turns fatal, and a dying scientist launches her into the shady world of scientific espionage. The unwilling trustee of research that people would kill to obtain, Sofia turns to the man who steps out of the shadows to protect her, even though he appears as dangerous and disreputable as the people who hunt her.Together, Sofia and Kyle must unravel the truth behind the illicit information she carries before one or both of them are killed.
Height of Danger by Nancy and Nolan Radke
Someone is killing construction workers at a Central American dam site, and CIA operative Owen Putman is sent in undercover to discover the who and why. The boss' lovely daughter picks this time to visit her father, and Owen kidnaps her to keep her safe. He finds himself juggling his mission, her safety, and his identity - and she manages to endanger them all.
Six Days of Memories by Stacy Eaton
When Detective Foster responds to the scene of a crash, she finds the female passenger dead, a bag full of money in the back seat and a body in the trunk. It is only when the driver, whom she nicknames Jay, wakes up with no memory that she must go with her instincts and continue the investigation in a way that was never taught in the academy.
Broken Lies by Sharon Coady
After training with an Elitie unit of the Irish Special Forces, Niall is sent by his father to New York to be a bodyguard for Mr. Pierce. Abby is a woman with an abusive boyfriend and a painful past. She catches Niall's eye and he finds himself drawn to her.
Their lives change forever when they are drawn into a battle of deception, lies and murder. Can Niall keep her safe from whoever seems Hell bent of keeping them apart?
Don't Know Jack by Amy Manemann
Special Agent Jack Hamlin is a risk taker who isn’t afraid to do whatever it takes to bring criminals to justice. Until he meets small town bakery owner, Kate Monroe. Danger, white hot romance, and stress baking ensue as Kate is swept into Jack’s dangerous world—and Jack's loyalties and training are put to the test when his cover is blown, and Kate’s life is on the line.
Cypher by Cathy Perkins
When a hitman kills the wrong person, Detective David Morris confronts hidden agendas and conflicting motives in a powerful local family, while trying to control his attraction to the intended victim—a woman who should be dead, but instead is hell-bent on saving the remnants of her family.
Unwilling to stand by while her family and world are destroyed, Cara Wainwright rips apart the secrets surrounding Cypher, the company her father built—and will take any measures to defend.
Murderous Lies by Bestselling Author Chantel Rhondeau
Imprisoned for murder and exonerated after eight years, Max Kensington returns to his hometown. His return forces Rosemary Spelling, his ex-fiancée, to confront the past. The day Max allegedly killed her sister destroyed her life, ripping apart her family and landing her mother in a mental institution. When murders start again and all evidence points to Max, Rose must team up with him to catch her sister’s real killer.
Tidal Falls by Jacquie Biggar
Sara Reed is on the run from an abusive ex with ties to organized crime. Mistakenly thinking her and her daughter would be safer if she had some kind of leverage, she takes a copy of some valuable files. Files that make her a target.
Nick Kelley is an ex-marine trying to find his place now that his career is over due to injuries suffered from an IED. When the two of them meet in the pretty little town of Tidal Falls, the experience is explosive.
Suspended Animation by Sylvie Grayson
Katy Dalton worked hard and when her friend Bruno talked her into an investment in Rome Trucking, it seemed like a safe bet. But when her job disappears and she needs her money back, Bruno stops answering his phone and bad things start to happen.
The last thing Brett Rome wants to do is leave a promising career in hockey to come home and run his ailing father’s trucking company. What he discovers is not the successful business that he remembers, but one that is teetering on the edge of bankruptcy and a young woman demanding the return of her money. But danger lurks in the form of Bruno's dubious associates. What secret are they hiding and why are they willing to kill Katy? Can Brett put this broken picture back together, and is Katy part of the solution or the problem?
Knowing Vera by Rachelle Ayala
Vera's dating Zach, casually, not committed, when she discovers her long-departed father is the killer of Zach's mother many years ago. Meanwhile, Zach reevaluates his life after losing his leg in a tragic accident and realizes he's falling in love with Vera.
Can their timing be so wrong? Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival and find a dangerous killer before he can kill again.
Special Agent Francesca by Mimi Barbour
Is action her thrill of choice - or his lips?
