New Release! Fin d’Espoir A Bisexual Vampire Romance by Lisabet Sarai

Fin d'Espoir by Lisabet Sarai

Their love may be his last hope for redemption.

MMF Vampire Erotic Romance, HFN ending
22,000 words, 81 pages
Smashwords and Amazon KDP

Teaser:
The ruins loomed close. The scent of burnt wood still lingered in the night air, though the plantation had obviously been destroyed years before. Chunks of blackened plaster and shards of glass lay strewn along their path. The moon, struggling through the dispersing storm clouds, turned the glass into sparks of cold fire. The shadows clinging to the building grew denser, congealing into impenetrable pools of dark. Malevolence hung over the place like a fog.

Maddy knew she should try to escape. This was her last chance. She sensed that once she entered this forbidding dwelling, she would be lost. Fin d’Espoir, he had called it—the end of hope. Or perhaps, the last hope. She stirred feebly in the black giant’s arms, but she was too exhausted to do more.

“Hush,” he crooned. “Just a moment now.”

Blurb:
Bitter and alone, Etienne de Rémorcy haunts the forest around the ruined plantation of Fin d’Espoir. He has sworn to never again taste human blood. Then a fierce storm and a runaway horse bring a slender, raven-haired beauty to his lair. When she begs him to take her, he cannot resist.

Madeleine and Troy hope that a carefree vacation in tropical Jamaica will reignite their faded passion. On a mountain trail ride, Maddy’s horse bolts, carrying her deep into the jungle. Injured and lost, she is saved by a giant of a man whose mere presence kindles unbearable desire. By the time she understands his dark nature, it is far too late for her to escape.

When Maddy returns, Troy finds her greatly changed : ravenous in bed, restless and disturbed otherwise. The elegant stranger he meets on the beach holds the key to her transformation – and soon has seduced Troy as well.

Tortured by his conscience, Etienne is determined to set the young couple free. But their love may be his last hope for redemption.

Note: This book was previously published by Totally Bound under the title Fire in the Blood. It has been edited and updated for this release.

Buy Links:
Kinky Literature – https://kinkyliterature.com/book/8227-fin-despoir-a-bisexual-vampire-romance/

Amazon  US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08K55W8QD

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08K55W8QD

Smashwords –  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1045343

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fin-despoir-lisabet-sarai/1137780673?ean=2940164262006

Kobo –  https://www.kobo.com/th/en/ebook/fin-d-espoir-a-bisexual-vampire-romance

Add on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55526630-fin-d-espoir

Online Excerpt:
https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2020/10/coming-monday-dark-vampire-romance.html

Fin d'Espoir by Lisabet Sarai

Excerpt:
The horse lurched and shuddered, plunging down a sudden slope. Maddy barely escaped tumbling over his head. A broken branch ripped through her shorts and gashed her thigh. Lightning bloomed overhead. In the brief instant of brightness, she glimpsed ragged cliffs towering above them and a lush valley below. Thunder and profound darkness descended together.

The horse continued his downward rush. Desperate, Maddy clung to the saddle, her legs aching with the effort. It was all too easy to imagine herself broken and trampled on that rocky ground.

Impossible brilliance dawned, followed by a crash that left her ears ringing. Maddy smelled ozone and charred wood. An orange tongue flared on a nearby ridge, silhouetting towering trees before it was quenched by the downpour.

The ground became more level. Her mount picked up speed, splashing through a stream that crossed his route and showering her legs with water far colder than the rain. The underbrush thinned. They raced along through a natural tunnel formed by the branches arching overhead. Another lightning bolt crackled through the forest. It illumined what looked like a man-made structure, a few hundred yards ahead.

“Hello!” she yelled, trying to make herself heard above the din of the storm. “Anyone—please—help…!” She peered into the grey-green shadows. Had she been mistaken? The rain eased slightly. The damp breeze was redolent of smoke and growing things.

She must have loosened her grip. Lightning arced through the sky, followed by a crack of thunder that rattled her bones. The stallion froze, screaming its terror to the freshening wind. It rose on its hind legs, beating the air with its front hooves and dashing Maddy to the ground.

