Friday, September 16, 2016

Rescued by Felice Stevens

Summary:
Ryder Daniels is all too familiar with rejection. His parents cut off contact because he’s gay and his boyfriend left him, choosing drugs over love. Aside from his rescued pit bull, his only joy is hanging out with his younger brother. Then his mother does the unthinkable and forbids them to see each other, leaving Ryder devastated and alone. His friends urge him to date, but Ryder would rather throw himself into working at the dog rescue and figuring out a way to see his brother again.

When Jason Mallory’s girlfriend gives him an ultimatum to get married, he shocks everyone by breaking up with her instead. He believes he's too busy for a relationship now that the construction company he started with his brother is taking off. When he discovers a group of abandoned pit bulls and calls the local dog rescue group to pick them up, an uncomfortable encounter with Ryder causes Jason to question feelings he’s hidden deep inside for years.

Jason and Ryder build a friendship, until an unexpected kiss sparks the attraction they’ve been fighting. Jason gives Ryder unconditional love and helps him reconnect with his brother while Ryder shows Jason the passion he’s always missed in relationships. Together they must battle through their family differences and ugly prejudices. Only then can they prove that once you find the right person to love, there’s no turning back.

This is a re-release of the original edition published in 2014. It has brand new content as well as the entire book being revised.


I'll start by saying that I had not read the earlier edition of Rescued so I can't speak as too just how much revision there is but I cannot imagine this story any different than it is right now.  Felice Stevens has done it again and this time their names are Jason and Ryder.  I really enjoyed not only Jason and Ryder's journey but also that of their relationships with, or lack therof, their brothers.  It isn't always easy to balance the main characters' loving relationship with familial connections so when an excellent one comes along, it really grabs my heart.  If you have never read Felice Stevens before and wondering where to start? I highly recommend Rescued as a great jumping off point.

RATING: 


The pulse of the music pounded into Ryder’s brain. Why he allowed Connor and Emily to drag him here, he couldn’t say. They meant well, but he had no desire to chat up some random guy to have hurried sex in a bathroom stall or a dark hallway.

“Come on, let’s get some drinks. This place looks like it could be fun.” Connor pushed him toward the large glittering bar, waving at the shirtless bartender to get his attention. “Two beers, my man, with lime, and one Sea Breeze.” He grinned, and Ryder saw the bartender wink and smile at his friend.

“Another conquest, Con.” Poor guy would be sad to know Connor was here with his wife. And not into threesomes. Ryder accepted the mixed drink from his friend and passed it to Emily. She stood, facing the dance floor, enthralled by the men dancing, the light show, or both. “Em, here, take your drink.”

“Thanks.” Her hand reached out, but her gaze remained fixed on two men out on the floor. Their bodies were sinuously entwined, arms and lips pressed together. To Ryder, they looked hot, wild, and sexy as fuck.

“They are so free and beautiful, aren’t they?” He had to bend down to hear her. “I can’t see how anyone could think this is wrong.”

A tight little grin thinned his lips. “Well, obviously my parents do, since they have no desire to ever see me again unless I become ‘normal’ in their eyes.” He gulped half his beer, licking his lips afterward.

Connor draped an arm over his shoulder. “Screw ’em, I say. You’re doing nothing wrong. Live your life and find some happiness. We’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?” His friend’s arm tightened around his shoulder as Ryder nodded.

“They’ll come around one day, Ryder. You have to believe that. In the meantime, find someone to share your dreams with.” Ryder watched his friend’s gaze flicker over to Emily, who returned his look with her sweet smile. “It’s no good to be alone, man. It sucks the soul out of you.” Connor took his wife’s empty glass and placed it on a mirrored shelf next to where they were standing. “Now I’m going to dance with my wife, and I want you to find someone to dance with.” He took Emily’s hand and pulled her onto the floor.

Ryder chuckled and took another swallow of his beer. When he finished, he looked to put his bottle down, but instead caught the eye of a man who stood watching him. He recognized that look. It was one of heat, desire, and the need to get down and dirty as fast as possible. His groin responded, but he ignored it and instead returned to the bar to get another beer.