Violence, suspense and sizzling romance explode during Special Agent Francesca’s humorous journey, fighting off the mob! Dr. Sean Collins wants to tame her! Yeah-like that’s gonna happen. Only one thing keeps Francesca motivated. Proving to her mother, the FBI “Snow Queen,” that working undercover is where she belongs.
Author Bios:
Nikki Lynn Barrett
I'm an avid lover of books. I've been writing as far back as I can remember, completing my first "book" by fifth grade in one of those one subject spiral notebooks. I have a passion for music, photography, jewelry and all things creative. I live in Arizona with my husband and son, but dream of being somewhere much colder and stormier. For now, I'll have to live that life through my characters and stick it out with the summer heat.
Denise Moncrief
Denise Moncrief is a Southern girl who has lived in Louisiana all her life, and yes, she has a drawl. She has a wonderful husband and two incredible children, who not only endure her writing moods, but also encourage her to indulge her writing passion. Besides writing romantic suspense, she enjoys traveling, reading, and scrapbooking.
Jade Kerrion
Jade Kerrion writes award-winning and occasionally best-selling science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary novels anchored on unlikely romances you will root for and happy endings you can believe in. Her favorite romance is the Double Helix love triangle between Galahad—the lab-created perfect human being; Danyael—an alpha empath and Galahad’s physical template; and Zara—the woman who can wreak more havoc with love than most people can with hate. Visit her website for a free copy of Perfection Unleashed, the six-time award winning novel that launched the Double Helix series.
Nancy & Nolan Radke
Nancy and Nolan Radke are a mother and son team who write individually, checking each other's books, and who have now collaborated on a mystery/thriller. Nancy draws upon a teaching background and Nolan has a law enforcement background and is now a building contractor.
Stacy Eaton
Stacy Eaton is an International Best Selling Amazon author of eight books and a full-time detective who has a passion for putting the pieces together while investigating the crime. She is also a wife, mother, business owner and on the board of directors for her local domestic violence center. When she’s not ‘working’, she’s ‘writing’. Stacy loves chilling with her family and photography.
Sharon Coady
Sharon Coady lives in Florida with her husband, three of their daughters and five of their eleven grandchildren. She wrote two books before discovering Romance novels. She has now written a romantic suspense, a romance novella and is currently writing a Christmas novella. She has two published novels. When not working as a nurse for the Veterans Administration or writing she enjoys spending time with her family and riding behind her husband on their Harley.
Amy Manemann
Amy Manemann is an International Best Selling Author who writes sexy and intriguing romantic suspense, young adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance (NEW), and dabbles in children's books. She resides in her hometown along the Mississippi river with her husband and their two children. When she isn't plotting her next book, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and diving into a good book.
Amy is also a site administrator for the World Literary Café, an online literary community for authors and readers.
Cathy Perkins
Award-winning author Cathy Perkins works in the financial industry, where she's observed the hide-in-plain-sight skills employed by her villains. She writes predominantly financial-based mysteries but enjoys exploring the relationship aspect of her characters' lives. When not writing, she can be found doing battle with the beavers over the pond height or setting off on another travel adventure. Born and raised in South Carolina, the setting for CYPHER, HONOR CODE and THE PROFESSOR, she now lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.
Chantel Rhondeau
Best-selling author Chantel Rhondeau once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Chantel is author of six romantic suspense novels, a Christmas novella, and the new McCallister’s Paradise series. She lives in the western United States, and when she's not writing she loves playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.
Jacquie Biggar
Jacquie Biggar lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her husband, daughter, & grandson. She loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. Spoils her German Shepherd, Annie, and Calico cat, Harley. And can't function without coffee.
Sylvie Grayson
Sylvie Grayson has published romantic suspense novels, Suspended Animation, Legal Obstruction, and The Lies He Told Me, all about strong women who meet with dangerous odds, stories of tension and attraction. She has also written The Last War series, a romantic fantasy set to be released in 2015. She has been an English language instructor, a nightclub manager, an auto shop bookkeeper and a lawyer. She lives in southern British Columbia with her husband on a small piece of land near the Pacific Ocean that they call home, when she's not travelling the world looking for adventure.
Rachelle Ayale
Rachelle Ayala is a bestselling Asian American author of dramatic romantic suspense and humorous, sexy contemporary romances. Her heroines are feisty and her heroes hot. She writes emotionally challenging stories but believes in the power of love and hope. She has won awards in multicultural and historical romance.