Lightning snaked across the clouds. Like its twin, fiery pain forked in Maddy’s ankle. The horse reared above her prone body, ready in its mad fear to crush her into the muddy earth. Grimacing with the effort, she tried to roll out of the way, though she knew she was too late.

“Whoa now, my pretty. Du calme, du calme.”

A man’s voice, deep and resonant, full of power. The stallion responded immediately, dropping back to all fours and hanging its head. A tall figure stepped out from behind a tree and grasped the bridle. “Good boy,” he murmured in the horse’s ear, gently stroking its muzzle all the while. “No need to fear now. Calm down.”

The transformation from a crazed beast to a docile pet was close to instantaneous. The man’s voice had a similar effect on Maddy, slowing her racing heart, even easing the throbbing in her ankle.

The stranger loomed over her, a huge man-shaped shadow. Full night had arrived, and Maddy could see nothing of the man’s features. She shivered and felt her heartbeat quicken once again. She was lost and alone, crippled by an ankle that was sprained if not broken. What could she do to protect herself?

He sank on his haunches next to her aching, muddy body. “Are you hurt, Miss?” he asked, his vowels rounded by the traces of French. Maddy’s fear melted in the warmth of that rich voice. The scent of roses tickled her nostrils. The pain in her ankle dwindled to an occasional annoying twinge.

The man’s skin reminded her of the Blue Mountain coffee she and Troy had enjoyed at breakfast, a brown so dark it was almost black. Raindrops gleamed on his smooth cheeks and pooled in the hollow of his throat. Looking at him made her thirsty. He was powerfully built, with massive shoulders swelling out from his worn denim vest. Underneath, his muscled chest was bare. A tight frizz of black hair grew in the furrow between his breasts.

As he crouched at her side, his jeans stretched taut over his thighs but hung loosely around his narrow hips. Another line of kinky curls ran down from his navel to disappear under his waistband.

His face was the visage of a Nubian king, prominent cheekbones and a fleshy nose with elegant, flared nostrils. His liquid-brown eyes were set wide apart, in deep sockets protected by the fine arch of his brows. His proud forehead rose above them, up to the tight-knit black frizz that covered his skull.

And his mouth… Maddy couldn’t stop herself from staring at those full lips, mahogany-red against his rosewood-dark face. They were parted in a half-smile that revealed the pearly white of perfect teeth.

Meet Lisabet:
Lisabet SaraiLisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story at five years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketing brochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica and erotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM, GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimate aphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html), along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), she shares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, Pinterest, and  Twitter. Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

 

Meet Shiela Stewart and her paranormal romance!

The Darkness seriesThe Darkness series

Blurb:
Seducing the Darkness

Trinity was once a fragile girl. Being taken by Basil, a powerful vampires, changed her, and discovering him in the arms of another woman, changed Trinity’s destiny. Alone, she learned fast how to be tough, how to survive, and how to protect the people in her city from the evil lurking in the dark. She was managing just fine… Until Basil walked back into her life. Desiring the DarknessWith the cloak of darkness draping Jacob’s Cove, Dante Vega must work to protect the humans from the blood-thirsty vampires trying to take over the human race. When a half-naked young woman races into his arms, begging him to save her, he is compelled to help her despite the fact she is a vampire. Embracing the Darkness.

Once, vampire Jonah Moore had it all. When his wife and unborn child were taken from him, his life became darker than the night forever covering Jacob’s Cove. Raven Mooney is used to tending to the needs of others and soon finds herself fighting for her and Jonah’s safety—and freedom. Will they open their hearts to each other and learn there is life after death?

Buy link:
Amazon

Meet Shiela:
Shiela StewartQ:
Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?
A: I’ve always had a fascination with a murder mystery, and by always, I mean as far back as I can remember. My first introduction was a movie called Straight Jacket. Don’t ask me the plot though, I only caught a few moments of it while my parents watched it after my siblings and I went to bed. What I saw was disturbing. A woman picks up an axe and chops a mans head off. It didn’t take much for my parents to figure out I was watching. I think my sharp gasp gave me away. Now for most kids, that would have been traumatic, and I do remember being scared going back to bed, but that was it. I was five. As I grew up, my older brothers thought it was funny to scare my little sister and me. They’d slide under our beds and grab our feet. They once hid a glow in the dark skeleton head in our closet. I could go on and on, including having lived in a haunted house, but I digress.