It took a while to make his way to the front of the bar and catch the bartender’s attention to order a drink. A large palm pressed against the small of his back. “Why did you turn away from me?” The voice murmured in his ear, sending tingles up his spine while a hard body pressed him into the wooden railing of the bar. An impressive erection nestled into the crease of his ass. He could feel the heat pouring off the man’s body.

Ryder froze. He took his change from the bartender, then spoke. “You need to take your hands off me.”

“Come on, I only wanted to talk and maybe get to know you better.” The man moved closer, rubbing himself against Ryder’s ass. In another minute the guy would be humping him in public.

That did it. Snarling, Ryder whipped around to face him. “I said back the fuck up, man.”

The stranger was extremely handsome. European, Ryder surmised, with a pale complexion, dark hair and eyes, and a full, sexy mouth that hinted at all things wicked. His six-foot-plus frame was clothed in an expensive suit, which did little to hide his broad shoulders and narrow waist. The thin shirt he wore pulled against the muscles of his chest, and Ryder could see the hard nipples poking through the silky fabric. Heat blazed in his glittering black eyes.

“I noticed you as soon as you walked in, so beautiful with your golden hair and skin and those bright blue eyes like a summer sky.” He licked his lips, drawing Ryder’s attention once more to their fullness. “I like your mouth too. I watched you drink your beer and wished your lips were wrapped around my cock instead of that bottle. Imagine, a grown man being jealous of a bottle.”

Ryder sucked in his breath. He’d never been so blatantly seduced. In his mind he pictured this man stripped bare, pale body, glowing damp with perspiration, draped over Ryder’s own naked flesh. If he wanted, he knew he could take him, lead him to the back, and have him on his knees within minutes. Ryder imagined sliding his zipper down, pulling out his dick, and stuffing the man’s sexy, full mouth.

Sex with a stranger, in a club. How predictable and fucking depressing.

Finishing his second beer, he reined in his temper. “I don’t like people touching me unless I give them permission first.” He leaned closer, catching a whiff of the man’s cologne, mixed with the faint aroma of tequila and sweat. “And I didn’t give you”--Ryder touched the man’s nose with his fingertip--“permission to touch me.”

A groan burst forward from the man’s mouth as he closed his eyes. Ryder took the opportunity to escape and join his friends on the dance floor. Emily slipped her arm around his waist. “What was that all about, sweetie? He looked hot and totally into you.”

Ryder shrugged and swayed his body to the music as he danced with his friends. “Nothing and nobody. Someone looking for a fuck buddy for the night.” The music changed, and he made a face. “I hate this song. Come on, let’s get another drink.” He grabbed her hand, pushing his way off the dance floor, Connor trailing behind them, grumbling about rude friends.

“I’ve got this round, Connor. What’ll it be?” It was so tight by the bar they overlapped shoulders. Connor, touchy-feely bastard that he was, clasped the back of Ryder’s neck, resting his hand there.

“Get me another beer and Em another Sea Breeze.”

He’d given the bartender his order when he came face-to-face with the man he’d left before. Only this time the sexy mouth was sneering, and his handsome face twisted in an ugly grimace.

“So you let this pretty boy touch you, but you disappear on me?” His anger had Ryder taking a step back, forcing Connor to grasp him around the neck. The man’s eyes flashed. “He came with a woman. I saw. You like it three way, maybe? I can arrange for that.” He stepped in closer, and Ryder knew he had to get out of there.

“I’m out.” He spoke over his shoulder to Connor. “See you tomorrow.” Ryder pushed past the man and hustled out of the club. The cold wind bit through his shirt. Shit, he forgot his jacket inside. He texted Connor to get it from the coat check and take it with him when he left. There was no way in hell he was going back in there. Hailing a cab was simple, and within minutes he was hurtling down Broadway back home. Another disaster. Letting his head fall back on the headrest, he closed his eyes, and as always when he was alone and depressed, his thoughts turned to his former lover, Matt.

