Summer Book
Event:
A Gift of
Darkest Magic & Find Me
Genre: Paranormal
A
Gift of Darkest Magic
Would you be willing to betray the
person you love in order to save their life?
Clarissa's husband Matt is dying of
cancer. They've tried everything that medicine has to offer, both traditional
and experimental, and nothing's worked. Clarissa spends her days in the
hospital, watching the man she loves slip closer and closer to certain death.
When her sister tells her she knows
a way to save Matt, but it involves visiting a local club run by vampires,
Clarissa is outraged that her sister would believe something so insane. But
then she learns the truth.
Braden, the sexy and mysterious
vampire who runs the club, does indeed have the means to save Matt, but he
demands a high payment in return. He doesn't want money, her blood, or even her
life…he wants something she never expected. Clarissa has a choice—spend
twenty-four hours in Braden's bed or let her husband die.
But what she never foresaw was how
much more the vampire would truly want after he'd given her the gift of the
darkest magic.
Content Warning: infidelity, light
bondage, anal sex, and rough sex
~Excerpt~
The quiet drip of the IV and the
occasional bleep of the monitor were the only sounds in the dim hospital room.
Clarissa Blair held the cold hand of her husband, Matthew. Matt's diagnosis of
cancer, just after Christmas, had been a horrible surprise. His condition
rapidly deteriorated. The vibrant forty-year-old lay reduced to a thin husk,
wasting away in the small room on the fourth floor of Mercy General Hospital.
Clarissa could only wait and mourn quietly. She'd tried to hide her pain and
stay positive for Matt, but it was getting harder to pretend as he slipped
closer to the end of his life.
Their twin seven-year-old daughters
spent a lot of time with her mother. She didn't want them to remember their
father as the corpse she saw each day when she came to the hospital after work.
Her life was a cycle of working and grieving. She knew the girls missed her,
but she just didn't have the strength to be there for them and keep up with the
day-to-day battle of holding herself together. Matt was leaving them.
The sound of the door opening roused
her from the dark, sad thoughts. She stood up and hugged the visitor. "Hi,
sis."
Caren, her younger sister, breezed
into the room smelling of sunshine and fresh air, in contrast to the stale
stench of death she'd come to associate with her husband's hospital room.
"How is he today?"
Her sister's sadness only added to
the weight in Clarissa's heart. "About the same. The nurse said last night
was tough, but he pulled through. He's a strong fighter." She knew the
last words sounded bitter. He was the strongest man she'd ever known; she
couldn't understand why he couldn't beat the disease ravaging him. His once
handsome face was pale and sunken. Her Matt had left long ago, leaving the
dying man in his place. Her Matt would never have abandoned her and their
daughters as this man was doing.
For a long moment, Caren looked into
her face. She knew Caren wanted to say something, but was holding back.
"Go ahead and say what's on
your mind. You're always so afraid of saying something that'll make me cry. I'm
past that stage now. Just talk, you're irritating me." She knew her shrill
statement bordered on cruel, but she didn't care. What was the use of
pleasantries when her whole life was over and she'd never be happy again?
"Sorry, sweetie," Caren
whispered, laying a gentle hand on Clarissa's shoulder.
The simple act of kindness tore at
her soul, making her want to lash out again. She shrugged off her sister's
caring touch. The unwavering love in the deep turquoise eyes, the same shade as
her own, sent a little stab of guilt through Clarissa. "I'm the one who
should be sorry, but seriously just tell me what's on your mind."
Caren gave her a weak smile.
"You know I love Matt too."
Clarissa nodded. Matt had no
siblings. She'd married him when Caren was still in high school and he'd taken
to her sister as if she were his own. "I know." She sighed.
"I think I know a way to save
him, but I need your help," Caren whispered.
Clarissa's eyes narrowed. Her whole
body began shaking. "How dare you!" She hissed at her beloved younger
sister.
"Really. I mean it, Clarissa. I
think I know a way that we can save Matt's life." She said the words with
genuine hope.
"We've tried faith healers,
herbs, expensive specialists, what more can there be? I can't believe you'd
spout such bullshit. Especially when he's so close to…" She couldn't say
"the end", but it was true. Her husband only had a few more weeks to
live, maybe less. The doctors had made it perfectly clear. It was time to give
up hope. She'd already picked out his casket and bought the plot. Matt was
gone.
