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Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton

Tortured Souls by Kimber Leigh Wheaton is not your normal paranormal…

Sometimes Rest in Peace isn’t an option

Kacie Ramsey sees ghosts—and it’s ruining her life. Her mother left, her father blames her, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t keep the ghosts away. Now a new power has emerged. Nightly visions of grisly murders and a relentless predator draw her to the brink of insanity.

When the phantom appears at a party, Kacie’s longtime crush, Logan, saves her. He invites her to join the Orion Circle, a group of supernatural hunters with chapters in schools all over the country. Through the Circle, Kacie learns to embrace her spiritual powers, and for the first time in her life she feels in control rather than a victim.

But the Foxblood Demon will not give up so easily. A demented serial killer in life who trapped the souls of the thirteen children he murdered, imprisoning them within the walls of his mansion. Now in death, he plots his return while drawing power from the pure souls of the children. He recognizes something in Kacie he’s never seen before—a medium powerful enough to provide a vessel for his tainted soul.

Kacie can’t ignore the tortured souls of the children crying out to her every night. With Logan at her side, she will fight the Foxblood Demon. But can they banish this powerful phantom, or will Kacie lose not only her body, but her eternal soul to the monster?

You can find Tortured Souls on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

About the author…

Kimber Leigh Wheaton is a bestselling YA/NA author with a soft spot for sweet romance. She is married to her soul mate, has a teenage son, and shares her home with three dogs, four cats, and lots of dragons. No, she doesn’t live on a farm, she just loves animals. Kimber Leigh is addicted to romance, videogames, superheroes, villains, and chocolate—not necessarily in that order. (If she has to choose, she’ll take a chocolate covered superhero!) She currently lives in San Antonio, TX but has been somewhat a rolling stone in life, having resided in several different cities and states.

Stay in touch with Kimber…

Read an excerpt of Tortured Souls…

Deafening music shakes the walls, vibrates the floor, and pounds a rhythmic beat in my skull. Gyrating bodies turn every bit of space into a dance floor. Sweat breaks out on my forehead, and my heart races. Strobe lights flash, teens dance with wild abandon. Shrieking laughter bubbles around me.

“Gotta take a leak!” my dance partner shouts over the music.

He races off, weaving through the thick wall of bodies. Mike or Mick or something—I didn’t catch the name he yelled when he asked me to dance. Doesn’t matter, he wasn’t my type at all. I mean, the guy guzzled beer while dancing. After grabbing a diet soda from a nearby cooler, I’m about to search for my friends when a dark feeling washes over me. My feet refuse to move, and I stand rooted in place.

The once loud music is now hollow in my ears. I gasp for breath, choking on the lack of air around me. Tiny hairs on the nape of my neck rise to attention. Something wicked is behind me. I know I’m the only one here who feels a difference in air pressure. An oppressive weight presses against my skin, making me feel as though I’m underwater. I blink a few times, watching the people around me continue their manic dancing—oblivious to the bogeyman that just entered the room.

Afraid to turn around, I stand my ground, sipping my soda. I pretend I’m unaware of the shuffling noises behind me, sounds I shouldn’t be able to hear over the blaring music. Swaying my hips, I hum along with the music, trying to ignore the ominous presence crushing me.

Whatever it is, I can’t let it know I sense it. Evil pours off it in waves, blanketing the entire room. I close my eyes, willing the creature to go away, return to whatever mausoleum or grave it calls home. Malevolent spirits feed on fear. I must control mine at all costs.

When I open my eyes, I’m gazing into the face of an angel. Not literally, but he may as well be in my book. Logan glances behind me, and I know he sees the spirit. He doesn’t gasp or scream or faint dead away. His golden eyes narrow as though he’s in a staring contest with the specter.

“You’re not welcome here,” Logan says to the presence behind me. He meets my gaze again. “You know it’s there.”