Was the man even alive, or had the path he’d chosen--drugs over his love--sent him to an early grave? What a waste of life. Matt had been so vibrant and healthy when they’d first met at the gym. But his easygoing, California-surfer-dude mentality hid a dark side. Drugs had always been prevalent in the music industry, but Matt wasn’t into weed. He was into the hard stuff--heroin. Ryder begged him to get help, to go to rehab, but his boyfriend insisted he didn’t have a problem. Working for an Internet radio station gave him easy access to all the drugs he could ever want.

The last ugly episode, when Ryder came home to find Matt passed out with a needle on the floor, would remain forever scalded in his brain. Never in his life had he been so scared as he was at that moment.

“Matt, Matt.” His earsplitting screams had no effect on his unconscious lover. Waiting for the ambulance to arrive, Ryder thought he’d go mad. He tried slapping Matt, pushing him, anything to rouse him out of his stupor. But Matt remained unmoving.

Three days later in the hospital, still looking like shit, Matt tried to joke it off. “Come on, dude, it wasn’t so bad. I promise I’ll cut back.” He grinned that wide-open smile that before had always melted Ryder’s heart.

Not this time.

“I can’t do it anymore. You have to make the choice.”

Matt’s grin faded. “I don’t know, man. It makes me feel good. And life is about feeling good, you know?”

No, Ryder didn’t know. “I’m sorry, but no. I don’t want any part of it.” He stared at the man he thought he loved. Did he even exist anymore, or had the drugs leeched into him too deep to let go? Was he wrong, forcing him to choose? “Aren’t I enough to make you feel good?”

“If you loved me, you wouldn’t make me choose.” Matt’s face tightened in anger, and his brown eyes darkened. “But it’s no problem, dude. I’ll pick up my stuff and head over to Troy’s. He’s cool with me.”

Pain sliced through Ryder’s chest. He gasped. “Have you been sleeping with him?” Though they always practiced safe sex, he didn’t want to know his lover had cheated on him.

A sigh of relief escaped him when Matt shook his head. “Nah, man. Troy’s not gay. We’re friends.” His face softened. “I’m sorry, Ry. We had fun, though, right?”

Fun. That was all their year together meant to the man? Matt didn’t love him, never had. Ryder turned on his heel and left Matt’s room and the hospital.

He never saw Matt again.

The gruff voice of the cabbie interrupted his thoughts. “Hey, buddy. We’re here.”

Swiping his credit card, he tipped the driver, then took his receipt. He scrambled out of the cab, anxious to get inside and out of the cold night air. By the time he made it to the entrance, he was shivering. Clarence, the doorman, pulled open the door.

“Mr. Daniels, where is your coat? It’s freezing tonight, sir.”

Ryder chuckled. “Clarence, you’re like a mother hen. Connor has it, and I’ll pick it up tomorrow. I trust you had a nice holiday?” He pulled his keys out of his pocket.

The elderly, gray-haired doorman smiled. “Yes, all the grandchildren were there, and they kept my lap busy. I trust you had a nice holiday, sir?”

Ryder nodded and knew his strained smile didn’t fool the man. “Well, good night, Clarence.”

“Shane wanted me to tell you he walked Pearl and fed her tonight. He even stayed and played with her a bit. Good night, sir.”

“When you see him, tell him how much I appreciate it, please.” Ryder took the elevator to the sixteenth floor and was greeted by a whining Pearl. She hated being left alone. Ryder gave her some treats, drank two glasses of water, and after shedding his clothes, fell into bed. Within moments he was asleep, his arm around his dog.

* * * * *

At eleven o’clock on Monday morning, Ryder sat, manning the phones at Rescue Me, when an emergency call came in.

“Tell me the address, please.” He jotted down an address in Red Hook, Brooklyn--an area well-known to harbor dogfighting rings. “Okay, we’ll be there within half an hour at the latest. Don’t touch the dogs, and give them plenty of space.” He hung up the phone. Emily was readying herself for the trip. She took out muzzles, large blankets, and some food and bowls.

“I’m ready, Ry. You’ll fill me in on the way there.” She, along with Laurel and Hardy, jumped in their van. Crates were clipped to brackets on the floor. Ryder slammed the door shut, and they started out for the drive to the construction site, where it seemed the foreman had come upon some pit bulls he didn’t know how to handle. Afraid of getting bitten, he called the rescue.

