The Goodbye by Melissa Keir

The sky was a bright blue on the late August day. Tears filled my eyes as I was forced to say goodbye to Mike as he left for college. Mike and I had been best friends for the longest time, but recently our friendship turned into something more.

Summer nights at the local old historic train depot were filled with kisses and whispers of future plans. However, I never knew how hard it would be to watch him leave for college while I stayed behind and finished high school. What wouldn’t I give for it to be June again with the whole summer ahead of us.

A single tear slid down my face. Trying to be brave was harder than I thought.

Mike brushed the tear from my cheek. “It’s only a few weeks. I’ll be home for homecoming. Shh, please don’t cry.”

“I’m worried you’ll find a college girl and forget all about me.”

Pulling me into his arms, Mike hugged me tight. “There’s noone who could compare with you. You’re the girl of my dreams. You get my jokes. You listen when my parents are ragging on me. Basically, you made me want to be a better person.”

Just then the sound of a horn splintered the air. The cab was here to take Mike to the train station. A sob escaped my lips as I pulled Mike close and kissed him with all the passion inside me.

Tears slid silently down my face as he walked away.


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The hug of love by Lindsay Downs

When he first approached she could see care and concern in his eyes. It came at first as an unwelcomed hug but slowly grew into one of love. Not the physical kind but the emotional kind. Something she needed and refused to admit.

Losing a parent was one thing but the loss of a sister, only a few years older, was something entirely different.

She’d made it through the day not thinking about how her sibling had died. When asked by some of the other students she played dumb, “We still haven’t gotten the official report.”

But, by some reason, somehow he’d known and kept it within him.

Soon she’d have to admit, not only to herself but the others the cause of her sister’s death.

Then it came, word that she’d be returning to the States on an Angel Flight in three days. Until then it had all been a dream, no a nightmare. What made it even worse was the word her body would be accompanied by someone not only from her unit but home town. This got her thinking who it could be as many of the seniors, after graduating had enlisted.

A few she knew well enough to talk to but most had ignored the little bratty sister.

All she could hope, it would be one of the nicer former seniors now soldiers. At least she might be able to get the truth, had she suffered?

With the comforting hug she knew who’d bring her home.

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The Tour-By Samantha Pleasant
            Alice watched the couple under the tree and remembered how she and Michael had been on campus.  Stealing moments together when they could between classes.  She wasn’t supposed to be with him, but she didn’t care.  Her uptight family would just have to accept she’d fallen in love with Michael Moralas.

            Now their son could have the same memories of holding his girl close to him under the same tree where her love had bloomed.

            “Are you ready?” Clark her tour guide asked.

            “Where’s Donovan?”

            “He’s gone off with some other players to visit the facilities.”

            “Shouldn’t I be with him?”

            “No.  I thought I could show you around.”

            “I went to school here I’m more interested in what my son thinks.”
            “I’m more interested in what you think,” Clark boldly stepped toward her and brushed away a loose bud that had fallen from the tree.

            “What are you doing?” she asked looking at this man that was barely past the legal drinking age.

            “May I call you Alice?”

            “I don’t…what…”

            “Your son will be fine, but you…” he sighed and stepped further into her space.  “You have a look in your eye that is telling me you need something more.”

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Passing Time By Elissa Daye

She stared at the picture with a heavy heart. She had not expected all those pent up emotions to come hurtling to the surface the moment she removed the photo from her memory box. One small snap shot from a time where it was still easy to believe that the world was filled with endless possibilities, a time when the uncertainty of the future did not bleed dangerously into the present.

Renee ran her fingers over the image of her and Michael. It was the day he left for college, the day she had almost had the courage to tell him how much she cared, to share the feelings that had tortured her silently over the years. Their circle of friends had completely disbanded after high school as everyone scattered across the country, and within moments their summer had been filled with just the two of them.

The day he left, she had been so close to sharing everything with him, but she could not find the courage to let go, to be free from the solitude that came from loving from afar. She had lacked the courage and conviction to shed her skin before him, so Renee did the only thing she could. She let him go and watched him walk out of her life forever. She had known it would be that way. People left. Friends forgot. Life went on.

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REASONS by Kris Austen Radcliffe

Denmark treated her well.  She walked different, taller maybe.  The bag pulled on her back but she kept her shoulders square. 