It’s not a question but a statement. I nod, a weak bob of my head, unsure whether this intimate moment with my dream guy is a good thing or not. Meeting over a nasty phantom is not my idea of romantic. And yet I can’t stop staring at the way his blue t-shirt hugs his broad shoulders and chest—how his light brown hair curls around his earlobes. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. For six weeks I’ve wanted out of the friendship box with Logan, but I was hoping for girlfriend, not crazy girl.

“Kassandra,” a voice rasps behind me.

Angel in the Shadows by Lisa Grace

By Margery Walshaw

Angel in the Shadows by Lisa Grace is a page turner. Books 1 and 2 are in development for a major movie through Motion Picture Pro Studios, which has been involved with five academy award winning movies. Read on for more details.

The difference between vampires and angels? Angels are real.

Fifteen-year-old Megan Laughlin has a gift–or what seems like a curse at times. Megan sees angels and demons.

Megan knows her destiny is to protect her friends against dark angels who try to sway them into situations that can destroy their lives, their souls, and their eternity.
At school, she recognizes Judas, an über popular boy, as an evil angel hell-bent on destroying her and everyone she loves. As Judas spreads horrible rumors and overdoses two of her classmates at a rave, Megan realizes the enormity of his power. While classmates die, Megan, with the help of an angel, Johnny, and a team of friends will face the fight of their lives as they battle Judas.

Megan thinks God hasn’t given her any “special” powers, but discovers she has what she needs as she confronts Judas and his seemingly unconquerable power.

“Ms. Grace rocks the originality!” werevampsromance.org

“Lisa Grace creates a supernatural world, where the heroine is 100 percent human – a brilliant alternative to the vampire novels. If this is her first novel – I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for readers. A page-turner from start to finish.” -Alexis Del Cid, CBS NEWS, KOIN-TV, Portland, Oregon

Find Angel in the Shadows at these online retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

About Lisa Grace…

Lisa Grace is the author of the popular Angel Series which has been optioned through Motion Picture Pro Studios and is currently in movie development. She has released a YA dystopian serial available for Kindle called FEUDAL LAND, and also writes a real-life history-mystery line that includes The 15th Star and True Treasure.

Check out her Author Central page here for a complete listing of all her books: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B003H8CMBW

Lisa lives along the Gulf Coast of Florida and spends her free time paddle boarding and building her backyard reef for all visiting mermaids to enjoy.

Readers can sign up for my notifications of new releases, movie news, or become an angel friend via Lisa’s website. “I love talking to readers and return all emails personally.” — Lisa

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Pinterest

Beautifully Used by Susan Griscom

By Margery Walshaw

Beautifully Used by Susan Griscom is the second book in The Beaumont Brothers Series.

Suave, handsome Brodie Beaumont has a history of using and being used by women. A past he doesn’t like to talk about has turned him into the type of guy he is today, but he hasn’t really cared. Until the beautiful and feisty Gabrielle Demeres comes back into his life.

Gabrielle learned the hard way what type of guy Brodie was the first time she met him. His crude seduction attempt earned him a slap to his face, and Gabrielle wasn’t exactly looking forward to another encounter with the cad. Unfortunately, her best friend was marrying Brodie’s brother, and Gabrielle and Brodie would be forced to spend time together whether she liked it or not.

As things in the small, quiet town of Turtle Lake take a decidedly dark and dangerous turn, Gabrielle and Brodie only have each other to turn to. Will they be capable of overcoming their aversion to one another while coping with their own troubled pasts and dealing with the current dangers surrounding them? Or is their hostility just skating the fine line between love and hate?

Available at these online retailers…

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

About the Author…Susan shares a little of her upbringing and philosophy on writing.