Not twenty minutes later, they were bouncing along the cobblestone and broken-up streets of one of Brooklyn’s strangest areas. On one block were some of the toughest housing projects in the city, and on the next were gentrified townhomes, IKEA, and expensive, charming restaurants. They pulled into a double-wide parking area, their van squeezing by a truck with Malloy Bros. Construction emblazoned on the side.

From the passenger seat, he could see a crowd of men standing around, some in hard hats, along with curious onlookers. One man in shirtsleeves, tall and beefy with curly brown hair, stood off to the side talking into a phone. It was the other man who caught Ryder’s attention.

He was tall, a few inches over six feet. His dark hair fell in loose waves that brushed the top of his collar and curled at the bottom of his neck. He was built strongly, and Ryder could see the muscles bulging through his button-down shirt. As cool as it had been on Thanksgiving, the temperature had risen to an almost balmy fifty degrees today. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his powerful arms.

“Wow, that is one cute guy.” Emily nudged him. “I see you staring at him. Make sure you go over and speak to him.”

Ryder scowled at her. “I’m here to work, not make a date.”

Emily squeezed his thigh and poked him. “Maybe you can do both.” She winked and gave him her saucy smile.

He kissed her cheek. “Now I see why you and Connor are perfect together. You’re both annoying.”

Her eyes sparkled as she kissed him back. “You love it. Come on, let’s go.” She opened the van’s door and hopped out.

When Ryder looked out the van’s window, he locked eyes with the dark-haired man’s intense stare. He licked his lips, inexplicably nervous.

What the hell is that about?

All thoughts fled as he saw a group of men approach the row of houses and start up the stairs. They had bats in their hands, and one held a chain. In a flash he jumped down from the van and raced toward the group of men.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

Author Bio:
I have always been a romantic at heart. I believe that while life is tough, there is always a happy ending around the corner. My character have to work for it, however. Like life in NYC, nothing comes easy and that includes love. 

I live in New York City with my husband and two children. My day begins with a lot of caffeine and ends with a glass or two of red wine. I practice law but daydream of a time when I can sit by a beach somewhere and write beautiful stories of men falling in love. Although there is bound to be a little angst along the way, a Happily Ever After is always guaranteed.


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EMAIL: felice@felicestevens.com



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Montana Wild by Roni Hall

Title: Montana Wild
Author: Roni Hall
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adventure
Release Date: January 20, 2016
Summary:
Born and bred in NYC, fate leads Jamie to the wilds of Montana where the reluctant city girl encounters adventure with the people, the land and even the animals.

Risking her life to save a child, Jamie shares an undeniable bond and escalating passion with her co-rescuer, Kevin. Empowered by her new surroundings, she risks it all…only to have it taken away by past demons. She has no choice but to hurt Kevin in order to save his life and returns to New York. 

Searching for Jamie, Kevin learns the truth as Jamie tries to protect Kevin but this time…gets caught in the cross fire.


Swept up into the sea of travelers at the airport, she focused her attention back to the present as she followed the human current through check-in and security gates. It wasn’t until she was buckled into her seat that she registered the panic present in the far corner of her mind. What am I doing? A sickening wave of nausea rose in her throat as clammy beads of sweat trickled down her face. What the hell am I doing? Get up. Get off the plane now. It’s not too late, go!

Dizzy with indecision, she reached for the buckle on her seatbelt as her alternate conscience spoke up. No, stay. Do I really want to go back to my cramped little studio and spend more time alone? Her fingers released the grip on her seatbelt and she closed her eyes, deliberately trying to relax the tense wires in every fiber of her body.

Uneasy thoughts lingered after her internal schizophrenic conversation and she tried to leave all doubts behind as the plane ascended. Finding it impossible to concentrate on reading, she tried to distract herself by striking up a conversation with the unlucky soul sitting next to her.

“Have you ever been to Montana?”

“Oh yes, my sister lives there and I try to visit her every few years. How about you?”

“No, I’ve never been. This’s my first time and I’m nervous,” Jamie admitted.

“It’s pretty enough, but it’s rough country. I couldn’t live there. What brings you?”