The genre’s I prefer to write are paranormal and suspense romance. I like to sprinkle some comedy in my books to keep them a little lighter.

Q: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
A: There really wasn’t one thing that influenced me. I’ve always loved telling stories. I loved to read, but I never found a book that matched what I saw in my mind. I wanted a romance to go with the story, but I didn’t want to read one of those mushy harlequin romance. I wanted suspense with it. It wasn’t until I picked up my first Nora Roberts book that I felt at home reading. She had the mystery and the romance. Perfect. Finally, my stories matched.

Q: What gets your creative juices flowing?
A: Nightmares. I have some really scary dreams. I polish them up, put in a romance and viola! Also music. It may seem odd to some that I can concentrate on my story while a heavy dance beat fills the room, but it gives me fuel to write.

Awaken the Demon by Shiela Stewart

Q: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
A: Don’t judge. I love the Teen Titans go series. It’s a cartoon series I watch with my granddaughter. It’s about young superheroes who think they can get the bad guy but mostly fail. My favourite character on the show is Beats Boy. He’s weird and funny.

Q: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?
A: Jared Padalecki or Jensen Ackles. They’re the main stars of a series I am obsessed with called Supernatural.  Why them? For one, they are gorgeous. But mostly, I want to know the real person behind their characters.

Q: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
A: Stretch out on the couch and watch a movie. Yes, a scary one.

Q: What are you working on now?
A: Secrets of the Dead. It’s a paranormal romance involving the hero and heroine locked in a haunted house and a ghost who won’t let them leave.

Warm Up Your Nights with Alpha Revealed, a #SteamyParanormalRomance by Brenda Sparks

Alpha Revealed

Alpha Revealed by Brenda Sparks

Vlad is a man of many secrets. Natasha has a little secret of her own.
But secrets have a way of coming out…and
sometimes that is for the best.

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Brenda Sparks

**Special Note!**
Alpha Revealed is the 5th book in my Alpha Council series, it can be read as a stand-alone novel. But for those who enjoy reading a series from start to finish, my publisher put the other books in the series on sale until March 27 for only $0.99 each. That means the entire series (all 5 novels) can be purchased for less than $9.00.

Book Blurb:
Natasha Peterhoff is the luckiest vampire in the world. Having pined over the sexy, but aloof Vladimir Starikovich for centuries, her feelings are reciprocated when the pair are drawn to each other the night of her brother’s wedding. Unfortunately, the stark light of day dawns, and the couple parts ways.

Back in Siberia, Vlad is overcome by doubts. Not only will Natasha’s brother kill him, but his own past is reason enough to keep her away. He vows to do everything in his power to keep her safe, even it if means never seeing her again.

With so many reasons to stay apart, will the ties that bind be strong enough to pull them together?

Buy Links:
Amazon
iBooks
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Books-A-Million
BookBub
Goodreads

Alpha Revealed by Brenda Sparks

Book Excerpt:
She lifted one arm in his direction. He raised a hand to still her movement. “Don’t…touch me.”

Well, damned if that didn’t smart. He didn’t want her to touch him, even to offer him a little comfort. My, how things changed. He certainly hadn’t minded her touch the night of her brother’s wedding.

Fine. If he doesn’t want me touching him, so be it.

Natasha turned around, sending her harlequin colored pigtails twirling about her face and retrieved the bag of blood from the floor. Without looking in his direction, she stalked through the room and sat in the only padded chair. She punctured the bag with her fangs and drank, glaring at him over the top of the bag.

The blood seeped into her cells, nourishing both her and the baby. The baby moved as she continued to down the bag quickly. Her hunger pangs eased a little with each gulp of the life-sustaining liquid.