I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania, spending most of my time daydreaming or playing around in the mud. I grew out of the mud play, well, most of the time, a good soak in the mud is always fun. I still daydream often and sometimes my daydreams interrupt my daydreams. So I write to remember them. If I didn’t write, I think my mind would explode from an overload of fantasy and weirdness. To the annoyance of my friends and family, my characters sometimes become a part of my world. During my childhood, I would frequently get in trouble in school for daydreaming. Eventually, my vivid imagination paid off and I had the privilege of writing and co-directing my sixth-grade class play–a dreadful disaster, though not from my writing, of course. I’m pretty sure it was the acting.

I enjoy writing about characters living in small quaint towns and tend to lean toward the unusual and edgy.

My paranormal playing field delves into a different milieu, abandoning vampires and werewolves, but not discounting them. Someday I might like to write a novel about vamps and those furry creatures. But for now I like the bizarre mixed with romance. A strong hero or heroine confronted with extraordinary forces of nature, powers and capabilities gets my blood running hot as does an steamy contemporary romantic suspense.

You can stay in touch with Susan here…

You can read an excerpt of Beautifully Used here, but please be advised that it is appropriate for audiences 18+.

She looked up at me and smiled, oblivious to the fact that she was sitting there looking so sexy and tantalizing. I had a hard time keeping myself planted in the door jamb instead of pouncing onto the bed and pulling her into a long seductive kiss. Any red-blooded male would have. God, this woman drove me nuts. How would I ever survive this arrangement?

“Hi. You worked late. Did you have a chance to eat dinner?” Her melodious words jarred me from my intemperate, seductive thoughts.

“Uh … no. You?”

“No. I waited. I’ve been craving sushi and hoped I could convince you to do take out.”

I fished my phone out of my pocket and looked at the white neon 8:12 on the display. It’s kind of late. We could call and see if they’ll still deliver this late. I searched through my contacts and located the local sushi restaurant, well, the only sushi restaurant. Lucky for us, they delivered. Even luckier, they were still open for business. “Hold on just a sec,” I said into the phone and handed it to her. “Here, order whatever you want.” I pulled out my wallet, snatching out my credit card and handing it to her. “I like everything, but make sure to add in some spicy stuff. I’m gonna hop in the shower. See if they’ll deliver a bottle of saké too. Something dry and bold. We have some celebrating to do.” I turned quickly before she could ask me anything, leaving her with the phone, and headed to my room. I wanted to yell back and tell her to put some clothes on, but thought better of it. She probably had short shorts on that I couldn’t see. Gabrielle wasn’t the type to sit around in her underwear with her door open.

****

Hot water flowed over my head and I closed my eyes, but all I saw was flesh; the silky flesh of Gabrielle’s thighs. As I spread the soap over my chest and stomach, I grabbed my already stiff cock in my hand, realizing I should have made it a cold shower. When was the last time I’d gotten laid? And why had it been so long? Women usually didn’t affect me the way Gabrielle did. The desire to be with her grew stronger every day, and I didn’t think she hated me anymore. God she was beautiful. Sexy too, sitting there over her laptop. I wondered what she was typing. A scene from her book, no doubt. Was it a sex scene? Did she even write those? What kind of sex scene would Gabrielle write? I thought of Gabrielle typing a scene about a fourteenth-century warrior from the Scottish Highlands taking pleasure in the damsel he’s just rescued. I closed my eyes, becoming that warrior as Gabrielle’s lips grazed over my stomach, tantalizing me with the tip of her tongue going lower and lower until she licked the tip of my cock. The smooth texture of her tongue gliding over me was almost too much to bear. She shifted her position and climbed on top of me, urgently guiding me. I held on tightly as she sat on top of me gyrating her hips, taking me in as deep as I would go until I could feel the wall of her cervix against my tip, in and out, until she called out my name. I must have been pumping unconsciously as my release had me falling back against the cold shower wall. I opened my eyes to find cum all over the shower door. “Shit.”

Abandoned Property by Kai Mann

By Margery Walshaw

Learn more about the Abandoned Property by Kai Mann, a novel that is sure to touch your core.