Well, I finally got enough backbone to break up with my abusive, criminal boyfriend Derrick three months ago, and then my best friend and only ally, Noah, left on tour. I have NO family since my father died an agonizing death from lung cancer ten years ago, resulting in my mother becoming depressed and committing suicide two years later. I was pathetic enough to attach myself to one of my patients and become a helpless spectator as death cruelly consumed him. Only days after his death, my only surviving relative and second mother died, leaving me a 31-year-old orphan. So you see, I’m a loser and terribly lonely. So when this man I’ve never met in person asked me to join him on an intriguing escape across the country, I accepted.

That was the whole enchilada she wanted to spew out to the sweet, unsuspecting gray-haired matron in seat 21A. Instead she answered succinctly, “Just visiting a friend.”


Author Bio:
The summer after high school graduation, Roni worked two jobs to pay for nursing school. During the midnight shift as a waitress, a charismatic young man at the counter flirted with her for hours as he consumed seven cups of coffee. Their first date was eventful enough to be a book itself! Thirty-seven years and two kids later, the love story continues. Just like her novels, life can’t be too simple and you must make it an adventurous ride!

Her favorite place to write is in her hammock at their small Michigan cottage where she literally dodges the feeding hummingbirds while being serenaded by the lake’s loons. Besides writing, she loves Slow Rollin’ in Detroit and the combination of good food, better wine, and dear friends.


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I'll Be Seeing You by AP Hallmark

Title: I'll Be Seeing You
Author: AP Hallmark
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: September 12, 2016
Summary:
She thought he was the love of her life, but Joy’s world is broken when she discovers she has been betrayed not only by the man she loves, but her life-long friends as well. Taking the time to heal and mend her heart, with great effort, Joy slowly begins to forgive as well.

Unfortunately, the handsome doctor’s wicked and devious ex-fiancΓ©, Emma Ford, who was the catalyst of the destruction of Joy and Matthew’s relationship, refuses to go away. What Emma doesn’t know is that her scheming and conniving only solidifies the two lovers’ bond.

Dr. Matthew Davis has the knowledge to make Joy Johnson see for the first time in fourteen years, but her refusal to go under the knife again prevents this from happening.

Will Joy allow her Doctor to perform this miracle, or will Emma get to her first?


The first time I walked into the cafΓ© and saw her sitting there, she was reading in Braille. Her delicate fingers quickly skimmed over the pages; she’s a fast reader. At times, she would come to a humorous part of the story and grin. Once, she laughed. It was a charming giggle and now having heard it, I want to hear it again.

So, what started out as a daily need for a double espresso macchiato was soon replaced by my desire to see her. Sitting across the room, pretending to read a newspaper, or file notes when I have them, I watch her. She recognizes her guide dog periodically, or stops to feel the rays of sun shining on her face that beam through the window. My favorite is when she listens in on someone's conversation.

What really surprised me was my reaction when a longhaired college student-type approached her one morning. Protectively, I tensed up, but her dog immediately became alert and growled at the intruder. It made me chuckle when it scared the guy so bad that he left in a hurry. I got a kick out of the smirk she had on her face as she rewarded her dog with some love.

Today, however, she’s facing the window and looking up toward the sun, smiling. Running my hands through my hair, I force my eyes away from her.

Today's the day, I repeat to myself. Today I’m going to speak to her.

Opening the door, I glance over at her and her head slowly turns in my direction. She also takes a slow, deep inhaling breath.

"Hello, Dr. Davis, the usual?" Myra asks, causing me to jump at the sudden sound of her voice.

"Good morning, Myra. Yes, please, the usual," I reply looking behind me, afraid she’ll leave before I get the nerve to say something to her.

This is it, Davis, time to man up.

Author Bio:
A.P. Hallmark resides in Reno, Nevada, near her youngest daughter and four grandchildren. A paralegal in real life, she started her love of reading at the young age of fifteen, beginning with her first Harlequin Romance … and Fabio.

Her male characters are strong and possessive, her women are strong and feminine. With two powerful lead characters, her stories are filled with adventure, romance, and sometimes their will to be the last one standing gives her readers a fun ride.