She’d always watched the world.  The day we met—a new school for me, an old world for her—she paid attention.  I crossed the street with an empty pack, my schedule in my hand, my reasons for such a shock written all over my face. 

She said, “Hello.” 

I’d told myself she’d come back.  Denmark wasn’t special, just another place with other ways of talking and walking.  How hard could six months be?

Now, she wrapped her arms around my neck.  I realized I hadn’t breathed since she lifted her suitcase from my car’s trunk and set it down under the skycap’s scrutiny.  Since she walked through those airport sliding glass doors, her passport in her hand.

She leaned into me, her scent so new and fresh that for me, the birds twilled pitch-perfect and the grass brightened to a brilliant green.  But I counted the moments, waiting for her to step back.  Hugs had limits. 

She didn’t move away. 

“Janet picked me up.”

Her sister.  No one told me when her flight came in. 

Her hand slide down my arm and rested in my palm.  “I missed you.”

Denmark treated me well.  I smiled, my book-laden pack on my back, my reasons written all over my face.

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Wager over Coffee by D. Renee Bagby

She sighed and unashamedly watched the two kids -- appeared to be high school aged, maybe college -- hugging. They were so cute. Ah, young love.

"What are you sighing about?" He set her coffee order in front of her and then sat down to drink his own.

She pointed at the kids. "Aren't they cute?"

He glanced at the kids, snorted and sipped his coffee before he said, "She's doing the just-friends hug and he's hoping she keeps pressing her boobs against him."

"You are so not a romantic."

"I paid for coffee, didn't I?"

"That's not romantic. That's your job as my husband."

"Says who?"

"And other related duties. Paying for coffee fits under that heading." 

He reached beneath the table and caressed his hand under her dress. "I can think of some other related duties I would like to be doing."

She smacked at his hand in a half-hearted attempt to halt his progress. "Stop that. Someone will see us."

"That possibility is only making you wetter." He trailed a finger over the damp spot on her panties. "How about a little wager?"

"What's that?" She squirmed as he edged her thighs open wider so he could slip his fingers past the edge of her panties. "Stop."

"We're going to finish drinking our coffee. If you make a sound, you have to pay for dinner."

"And if I don't?"

"I'll pay and we'll do this again at the restaurant to decide who pays for dessert."


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Best Friends by Tricia Drammeh 

The moment I saw Adam coming toward me, I began to regret not taking more time with my appearance that morning. It was too late now. Why should it matter anyway? He didn’t care how I looked. Adam was my best friend. And, that’s all he’d ever be. It was becoming impossible to control my reaction to him. I wanted to tell him how I felt, but couldn’t bear the idea of him rejecting me.

“Beth and I broke up,” he said abruptly.

I suppressed a smile. Beth was horrible to Adam, even demanding that he stop spending time with me. Any hope I felt was fleeting. Adam was hot; he could have his pick of girlfriends. He certainly wouldn’t choose me.

“What happened?” I asked.

“I decided I didn’t want to be with her anymore.

“Right before Homecoming? Was she pissed?”

“Yeah, but she’ll find someone else.”

“What about you? Have you found a replacement date?”

“Not a replacement. My first choice.”

It was just as I expected. He’d already moved on. “Oh, yeah? Who?”

“You.”

My heart hammered in my chest. “Okay,” I stammered as my face heated. “But, if you find someone else between now and then, you don’t have to worry about me.”

“I’m not asking you to fill in,” he said. “You’re my first choice, the person I want to be with. I’m in love with you.”

A tear snaked down my cheek. He pulled me into his arms. “So, is that a yes?”

“Yes.”


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Hello all! JL Oiler and Suzzana C. Ryan here to introduce you to our latest cooperative series, Glimpse of Midnight! Before we start, we would like to thank our awesome host! We are honored to be here!

First let us explain how this all came to be. We love to share this story because it is such a gamble and pure knowledge of how the two of us work, write, and interact was the only way this pairing could have taken place….

Once upon a time, the wonderful staff at Rebel Ink Press contacted the both of us with the idea to do a paranormal coop. series. What they gave us (other than this wonderful opportunity) was the basic gist of the world we were to create. From there everything from characters, subgenre and heat level was up to the two of us. Right Suzzana?