Kori, Jerard, Darius, Jay, Layla, Karina, and Coco have something in common; they all have abandonment issues. Even though their issues of abandonment stem from some of the same situations, how they play out is different in nature. Whether it’s guilt and shame, a revolving door of relationships, daddy issues, attention seeking, insecurities and self-doubt, fear of being abandoned, or trust issues; they all allow their issues to manifest negatively in all of their relationships. Are they doomed to repeat some of the same cycles of physical or emotional abandonment like being cast aside, deserted, discarded, neglected, shunned, and even rejected? Or will they go to the extreme opposite to ensure that the cycle ends with them?

Abandoned Property is available at these online retailers…

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords

Learn more about Kai Mann…

Her writing is both positive and purposeful. Her keen ability to provoke thought, trigger change and enlighten the lives of others has catapulted her to a literary success. Whether it’s in the form of a blog post or article, Facebook status or tweet, Kai Mann strives to empower and educate followers around the world about the nature of love, the importance of relationships and how these two play a vital role in the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community.

While her passion for writing was birthed at a young age, her literary experience did not fully blossom until 2009, when she started writing her first novel. In addition, Mann also became a writer for Examiner.com, holding the title of Detroit’s Best Friend Examiner. Through her articles for the Examiner, she offers an innovative perspective on the topic on friendship.

In 2011, she published her debut novel, 30 Day Notice under her own publishing company, Scriblical Vibez Publishing, LLC. Through Scriblical Vibez, she not only scribes biblically while creating a powerful message with a unique vibe, but she helps publish and market other authors’ content that creates vibrational change across the nation and even the world. Her sophomore literary project, Abandoned Property, released in 2013, the same year that Mann helped produce a document series, Out Loud in the D. The documentary highlights the daily lives of African-Americans in the LGBT community.

As a proud member of the Motown Writers Network, she currently serves as Media Content Publisher, often assisting with conferences, monthly meetings and web content updates. Mann also hosts her own internet talk radio show, LGBT Radio Nation, where she educates listeners on the LGBT community and those who are making great strides and contributions toward change in and around it. Although the weekly topics may change, the message does not—the LGBT community is no different than any other community.

Her literary works are best described as colorful, insightful and concise. Provoking deeper thought and greater understanding of individuality across racial and social barriers, Mann leaves readers pondering her words long after the final page has been turned. As part of the Pen to Paper series, her third project, Pen to Paper: A Walk Into Destiny is set to release in October of 2014. The two previous books in the series were published in March and June of 2014. Living on Lafayette Street, a collection of poetic prose, will be released in the spring of 2015. All of the pieces speak to spiritual transformation into a higher level of self.

For more information, please visit http://www.kai-mann.com or email kai_ology@yahoo.com.

You can keep up with Kai’s latest news here…

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Read on for an excerpt of Abandoned Property…

PROLOGUE
I was two years old when I heard the sound of a balled-up fist make contact with flesh and bone as I walked into the living room from playing in my bed-room. Just as I turned the corner, I saw my mother fly across the room holding her bloody mouth while trying not to cry or make a noise. As fast as my little legs could go, I ran to her. As soon as she saw me, she jumped up off of the floor, scooping me up with the hand she held her keys in while still holding her mouth with the other hand.

As we did many times before, we sought refuge at my maternal grandmother’s house. When we walked into my grandmother’s house, my older cousin saw my mother’s face and like a whirlwind walked passed us both with focus and drive without so much as a hi or hello. That day my mother would lose an incisor, a cuspid, and a molar. Later she would gain a bridge that would replace the teeth missing from her beautiful smile.

Neither my mother nor I knew that my father was approaching fast behind us, but my twenty-four-year-old cousin did. When he got close to my father, his huge fist from his six-foot-four frame connected to my father’s jaw. My father was a little guy, standing five foot five with a big attitude but nothing else to match. That day his attitude got readjusted as well as a couple of other things. I loved my father like nobody’s business, and when I saw him fall to the ground, I forgot what had transpired earlier with my mother and tried to wiggle out of my mother’s arms, but my aunt caught me just before I could run to my father’s aid. My mother, my grandmother, and my aunt hid me under the bed in my grandmother’s spare bedroom. They knew that my father was on his way in to try to get me. He never allowed my mother to take me when they got in-to an argument or a fight. My cousin, however, had other plans and that day was the last day I ever saw my father until I was 25.