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Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Lattices of Love & No Greater Love by Eris Field

Titles: Lattices of Love & No Greater Love
Author: Eris Field
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Dates: Lattices of Love: June 9, 2014
No Greater Love: June 15, 2015

Lattices of Love:
Summary:
Emine Wheeler, a 26-year-old Turkish-American professor of psychiatric nursing, has vowed to marry for love, like her American father. When she meets Marc van Etten, a reticent Dutch psychiatrist, at a conference in Amsterdam, she recognizes him as the man she has been waiting for and knows that she can’t live behind the lattices of old harem rules any longer.

Marc, who believes that his colleagues blame him for his wife's suicide, restricts his life to work and caring for the troubled four-year-old girl he calls his daughter. But, when Emine runs into difficulties, he offers his assistance. Emine, ignoring the age-old harem rule that forbids talking or spending time with a man who is not a family member, accepts his help.

Later, when Emine must choose between accepting the family-approved proposal of a man she does not love or damaging her family's honor, Marc offers a solution—marriage. It will save her family’s honor and provide a mother for his daughter.

Believing that her fierce love for Marc will be enough, Emine agrees, only to discover that it is not. When Marc erroneously accuses her of betraying him, she flees. Realizing belatedly that he loves Emine beyond everything in his life, Marc must find a way to win her back.

No Greater Love
Summary:
Home is where love lives. This contemporary, warm, international romance moves from the U.S. to Holland, Turkey, and the Valley of Rubies. Orphaned at age eight by an earthquake in Turkey and adopted by an American family, 28-year-old Janan has grown into a beautiful woman, a Circassian beauty. She dreams of having a home of her home, a home with love, but love seems to have passed her by as she has spent her life looking after the family, including an elderly, frail uncle whose father had sent him away from Holland as a child to escape German deportation during WWII. Once jilted at the altar and now struggling with leukemia, a Dutch psychiatrist, Pieter, has given up on love. He has committed himself to helping the child refugees flooding into Amsterdam. That is, until he meets Janan and falls in love at first skirmish. When she meets her uncle's protege, Pieter, Janan recognizes him as the man of her dreams, and knowing that he will be gone in the morning, asks him for one night. After introducing Janan to the purposes and outcomes of eight different kisses, Pieter vows to beat his illness and return. Alone and faced with saving herself and others, Janan accepts a quid-pro-quo offer of help but will that decision destroy her chance of finding happiness?


Lattices of Love
“We can’t finish the quilt unless you help us?” Mina said already half asleep.

“How can I be of help?” He was about to say good night to his small daughter and was surprised by the urgency of her request for help.

“We are almost done making the quilt top. We used pieces of cloth that Mama had worn but the inside has to be made of something that the father has worn. That way babies know that their father will always protect them.” She nodded wisely. “That’s how they make quilts for babies in Turkey.”

“The quilt is for a baby?” Marc sat down abruptly on the side of the bed.

“Yes. I asked Mama how we could get a baby for the quilt.”

“And?”

“Mama says that when a mother and father love each other very much they are able to become as one and, when they become as one, they can make a baby.”

“Mama said that?” He choked out.

“Yes, I asked her what it was like to become as one but she said that she did not know.”

“She said that she did not know?” His head snapped up. “Are you sure that is what she said?”

“Yes. In English, she said, “I don’t know.” Mina snuggled down under her covers. “We really need something to line the quilt,” she grumbled sleepily.

“You shall have it. Tomorrow, you shall have it.” He felt new life surge through him. “My whole wardrobe is at your disposal.”

No Greater Love
“Oh, good! You’re breathing on your own.”

Pieter dragged his eyelids open to see a beautiful mouth hovering over his. “I could stop,” he whispered.

“You’re not well.” The eyes staring down at him were accusing.

“I know.”

“I asked you to shovel," she whispered as a stricken look crossed her face.

“I tried.” He felt her collapse on top of him. Strands of silky hair clinging to his chin and tears cold against his neck.

“I could have killed you!” she wailed.

“But you didn’t.” His arms came up awkwardly at first and then they settled around her holding her close. He was holding an enchanting woman in his arms and, in response to the slim knee pressed between his legs, he experienced a stirring that he had not felt in a long time.