Vlad slowly straightened to his full height. The expression on his face, a cross between disdain and pain, softened her eyes. With an awkward gait, he gingerly moved in her direction.

“We need to talk,” he barked, his voice still rough with pain.

She just bet they did. No doubt, Vlad would tell her to leave. It was there on his face. He obviously didn’t want her in his home, and she didn’t blame him.

She had run out after they made love, avoided him for months, and now she had injured his manhood. If the tables were reversed, she probably wouldn’t want him around either.

Alpha Revealed by Brenda Sparks

Author Bio:
Born in Virginia, Brenda Sparks now resides in the Sunshine State. Balancing her professional commitment to the local school district with her writing is challenging at times, but writing suspenseful paranormal romance is a passion that won’t be denied. Her idea of a perfect day is one spent in front of a computer with a hot cup of coffee, her fingers flying over the keys to send her characters off on their latest adventure. Brenda loves to connect with readers. Please visit her online or stop by her website to say hi.

Author Links:
Website
Bookbub
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter Handle @brenda_sparks
Goodreads
Facebook Author Page
Pinterest
Amazon
Blog

Alpha Revealed by Brenda Sparks

The monsters are real! Meet Augustina Van Hoven

Monsters and vampires and things that go bump in the night! Welcome Augustina Van Hoven and The Hidden!

The Hidden by Augustina Van Hoven

For most of her life, Lily Montgomery had thought the creatures that inhabited her dreams lived on only in the pages of the horror novels she wrote. Until she was kidnapped by a vampire and forced to go on the run from werewolves and other shapeshifters. And from her emotions. For, against all reason, her heart was also at risk of being captured by the vampire.

Valerian DuCharme had been turned into a vampire against his will. But in the turning, he did not lose his charisma or his caring. Now the enforcer for one of the princely houses of the Community, he tried to ensure the safety of anyone who came within range. And of many who didn’t. But it was all reflex, until he met Lily. And emotions he hadn’t felt for hundreds of years surfaced.

Buy links:

Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
KOBO

Meet Augustina:

Augustina Van Hoven Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, dog and two cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.

 

Website
Twitter
FaceBook
Pinterest
Amazon 
Bookbub page

Just in time for the spookiest night! Halloween Magic

Halloween Magic by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay and Laurie KeckNomad Authors welcomes one of Dee’s favorite author friends, Devin Govaere, and her two writing companions, Maggie McBay and Laurie Keck, and their really great book for Halloween–Halloween Magic. Halloween Magic is an anthology of three stories taking place in Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, a town where ordinary and extraordinary people live their unique lives in harmony.

NA: Hi, Devin. How did you come up with the idea for your book?
DGMy co-authors and I love the small-town, romantic vibe that comes from watching the Hallmark Channel, but we also love quirky and interesting characters that live outside the norm. So creating a small town with paranormal residents was intriguing to us. Since Halloween is coming, we decided to each write a story using a classic Halloween theme.

NA: What sort of research did you do to write this book?
DG: When deciding where to place our town, we read articles and perused pictures to determine which “vibe” most connected to our ideas. We all agreed and chose Oregon and then created our town on a rather isolated peninsula. My story, Just Another Scarecrow Love Story, is contemporary, so it didn’t require research. However, my male character is a miner from the nineteenth century, so in order to get a feel for the life he might have led, I read a bit about early mining practices. The research never makes it into the story, but it gave me a sense of who he is.

NA: A fun fact about writing your book.
DG: I’ve always been intrigued by scarecrows. They’re solitary creatures who reflect how lonely life can be at times. I wanted to write a story about a scarecrow who is much more than clothes filled with stuffing. I wanted my scarecrow to find a happily ever after.

NA: Do you have a day job? What was your job before you started writing full time?
DG: I am a full-time freelance editor and write between projects. I’m lucky, however, to work from home, so my schedule is my own.

NA: What started you on the path to writing?
DG: I tinkered with writing throughout my life, particularly during those awkward junior high years. Then I got sidelined by “having a life,” which included dating as a teen and young adult and then getting married and having kids. One night I was watching TV with the kids, had an idea, got out a spiral notebook, and just started writing a story. It was much too long, and even after I edited it, it was much too long. But I loved it.