Absolutely JL, the rest was in our very over active imaginations. I would like to thank Rebel Ink Press for giving me the opportunity to collaborate with you. It’s always a pleasure to find another writer who’s mind is as out there as your own.

You were a true joy to work with as well Suzzana and I wouldn’t want to tackle this with anyone else.

Who is your favorite character from the first books and why?

 Carina, I love Vampires and this beauty was more than a vamp...she's half succubus, an insatiable beautiful creature.

I think mine would have to be Cyrus. He is the true embodiment of all that is Glimpses of Midnight. He’s dark, beautiful, sensual, an dangerous. He has enough arrogance to make you want to hate him yet the charisma to draw you in and make you want to know more.

Who is your favorite sub-character from the first books and why?

Fallon, the demon, you know there is more of him coming...and you see a slight connection between him and Carina. 

I really like Calypso. Readers just get a peek at her in book 2 and she is such a unique individual that I can’t help wonder what makes her tick or her true intents.


 What was the most difficult aspect of writing this? Making the characters that we created believable. None of these creatures exists...and some are pure creations of Jeanne and mine's brainstorming. 

I think the most difficult thing for me, is making certain that the next edition(s) flow seamlessly together, with not only one another but the first set of stories as well. Then again, the hardest thing might be writing anything to top this period.

Now we know there are those of you out there who expect two completely unrelated or just fragments of relation between the first two stories. Well we think once you read both you will be surprised! The first two installments of the series intertwine so well that we have built a seamless connection with all the characters we think readers will love.

JL, here is the great thing about this series, you never get lost as a reader. You get to know these wonderfully evil characters very well. As a reader, you’ll want to read one, then the other and so on.

Want to know more? How about we both share a peek with the blurbs for both stories:

Glimpses of Midnight: Indulgence

JL Oiler

 

Carina Bellefleur is the only daughter of the dark lord of South Hedonism, Cyrus Bellefleur. Belonging to a city of indulgence and decadence has its privileges but the half vampire half succubus is having a difficult time finding someone, or better yet, more than just one someone, who can help her reach that ultimate orgasm. When a pair of human males are caught just outside the city walls, the subjects of the dark city desire nothing more than their immediate deaths. Carina, however, sees something special in the pair of well-endowed males.

Evan and Eric are the ultimate urban adventurers. Therefore, when they hear rumors of a city hidden beneath their own beloved New York, they can't help themselves. They have to try and find it. Now prisoners among creatures they'd never believed existed in their wildest dreams, the brothers find their fate rests in the hands of the city's sexy princess. 

They discover survival depends on providing Carina with the ultimate in sexual satisfaction before her father discovers humans within the walls of his city. In exchange, the feisty woman might lead them back topside. There's a catch however. What if they really don’t want to go home or she doesn’t want to let them?

Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?sortBy=recentlyAdded&searchBy=author&qString=JL+Oiler

Glimpses of Midnight: Decadence

By Suzzana C Ryan

 

            Cyrus Bellefleur ruled the underworld but couldn’t rule his mate, Alkmene, a gorgeous succubus. The feared ancient vampire could crush a legion of humans but found it impossible to tame one redheaded beauty. Their tumultuous union periodically resulted in the succubus fleeing the underworld in an attempt to anger him. She’d do what she did best and that was ravish human men with her temptuous body. Her prowess in bed was her curse. It was at times like these Cyrus followed her into the world above.

                  This time, however, when she ran from Cyrus, she found a portal in time, traveling to the year nineteen-fifty-seven, looking to hide. But Cyrus could sniff out an opening in the time line.

                  Alkmene found herself a dark, handsome lover, a fallen archangel, who was ripe for the plucking. But she never figured on his lovely human conquest falling into the mix. Emmy Harris was an up and coming Hollywood starlet and the biggest thing to hit tinsel town in ages. Now Emmy became a pawn in the wicked games Cyrus and Alkmene played.

                  In a world called South Hedonism, all vices, indulgence, decadence, obsession and perversion flourish. All creatures foul, evil and corrupt exist in the evil inner cities. They come and go between both worlds and love to play above. However, they always return. Hell has its advantages.    

Buy Link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?sortBy=recentlyAdded&searchBy=author&qString=Suzzana+C.+Ryan

We hope everyone enjoys our little project and invite you to visit and follow us at http://glimpsesofmidnight.blogspot.com/?zx=c511203b15ae6cc5

As always, thanks for allowing us to visit!