Author Bio:
As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges.

After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. During the time she took time off to raise five children, she amassed a collection of rejection letters for her short stories. Later, Eris returned to school and earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. While teaching psychiatric nursing at the University, she wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful, rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Now, Eris writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’ interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.


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Avenging Fate by Jennifer Derrick

Title: Avenging Fate
Author: Jennifer Derrick
Series: Threads of the Moirae #2
Genre: Mythology, Romance, Young Adult
Release Date: September 12, 2016
Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing
Summary:
Still reeling after killing the man she loved, Atropos turns her attention to the twin tasks of avenging his death and freeing humanity from the deadly grip of the Keres. When she sets out on a murderous mission to retrieve her shears, her only aide is her temperamental ex-boyfriend, Ares. He is fickle at best, traitorous at worst, and assistance from him may be worse than none at all.

Along the way, she allies with a group of powerful supernaturals and learns that the crimes of the gods are more twisted and far-reaching than she realized. What begins as a quest for vengeance becomes a journey through betrayal, loss, love, and hope. It ignites a war that will pit Atropos against the gods in a battle for the freedom of humanity.

Avenging Fate is the second book in The Threads of Moirae Series by Jennifer Derrick.


“I have something you want. Come,” Hades says, heading for the doors and leaving me to follow him.

We wander the hallways through the palace until I’m hopelessly lost. This place is huge and labyrinthine. With all the black wood, black furniture, and dark paintings, every hall looks the same. If his goal is to trap me here, he’s succeeded. I don’t think I’ll ever find the front door again.

At the end of one hallway, we stop in front of a—surprise—black wooden door. Unlike the doors to his inner sanctum, this door is unadorned except for the faint outline of a palm plate, a lighter gray against the black. It also has no handle and no lock, so I’m surprised when Hades reaches out a hand and the palm plate adheres to it as though magnetized.

Pulling the door open, he descends the narrow staircase beyond. He can see in complete darkness, but I can’t, so I put both hands on the walls and feel for each step with my feet, praying I don’t miss one and knock us both down the stairs.

We descend for what seems like forever.

“I didn’t think we could go any further down than the ground floor of your palace,” I say, trying to break the monotony. “I thought you lived at the true bottom of the Underworld.”

“That’s technically true,” he says. “There are no more levels to the Underworld. This is just storage, I guess you’d call it.”

“Most people use closets,” I tell him. “Garages. Even basements that are only one level under the house. Not bottomless pits.”

“There are things I prefer to keep safe down here. Things other people have no business seeing. Or having. Allow an old man his secrets, Atropos.”

“Old man.” I snort. “Right.”

“You’re old, too,” he says.

“Technically true,” I admit. “But neither of us is exactly decrepit, as evidenced by the fact we’ve walked down all these stairs. You couldn’t just poof down here?”

“This area is protected from poofing. Either in or out, and for good reason. Ah, here we are,” he says, and I hear him moving away from me.

“Finally,” I say, and hurry to catch up with him, keeping my arms in front of me for guidance. When I touch his robes, I hang on and let him pull me through the darkness.

“Lights would be good,” I say.

“Again, there are things I don’t want others to see. Without my help, no one sees what’s down here. Since you can’t see, you don’t know there are many passages and doorways along this hallway. One wrong turn and you’d be lost forever.”

Okay, fine. He’s entitled to his crazy.

He stops, and I do, too, barely avoiding slamming into his back. Something creaks, and then we’re bathed in a soft blue light. After the complete darkness, I shut my eyes against the glare. Hades says nothing while my eyes adjust.

We’re standing in a doorway. I peek around Hades to see what’s in the room beyond and gasp when I see the jar sitting on a pedestal in the center of the room.

“Is that—?” I begin to ask, but even though I was expecting it, I’m still surprised this legendary object is right in front of me.

“Pandora’s jar? Yes.” Hades says.