NA: The biggest surprise you had after becoming a writer.
DG: I’d always thought I was a decent writer. My teachers had told me so, and I never had any trouble communicating. It came easily to me. However, when I started writing fiction (after being a voracious reader all my life), I realized there was so much to the craft I didn’t know. Sometimes understanding concepts, such as staying within a point of view, hovered just beyond my grasp. When that finally clicked, it hit me like a sledgehammer and I wondered how I’d not seen it the whole time.

NA: Do you outline books ahead of time or are you more of a by-the-seat-of-your-pants writer?
DG: I only have a vague sense of where the story is going, possibly a couple of sentences of an idea. It might start with just a small exchange between characters, but once I have an understanding of who those characters will become, I just start writing and see where it goes.

NA: Which kind of scenes are the hardest for you to write? Action, dialogue, sex?
DG: Sex for sure. I’ve written all sorts of stories and books under my own name and various others. I love developing the characters, giving them dialogue, and choreographing their behaviors and actions, but when sex is required (which it often is, depending on the publisher), I had a habit of typing “Insert Sex Scene Here” just so I could move on and not lose my momentum. Consequently, even when I was finished and happy with the completed product, I wasn’t done yet. That’s a big reason why we’ve written our Forget-Me-Not stories as clean romances with just a hint of closed-door activities. When I type “the end,” I know I’m truly finished.

NA: What are your top three favorite books of all time?
DG: The Stand by Stephen King, The Witching Hour by Anne Rice, Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel. All three of these books not only entertained me but opened new worlds and possibilities to me.

NA: Why did you choose the shirt you have on?
DG: It was lying at the bottom of the bed waiting for me. I have several stages of being dressed during the day. The first stage is just to get Daisy, our dachshund, outside.

NA: First thought when the alarm goes off in the in the morning?
DG: “Where’s Daisy?” Daisy sleeps in the bed, but she likes to move around, so unless I feel her pressed against me, I don’t know if she’s scooted to the other side of the bed or is lying under the covers at the bottom. It only takes a moment to find her, because when the alarm goes off, she’s right there.

NA: What errand/chore do you despise the most?
DG: I hate grocery shopping and putting things away. Put things in the cart, take things out of the cart to put on the conveyer, put them back into the cart to carry to the car, put them in the trunk, unload everything and pile it all onto the counter, and then wonder where I’m going to put everything. It seemingly takes forever.

NA: What are you working on now?
DG: My co-authors and I have just finished Halloween Thrills, another anthology of Halloween stories, set to be released on October 13, and we’re currently writing the third anthology, Winter Tales, coming out on November 20.

NA: What sort of reader would enjoy this book?
DG: Any reader who lives for a happily ever after, who yearns for a touch of magic in their life, and who loves stories that blend paranormal elements with humor, a bit of mystery, and healthy, loving relationships would enjoy this book. We think the combination of the three stories offers something for everyone, and we hope you enjoy them.

Halloween Magic

Blurb:
Halloween Magic
Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, Book 1

Welcome to Forget-Me-Not, Oregon, a magical place filled with magical people. A place that’s most special just around Halloween, when the boundary between worlds thins and all things are possible.

Halloween Magic--Devin GovaereJust Another Scarecrow Love Story
Love Doesn’t Care if You’re Real…

Annabella Paxton, earth witch and single parent, lives on her apple orchard with her three-year-old daughter, Melanie. During the annual Halloween Scarecrow Trail event, Mellie helps to create their exhibit and names her scarecrow Carter, pretending he’s real. It’s all just a little girl’s imagination, right?

Kiss the SunHalloween Magic--Maggie McBay
She kissed the sun but found love in the darkness.

In the midst of Halloween festivities, visitor Rowan McKenna expected to find a variety of witches, ghosts, vampires, and other traditional monsters. She just didn’t expect to fall in love with one.

Halloween Magic--Laurie KeckHarmonious Haunt
Alone, he made music. Together, they made magic.