JL Oiler and Suzzana C. Ryan

MP-In Maddy’s Oasis you branch out from paranormal romance was it hard to make the switch?

LF-It wasn’t hard at all.  I’ve got a lot of stories in different genres/subgenres rattling around in my head!  And I experiment a lot with what types of books people are interested in reading.  Maddy’s Oasis was my contemporary experiment last year.  I also released a sci-fi romance that turned out super popular.  My fantasy romance and my young adult fantasy both received more lukewarm welcomes. 

This year, I released my first futuristic romance and my first young adult paranormal trilogy.  It’s nice to be able to write something different. 

That said, my experiments last year revealed that Maddy’s Oasis was very unpopular among my normal readers in the U.S., who wanted the hero, Jake, to turn into a vampire!  However, Maddy’s Oasis, has been my most consistently selling and most popular book in the UK.  So, even if one market isn’t interested in one subgenre, another might be.  It gives me more freedom to write whatever the muses tell me to!

MP-Is there going to be a sequel to Maddy’s Oasis?

LF-I do want to write about Jake’s sister, so I might write her a novella next year.  She’s a good character.  She had a childhood accident that left her crippled in one leg, and she’s an exceptional cook with big dreams of going to New York City to train as a chef.  I think she’d be perfect for a follow-up to Maddy’s Oasis.

MP-Which series is closest to your heart?

LF-Personally, I like the series none of my readers really did!  I love the Foretold Trilogy, which is my young adult fantasy series.  My readers love the Rhyn Trilogy first and the War of Gods series next. 

MP-Which demon in your books would you sell your soul for?

LF-Haha!  Probably Rhyn or Gabriel from the Rhyn Trilogy.  They’re both complex men who want to do good but don’t always get things right.  Rhyn is violent and curses a lot, but he has s deep sense of loyalty to his family and will do anything to protect them.  Gabe is more of a tortured soul trying to find his way.

MP-Do the characters in your head fight over whose story should be told next?

LF-YES.  It’s awful. Haha!  The first half of this year, I desperately wanted to write the first book in my young adult paranormal trilogy, but I had two huge books in my most popular series that I’d promised my readers I’d publish first.  Goodness, that was rough to keep focused!  At any one time, I’ve got at least four different stories brewing in my head. 


About Lizzy

Lizzy Ford is the hyper-prolific author of the Rhyn Trilogy and War of God series, both launched in 2011, as well as multiple single title young adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Lizzy’s books have reached into the top ten bestseller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK for multiple categories. Through her unconventional online marketing strategies, Lizzy has gone from obscurity to selling tens of thousands of books in about a six month period of time. 

Lizzy Ford’s team consists of: Matt, IT and search engine optimization expert; Christine LePorte, freelance book editor; Dafeenah, graphics artist; and Rick, veteran screenwriter currently adapting “Katie’s Hellion.”

Links

·        http://www.guerrillawordfare.com/
·       Facebook author’s page:
·       Twitter:
·       Google+: 
·       Amazon author’s page: 

Book two in the Chrysalis is out today...as always I'll be doing a release giveaway.  Haven't read book one yet?  No problem.  You can download it today or get it today in paperback.

In The Beam Ellie's walking a hard line...

          When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.-Corinthians 13:11

There comes a time in everyone’s life when they must put aside their childish ways. In the past year, Ellie Chisholm has fallen into the security of her relationship with Oscar Jeffreys, emerging with a stronger sense of herself.  BUt now Ellie's mother has started inserting herself into Ellie’s life, treating her as if she were a child even though Ellie has begun to make very adult decisions for her future.  Having finally consummated her relationship with Oscar, Ellie learns the powers inside of her stretch further than vaporizing demons.

Maria, the demon bent on revenge, has been reigned in by God but that doesn’t stop her from disrupting and threatening those around Ellie and Oscar.  Ellie becomes off balance as Maria switches strategy and attempts to destroy Ellie from the outside.  Now the gauntlet has been thrown down.  Ellie must help her family achieve positive change and finally break the tie between her mother and Gaap or risk losing everyone she loves.

Can Ellie maintain her sanity while walking the last steps as a child?