I never remembered the actual events from this incident, but I was told this story for most of my life. It was almost like it was fed to me religiously as a testament to the beginning of the journey that was my life. The latter part of the story was mainly told to me with-out the part about my mother getting beat until I was old enough to understand what had really transpired. I always heard how my father loved me though. As I got older, I began to wonder if he never wanted my mother to take me because he truly loved me that much or was it his way of keeping my mother in line. Men knew that women didn’t usually leave their babies.

Years later, that would be the same trick that would be done to me, but I wouldn’t fall for it.

“You can keep them. I believe that boys should be with their father anyway. You won’t hurt them. You’ll make sure that they have food in the refrigerator, lights on, and I’ll be sure they have clothes.”

That was what I said before I left.

Sugar’s Dance by Katie Mettner

By Margery Walshaw

Don’t miss the exciting saga of Sugar’s Dance by Katie Mettner. This is the first book in a four part inspirational, romantic suspense series.

Grab a cup of joe and meet Tula Dubois, Sugar to everyone who loves her, an accomplished ballroom dance instructor living in the Twin Ports of Lake Superior. From the outside, Sugar appears to have it all, a successful business and a wonderful family, but behind closed doors Sugar’s emotional walls are crumbling as the events of one snowy November night ten years ago fill her nights with terror. As she struggles to keep her sanity from slipping away she is taunted by the never-ending mantra of why. Why is she still here? Why was she spared?Will the events of one snowy November night haunt her forever?

When Drug Task Force Agent Donovan Walsh arrives in Duluth, Minnesota, there is no doubt in his mind that it’s the tip of the end of the world and he prays that his assignment will be short so he can escape back home to sunny, warm Texas. That is until he meets his latest protected witness, Sugar. His job is simple — protect her from a madman determined to engage her in a dangerous tango. All it takes is one dance across the floor and Agent Walsh quickly discovers there is nothing simple about Sugar.

As the gales of November blow early, Van finds himself drawn to Sugar as he leads her through a tender dance of grief and guilt. The sadness in her eyes when she thinks no one is looking compels him to help her rediscover her love for dancing and the reasons why she was left behind.

As one storm eases another intensifies and Sugar is pulled back into a high stakes promenade with a psychopath hellbent on destroying her family and her town. Sugar must summon her strength and give the performance of a lifetime as she becomes an unwilling partner in a treacherous dance of drugs, kidnapping and family betrayal. It’s a dance where one misstep could leave her fighting for her life!

As winter descends upon Lake Superior, Sugar will waltz through the darkness to find faith, hope, and the greatest of these, love….

You can find Sugar’s Dance on Amazon.

More about the author…

Katie Mettner grew up in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and moved to the Northwoods where she now resides with her husband and three children. Katie writes inspirational romance and is the author of The Sugar Series, The Northern Lights Series and the Snowberry Holiday Series. Her stories are a reflection of her love for family, intricately woven with life experience. When the gales of November blow early you can find her at the computer with a cup of joe working on her next adventure.

Stay in touch with Katie here…

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+

Want to read an excerpt? What are you waiting for?