As entertainment director for Forget-Me-Not, Fallon James receives her dream assignment—meeting the one man who has entertained her with his music for most of her life. The question is, will they share a harmonious visit, or will they fall into one of life’s traps, leaving a haunting like no other?

Excerpt:

Prologue
Across the Vast Expanse—1695

Three long years, after a grueling journey across landscapes that defied imagination, the Conclave Elders stood at the top of a high cliff, staring at the peninsula below, a spit of land that dared to exist within the immense sea that ravaged its shores. Rings of islands lay in the distance, and rivers, both small and large, meandered through the visible land as far as the eye could see until it became a field of deep blue. How far that sea stretched they couldn’t begin to know.

It was the farthest they could possibly go in their quest for freedom without worrying about their physical survival. If they couldn’t find safe harbor here, there would be no place for them.

But this place felt right.

The salt air spread a welcoming, familiar balm over their faces. The deep, musky scents of the forest at their backs filled them with a sense of home. The endless expanse of the ocean reminded them of another on the eastern side of continent, and that peninsula offered them a sanctuary, a seclusion to live their lives and create a community filled with harmony and peace and…magic.

The eldest of the Conclave, a warlock most powerful named Silas Deeds, leaned down and plucked a small flower from a field of blue.

“I know this flower. I’ve seen it many places in Europe, but I learned of it in the Germanic region. They called it vergissmeinnicht.”

“What does it mean, Master Deeds?” asked Constance Curtis.

“Forget-Me-Not,” Silas said with a smile.

“Such a small thing for such large aspirations,” Constance said.

“And yet, look how it blossoms here. It fairly covers the ground, holding fast and true to the land.” He glanced at the peninsula below. “We can be like this small flower. We can hold fast and true.”

“There are others here,” Richard Summers said. “We saw so many on the journey, and the smoke we’ve seen drifting through the trees and along the riverbanks indicates there are many already living here.”

Silas nodded. “We can share this land. We can offer friendship and peace, and with time, the people already here may grow to accept us, dare I say to truly like us? We can offer them so much in exchange for their fellowship. And if a relationship with them stays firm, we can form a community nestled within theirs. Our families will have a secure haven to grow and build and learn.”

“It is an honorable wish for the future,” Constance said. “Do you think the possibility exists that we could find acceptance and fellowship here?”

Silas sighed. “It can be no worse than the places we’ve left behind, my dear friend.”

“You speak true,” Richard said.

“We come with open hearts, with open minds,” Silas said, “and it is a sorry people who fails to recognize honest and goodhearted intent.”

“Others have,” Richard said.

Silas glanced at his friend. “And we have left them behind.” He twirled the small blossom in his fingers. “Forget me not… We will never forget what has happened to some of our fellows, but we will move on and forge ahead, holding their memories strong in our hearts. These small flowers give us a sign that even the weakest, even the smallest can have strength, and, my stalwart friends, our group is anything but weak. We will make our home here.”

And they settled onto the beautiful peninsula they called Forget-Me-Not.

Buy links:
Amazon

Halloween Magic by Devin Govaere, Maggie McBay, and Laurie KeckAuthor Bios:

Devin Govaere is a freelance editor and fiction writer. She has published over a dozen novels and fourteen novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. She lives in North Carolina and can be contacted at dgovaere@gmail.com.

Maggie McBay enjoys writing paranormal stories filled with romance and suspense. She has published several novels and novellas, writing under her own name as well as several pseudonyms. Touched with a bit of wanderlust, she’s lived in several states over the years and looks forward to traveling in the near future. You can contact Maggie at maggiemcbay@gmail.com.

Laurie Keck lives on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She frequently visits the beach with her two small dogs and enjoys quiet time in natural surroundings. As much as Laurie enjoys the ocean, she is equally at home amidst the forest and mountains. She loves nature and wildlife. Her passion is writing stories about true love and fantasy.

Author links:

Devin
Maggie
Laurie

A personal review of Mystic Desire

Mystic Desire A Supernatural Anthology

As a member in the Mystic Desire anthology, I’m not able to post a review of the book online, so I thought I’d do it here in my blog. Please believe me when I say these mini-reviews are objective and honest. I wouldn’t steer you wrong!