"I'm not pulling your leg, or
giving you false hope. I saw it work!"
Buy Links
~About the Author~
Ashlynn Monroe is a busy wife and
mom. She enjoys writing about anything and everything paranormal or fantasy
related. She spends most of her time daydreaming up her next tale of romance.
Author
Links
Find
Me
A love that transcends time…
As her 25th birthday approaches,
Riley Sparrow begins to dream of a handsome, intriguing stranger. Each night
the dreams get more intense and the stranger starts leaving her clues to his
whereabouts. The dreams always end in a whisper…
Find Me.
Riley has denied her birthright her
entire life. She descends from a strong line of witches and warlocks, but she's
refused her powers up until now. With the help of her estranged grandfather she
learns that her mystery man is from the past and his life is in danger. Will her
grandfather help her travel back to 1963 to save the man she believes she's
meant to be with? A man she knows nothing about but feels a strong connection
to.
If she finds him, can she save him
from the evil that haunts them both? By securing his past, she knows there can
never be a future for them in her time.
Content Warning: contains sensual
sex scenes
~Excerpt~
Riley closed her eyes and let the
heat of the water engulf her tired muscles. Resting her head against the bath
pillow, she cleared her mind. The steam seeped out from the bubbles and swirled
around the room. Soon the mirror and windows were fogged and a scented mist
surrounded the bathroom, creating a relaxing atmosphere. A week's worth of
sleepless nights had taken their toll and Riley drifted off.
The squeak of the faucet and the
silence that followed distracted her tranquil thoughts. She opened her eyes to
find him sitting on the edge of the tub looking at her. For a moment, she felt
self-conscious. She glanced down and discovered her body covered in thick,
white bubbles. He couldn't see anything but the tops of her shoulders, neck,
and face.
"Sorry," he said. "I
was afraid the water would overflow."
"Am I awake?"
He shook his head. She noted his
green eyes sparkled even in the dim lighting of the bathroom.
"Well, then how—"
"It's complicated." His
thin, pink lips formed a small smile. "I can't explain now."
"Why not?"
"There isn't enough time to
make you understand while you're in your current state. We need much more time.
You can get that for us."
"Are you real or am I
crazy?"
"I'm very real, just stuck
between realms. I've been waiting for you for a long time." He slid off
the side of the tub and knelt down on the floor. "I'm afraid I can't stay
very long. I keep trying to figure out how to increase the length of my visits
but nothing seems to work."
"I don't know you."
"You will." He reached for
the clip in her hair. "May I?"
She nodded.
Once he'd freed her hair from its
confines, he smoothed the damp locks out with his hand. "I like when you
wear it down. It's so pretty." He continued to stroke her hair.
"You're just as beautiful as I remember."
"How do you know me?" She
shifted her position to face him. She breathed in his crisp scent. He smelled
of spice, maybe a hint of cinnamon.
"I…" He trailed off when
his gaze caught her exposed breasts. He looked lost in a distant memory.
When she'd turned to face him she'd
upset the bubbles shielding her. Her nipples hardened as she watched him take
in her flesh. She no longer felt embarrassed.
"I have to go."
"You keep leaving me. I don't
like it." Each time he left, he took a small piece of her with him.
"That's why you need to find
me." He leaned forward. "I know you can. You're very powerful."
He brushed his lips against her mouth. A rush of warmth coursed through her and
settled between her legs. "Find me, Riley." He kissed the corner of
her mouth, lingering a second longer than usual. She took the opportunity to
run her tongue along his soft lips. "Find me now."
"How?" She wanted more
than anything to find this man. "What do I need to do?"
"Tucker…" he whispered.
"What?"
Riley slipped off the bath pillow
and under the cold water. She quickly sat up and looked around. The bubbles had
evaporated into the freezing water.
Did she turn the faucet off, or did…
I must be crazy.
She thought for a moment. Her
mystery man had left her a big clue tonight. Now she needed to figure out what
Tucker Sparrow had to do with any of this. It looked as if she would be paying
a visit to a man she hadn't seen in a decade.
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Links
~About the Author~
Ella Jade has been
writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook
and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and
dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with
them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started
penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can’t be stopped.
Ella resides in New
Jersey with her husband and two young boys. When she’s not chasing after her
kids, she’s busy writing, attending PTO meetings, kickboxing, and scrapbooking.
She hopes you’ll get lost in her words.
Author Links
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