It’s larger than I thought it would be, about knee height on me, and intricately shaped. The base is wider than the middle, which bulges out slightly before tapering again to a slender neck. The domed lid sports a small handle, and there are handles on either side of the neck. It looks like it’s made from clay that’s been painted black and decorated with patterns of gold. There are no skull and crossbones, HAZMAT labels, or any indication that this jar may contain all the miseries of humanity. It looks like something you’d want to have in your house.

“What’s it doing here? After Alex died, Persephone told me the Keres had it,” I say, figuring this tidbit of information won’t get her into any trouble.

“They did. But your boyfriend found it and brought it to me.”



Pop Culture Moments of My Life
Pop culture is a huge part of my life. As a writer, TV, movies, music and books give me inspiration and teach me what can be achieved in various storytelling mediums. (Of course, they also teach me what can flop like a dying fish, as well.) Here’s a collection of ten pop culture moments of my life.

1. The book that made me want to be a writer. 
I’ll catch heck for this, but it was Gone With the Wind. I read it in fifth grade and I just couldn’t believe that someone could spin such an epic story with so much drama and romance. When I read that Margaret Mitchell wrote it while recuperating after a broken leg, I kind of hoped I’d break my leg, too. I had some kind of magical belief system going that there was a connection between broken bones and great novels.

2. Last TV show I binged. 
I wish I could say something geeky and cool, but it was the Great British Baking Show. It’s the only reality TV I can stand. The judges are fair and there’s no backstabbing or snark from the contestants. It’s a very polite battle, made all the more polite-sounding by the British accents. The cake either rises or it doesn’t, no one eats bugs, and there’s no hair pulling.

3. My all-time favorite movie.
The Empire Strikes Back. Yes, the original Star Wars was awesome, but Empire combined heightened stakes, emotional involvement, and character development with the space battles and became something special. And it had Yoda.

4. Last album I listened to.
I don’t listen to too many entire albums these days, owing to my ever-changing musical tastes. I just can’t commit to an album. But I did listen to the soundtrack from The Kingsmen start to finish. Excellent combination of retro hits, angry music, and music legends-to-be. 

5. First album I ever bought.
 Probably the soundtrack to Grease. It was our musical in elementary school and I wanted to learn all the songs. It was years, though, before I figured out that the lyric, “and we throw away conventionality” didn’t say, “and we throw away the mentionality.” Like that was even a word. 

6. The classic book I pretend to have read. 
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. It’s the only book I read the Cliff’s Notes for in high school. (Apologies to my teachers.) I just could not get through it. I learned enough to get a D on the test and moved on. But I tell everyone that I read it. I figure that it counts since I passed the test.

7. Movie that I should have loved, but didn’t. 
The Lord of the Rings. I loved the books and the whole world seemed to love the movie. It had Orlando Bloom in his prime for crying out loud! But it just fell flat for me. I kept thinking, “That’s not how I saw it in my head.” It was a huge disappointment and I still haven’t gotten over it. 

8. Favorite TV show that was cancelled too early? Too late?
Both of these are Nathan Fillion projects for me. Firefly was cancelled way too soon. With that cast and universe? They could have churned out compelling stories for years. The one that went on too long? Castle. I loved it for seven years and then the writers just destroyed it when Castle and Beckett went through the fake separation. By the time they killed it off after season eight, it was a mercy killing. 

9. What I’m reading now. 
I try to keep one serious book and one fluff book going at a time. The serious book is The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu, by Joshua Hammer. The fluff is Falling, by Jane Green. 

10. The fictional place that I’d like to move to. 
I’m still waiting for my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. But if I can’t go there, I’ll happily move to eighteenth-century Scotland to live with Jamie Fraser from Outlander. 



Author Bio:
Jennifer is a freelance writer and novelist. As a freelancer, she writes everything from technical manuals to articles on personal finance and European-style board games. Her interest in storytelling began when she was six and her parents gave her a typewriter for Christmas and agreed to pay her $.01 per page for any stories she churned out. Such a loose payment system naturally led to a lot of story padding. Broken Fate, her first novel, earned her $2.80 from her parents.

Jennifer lives in North Carolina and, when not writing, can often be found reading, trawling the shelves at the library, playing board games, watching sports, camping, running marathons, and playing with her dog. You can visit her at her official website.


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