When I received my copy of Mystic Desire last week, I pretty much tore into it. For more than a month I had been commenting on blog sites with my fellow anthology authors about how much I couldn’t wait to read their stories, and finally, I had the chance when the book released on October 1. Overall, I give the book a 5-star rating. Each story fulfilled its task of bringing magic/the supernatural/paranormal qualities to life. And each focused on romance in different ways. I mean, there were 14 stories and they were all very different. I loved that! Very often in an anthology there are stories I’m not fond of, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed each and every one of these. It’s really a great book!

Of course I’m skipping commentary on my own stories included in the book, An Awareness of Evil and Life Saving (written as Anne Krist). But here are my thoughts on the rest.

Unconditional Lust – Breanna Hayes
If you’ve read Alice Renaud’s merman stories, you’ve seen the gentler, kinder side of the mer-world. Breanna shows us a different view, and it is compelling. Muruch, leader of mermen and mermaids has learned to avoid contact with humankind—except to wreck ships so his kind can eat the flesh of the doomed sailors. When he is captured and a human woman saves his life, he wants her for himself. I loved this rougher view of the sub-sea world, and found it strangely arousing, too. Great side effect!

The Sweetest Magic of All by Alice RenaudThe Sweetest Magic of All – Alice Renaud
And speaking of getting a little aroused, Alice’s adorable witch uses the spell to find a magical amulet that’s lost. Instead of the amulet, Sapphire “finds” a sexy warlock who is willing to help her out. Poor girl! When they travel back in time, it’s May Eve, the night filled with lust dust, and witches and their partners are taking advantage all through the forest. When Saffy and her warlock joined in, I felt a little tingle of magic myself!

Bewitching the Wolf – Zia Westfield
Brodie, a Scottish werewolf visits a B&B with the goal of avenging his Bewitching the Wolf by Zia Westfielduncle’s mysterious death. He knows the guilty party is there at the B&B but he doesn’t know that the inn is spelled with magic by the owner, a witch. Alice has a dream of running the B&B with rooms that treat guests to a fantasy that matches the room’s theme—adventure, spa, etc. Each night Brodie has a dream matching the room’s theme, each day he’s moved to another room. His dreams all end with a gorgeous woman, and of course, each room leads him directly to Alice. This was a cute story with an imaginative twist. And Brodie’s uncle? So many things are not what they seem!

Calling All Angels – Lora Logan
I absolutely loved this story! Elijah and his brothers are earth-bound angels, dedicated for centuries to fighting demons. When he senses a call that danger is in the area, he and his team rush to dispatch the evil. Then he meets his new neighbor and things change. When he’s with her, he doesn’t hear his brother’s call to arms. He hears only her soft whispers. Bottom line, does he give up his calling—his reason for being—or the girl? I know you’ll like this story as much as I did!

Dream Catcher by Callie Carmen in Mystic DesireDream Catcher – Callie Carmen
So, so good! Many years ago, a Native American shaman put a spell on two dream catchers, one with an owl feather and the other with an eagle feather. They were given to a couple with the admonition that as long as the dream catchers stayed together, their owners would, too. In present day, a woman buys a dream catcher in an antique shop. She dreams of a man for whom she feels a strong attraction. Too bad he’s not real. Or is he? Turns out, her gorgeous new neighbor has recently visited that same antique shop. Can you guess what he bought? Callie Carmen tells a great story, weaving myth and the desire for true love. And I really liked it.

Love from the Mist – Patricia Elliott
Like all of us do at some point, Jace Warden wants to escape a family get together. This family event Is when his brother plans to announce his engagement, however. Jace knows it’s selfish not to attend, but he still boards a flight to the far side of the world. Trouble is, he doesn’t make it. Instead, he finds himself the only survivor of a crash on a remote island. All. Alone. Or so he thinks. Can love find its true mate even on a tiny speck in the middle of a huge ocean? You’ll want to read this surprising tale to find out.