Mimi Barbour
Mimi Barbour is the author of: The Vicarage Bench, Angels with Attitudes, Vegas, Elvis and the new sizzling Undercover FBI Series, Mimi lives on the East coast of Vancouver Island and writes her various romances with tongue in cheek and a mad glint in her eye. “If I can steal a booklover’s attention away from their every-day grind, absorb them into a fictional love story, and make them care about the ending, then I’ve done my job.”
Janie McAlister should have known better than to trust her quirky sister’s taste in resorts. Instead of thatched-roof huts and designer pools overlooking the ocean, she’s landed at the one seventies throwback in the Riviera Maya with an open door nudity policy. No way is she going à la natural in public. And she’s sure not entertaining the advances of the bold young man with the delicious body daring her to do exactly that…and so much more.
Well, hello, Ms. McAlister…
Zade Painel’s a man on a mission—grab some much needed R&R at Gypsy Cove, and figure out how to reclaim his boudoir photography business. He never thought the answer would come in the form of a curvy, forty-year-old redhead and an accidental knee to the ‘nads, but Janie proves to be a force of nature with a penchant for fixing things. She’s also sexy as hell. One way or another, he’s going to help her see just that. And if he plays his cards right, it'll be a heavenly hands-on approach that lasts way past seven days in paradise.
Told in Janie’s Point of View:
Janie froze. Every muscle locked up and her breath hitched. The only thing actively working was her heart, which after its initial stumble, had taken off at a gallop.
“…make damned sure the only thing you can do is feel.”
So tempting. So terribly tempting.
The shadows around him accented the sharp angles of his jaw and nose, and his voice dropped to a grumble. “Talk to me, Janie.”
And tell him what? That she wanted what he wanted as bad as he did, but she was terrified to give the green light? That she wasn’t sure she could take the disappointment in his eyes if things got serious and he saw what a quality sundress could hide? “What do you want to know?”
“Tell me what you want.”
Touch. Passion. Contact. Skin. It all rushed in at once, clogging her throat and seizing her thoughts.
“One word.” His hand tightened on his lap, not so subtly gripping what looked to be a powerful erection. “One thing at a time.”
She swallowed and tried to catch her breath. The request leapt to her tongue, ready for launch. Damn it to hell, she was a living, breathing human, not some freakish deviant. Why couldn’t she say what she wanted? Own it. It was one night. One chance she may never get again. “A kiss.”
He stared at her. Quiet.
Her lungs burned, the air so thick she could barely breathe.
He stood and padded to her side of the bed.
With every step, her heartbeat surged a notch. Her thighs pressed so tight together it was a wonder the bed didn’t shake.
He unhooked his watch. One of those chunky ones her son had begged her for two Christmas’ ago. Somehow the silver looked right on Zade. Manly. Effortless and stylish without being overblown.
It clunked against the nightstand as he sat it aside.
He’d rolled his sleeves up, tanned skin and prominent veins peeking from beneath the crisp blue fabric. The top two buttons of his shirt were open, leaving his neck on display. And his eyes, bright blue and bold as the hottest flame, framed by his loose blond bangs.
He scanned her body stretched out on the bed, put a knee to the mattress, and straddled her thighs. Rooting his hands on either side of her head, he held his body over hers, yet not touching. “A kiss.” He dipped closer. Slow, inhaling deep. “Want to point out, you didn’t put any restrictions on your request.”
He traced the line of her lips with his own, close enough to tickle and tease, but not nearly enough to give her what she craved. “You didn’t say how…” His warm breath fluttered against her face. “…or where.” He licked her lower lip and lifted his gaze to hers. “I’ll take that to mean I get to taste all of you.”
Author Bio:
Rhenna Morgan writes for the same reason she reads—to escape reality.
Yes, her life rocks—two beautiful little girls, a great husband, a steady job, and the kind of friends that would take you out back if you hurt her. But, like most women, she’s got obligations stacked tight from dusk to dawn. So, when the world gets her down, she slips into something…less realistic.
Romance is a must. So is a steamy romp (or four). Nothing thrills her more than the fantasy of new, exciting worlds, strong, intuitive men, and the sigh of, “Oh if only that could happen to me.”
So, if you’re picking up one of her books, expect portals into alternate realms and men who’ll fight to keep the women they want. Romantic escape for the women who need it.