I was standing in the doorway to the kitchen. It had been another rough night. After excusing myself and going to my room I watched all the late night TV shows knowing as soon as I fell asleep the nightmares would return. I spent the night tossing and turning and was never more grateful to see the sun come up over the lake. I had spent a long time in the shower and getting ready for the day trying to put off the inevitable. I knew that today I had to dance with this man. This man who had shown up at my door and managed to get me to open up to him in ways I have never done with anyone else before. I also knew I was going to have to tell him the rest of my story before he found out from someone else because somehow I knew it would hurt him too much to not hear it from me. I wasn’t emotionally ready to do that yet though. For the first time in ten years I was just Tula DuBois again. I wasn’t Sugar to him, I was Tula and whether it was right or not I wanted to see what that was like. He either hadn’t done any research on me or else he was a very good liar. The vibe I got was he was taking what I said at face value. Seemed like that was the way he did things. Ask a question, get an answer and move on. I suppose if he had any inkling I was lying he would switch into cop mode and grill me for all he was worth, but for now he seemed satisfied with my story.

He had his back turned to me and I was enjoying the view of his well filled out Levis as he dug through my cupboard. He was trying to decide what kind of coffee to make and it seemed as though the decision was overwhelming him this morning. He had thrown on a crewneck maroon sweatshirt and I couldn’t see the front, but it probably said something like “Howdy” or “Howyall”. The back was stretched across his broad shoulders and it tapered to his narrow waist and I need to stop this line of thought! His hair was shiny from the shower and I could smell his ever present Irish Spring. To say he took a bath in it was literal, but I couldn’t figure out how the smell managed to linger all day.

“Need help with anything?” He jumped and turned around at the same time throwing his hand over his heart. I noticed the shirt said Texas A&M. Darn.

“Cripes, could you not do that!? How long have you been standing there?” Long enough.

“A while.” I walked over to the counter and gazed up at what had him stymied.

“So you found the coffee cupboard.”

I had one cupboard reserved for my coffee. It was sorted by region or country and by what kind was used in specific makers. I snuck a peek at him and noticed his eyes were slightly glazed over. I could feel the corners of my mouth turn up and looked back down before he could even consider the idea that I was laughing at him.

“You think this is funny, don’t you?” He motioned at the cupboard.

“Who me? No, no, I have no idea what you are talking about.” I did think it was funny, but then I haven’t slept much lately and I was feeling punch drunk. It was taking much too long to get a cup of coffee.

“It is obvious to me,” he said holding onto the cupboard door and looking down at me from his towering perch above me, “that you are an addict.”

“You are telling me nothing I don’t already know. Now either pick a coffee and make it or move over so I can.” I put my hand on my hip and waited.

A slow smile spread across his face and he stepped back, hands up, palms out in front of him. “By all means, please, make the coffee. I don’t want you to start with the DTs.”
Ha, very funny. He wasn’t, but he thought he was. Okay, so he was cute and he was funny, but I still didn’t appreciate it. I reached up to grab a coffee and stopped my hand in midair.

“So do you want regular old everyday American coffee or something more adventurous?”

“Regular old American? You make that sound like a bad thing.”

I shook my head.“No, not a bad thing. I’m wondering if you are a put more goo than coffee in your coffee kind of coffee drinker or if you like it black, strong and pure.” I was feeling the need for black, strong and pure. Pure caffeine. I knew it was going to be the only way to survive the day.

“Well, you look like you could use black, strong and pure. No offense, but you look like you should be going to bed rather than getting up.”

He was sitting at the table eyeing me in my baggy workout pants and three quarter zip Columbia sweatshirt. I had my feet stuffed into my dance sneakers and my hair was in a ponytail gathered at the nape of my neck. I didn’t think I looked too bad, but then I was probably trying to fool myself. It obviously wasn’t working on him.

“Boy you sure can build up a girl’s ego.” I was holding the door to the cupboard open using it to prop me up.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Oh boy. Time to step out of the rattlesnake cage.

I grabbed the coffee filters skipping right over that comment, “So we have Guatemalan, Zambian, Costa Rican or German coffee.”

I knew he was laughing at me behind my back, but I refused to look at him. I pulled out the twelve cup Cuisinart, docked my iPod in the dock and let the soft strains of Allison Krauss fill the kitchen.
I turned around and glared at him, “I hear nothing but your laughter.”

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