Love that Binds – Carol Schoenig
Carol has an interesting story about how love sustains not only us but the earth itself. Bullied and then shunned, Ianthee is accused of being a witch. When Caleb, the only person who had ever taken her side, disappears without a trace, she feels totally alone. Their hometown is barren and dying…until something magical happens. Love. An ending filled with hope!

Love’s Ghost – R.M. Olivia
Love’s Ghost is kind of a sad story but one we all know if we’ve experienced real love. One or the other partner is eventually taken. The one left behind must find a way to go forward. In this story, the partners have one last chance to feel, to love in the physical sense before their final parting. But the message is clear: love doesn’t have to end. There can be others to help fill the void. Happiness is not a finite thing. I really liked the joyful message implicit in this story.

Through the Veil – Jan Selbourne
I loved Jan’s story! I’ve always been a sucker for a good reincarnation story, Through the Veil by Jan Selbournethough. Ever wonder why things don’t go perfectly in life? Why nothing seems to fit? That’s how Rachel Finlay feels until she discovers photos in the house of her recently passed aunt. Then a thought niggles and tickles. Maybe there’s a reason things don’t fit in this time. Maybe it’s because of events in a past time. Love it!!

The Mortal Vampire – Suzanne Smith
Another great story I loved! I’ve never read about a vampire who’s so tickled pink with who and what he is, and yet can come across as so vulnerable and confused. Suzanne has penned the perfect vampire hero, to my mind. And the ending is a wonderful surprise!

Love Knows No Apocalypse – Patricia Elliott
A zombie apocalypse has Samantha Wheeler tied up in knots. Or maybe that’s her feelings for Steve Jones. Either way, she might have found better conditions for falling in love than in a storm, surrounded by the undead. When the chips are down, does she give in and possibly (quite possibly) die with her guy or does she leave him and take her chance for survival? How she arrives at her decision is a kicker. Patricia’s superior writing makes believers of us!

The Anniversary – Richard Savage
The only male in the book turns out one of the most romantic stories while exploring the relationship between a Dom and his submissive. That’s fascinating stuff on its own, but even that gets overshadowed by the extent of the deep, true love between Evelyn and Peter. And even more, the deep love shared between Evelyn and her husband, James. (Yes, I said husband!) I was truly touched by the emotion in this story.

Mystic Desire A Supernatural AnthologySo that’s my evaluation of Mystic Desire. You can see why I give the book 5-stars—the writing is superb, the stories are varied, imaginative, very romantic, and yes, a little spooky, too. I’m recommending this to family and friends! And to you!!

Last, be on the lookout for a big surprise announcement around mid-October. The authors of the anthology are giving away a really great prize to someone lucky. And there will be a takeover on Halloween where even more prizes will be handed out. Stay tuned!

Buy Mystic Desire:
Amazon
Universal buy link

Cover Reveal! Mystic Desires, A Supernatural Anthology

Mystic Desire A Supernatural AnthologyWoo-hoo! Look out reading world because Black Velvet Seductions and several of its finest authors (ahem, me included) have put together an anthology of supernatural stories sure to light up your world! And here is a reveal of the fantastic cover!

Mystic Desire A Supernatural Anthology

Pre-order sales start September 1, with the book release scheduled for October 1—a little advance Halloween treat! Let me know what you think of the cover, too. I’m in awe!

Mystic Desire A Supernatural Anthology

Authors included:

  • Dee S. Knight: An Awareness of Evil
  • Zia Westfield: Bewitching the Wolf
  • Lora Logan: Calling All Angels
  • Callie Carmen: Dream Catcher
  • Anne Krist: Life Saving
  • Patricia Elliott: Love from the Mist and Love Knows No Apocalypse
  • Carol Schoenig: Love that Binds
  • R.M. Olivia: Love’s Ghost
  • Richard Savage: The Anniversary
  • Suzanne Smith: The Mortal Vampire
  • Alice Renaud: The Sweetest Magic of All
  • Jan Selbourne: Through the Veil
  • Breanna Hayes: Unconditional Lust

Mystic Desire A Supernatural Anthology

Look for the pre-order announcement in a short few days, September 1!