April 28, 2014

Bout of Books #10

Bout of Books Read-a-thon

I'm going to take part in this year's read-a-thon starting May 12th- 18th 2014. I have some idea on what book(s) to read but it's my perogative if I decide on something different.

Bout of Books
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 12th and runs through Sunday, May 18th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 10 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

GOAL POST- 

[you can find the template here]

Time Devoted to Reading 

I will be reading all week.

My Goals 

To Finish reading the books of my choice.
UPDATE: I"ve been re-reading City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

Books to Read 

Dark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal RomanceDark and Deadly: Eight Bad Boys of Paranormal Romance


Eight hot paranormal romances by New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Alpha-male bad boys will fulfill your darkest, most deadliest desires in these stories about shifters, werewolves, vampires, magic, special powers and other realms. But only if you dare…

Updates 

Monday 

Number of books I've read today:
City of Lost Souls up to Chapter 8
2% for Dark and Deadly

Tuesday Chapters read today

Total number of books I've read: 

Books:

April 27, 2014

His Fair Assassin #1

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)

GRAVE MERCY 

His Fair Assassin #1
Written by: Robin LaFevers
Hardcover, 549 pages
Also listened to it on Audio
Narrated by Erin Moon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

European history has always been a favorite subject of mine. I love reading about the battles fought with the rising and falling of Empires.

Grave Mercy is one fascinating story about a young girl , Ismae Rienne, who ends up falling in love against all odds. Death itself. Truly she learns to follow her heart and discovers she could serve the god of Death not with vengeance but with mercy. Ahhh I loved the romance she forges with Gavriel Duval, a noble in the Court of Brittany.

The story captivates me from the get go.
Paragraph 1 Chapter 1 "I BEAR A DEEP RED stain that runs from my left shoulder down to my right hip, a trail left by the herbwitch's poison that my mother used to try to expel me from her womb. That I survived, according to the herbwitch, is no miracle but a sign I have been sired by the god of death himself."

Yes, death had shown her mercy in that she didn't die, and he might of even loved her too. Could it be the reason it was easy for her to show mercy? It's possible. When she was ordered by the Convent to kill Duval's mother, she couldn't do it and spared her life on condition she swears fealty to Anna the Duchess of Britanny who so happens to be her daughter as well.

The story doesn't have too many complicated characters and I was able to follow along comfortably. Even with Ismae's abusive father and her husband-to-be Guillo, the writer is able to convey them accurately. I felt her pain and loss.


About the Author:


Robin LaFevers was raised on a steady diet of fairy tales, Bulfinch’s mythology, and 19th century poetry. It is not surprising she grew up to be a hopeless romantic.
Though she has never trained as an assassin or joined a convent, she did attend Catholic school for three years, which instilled in her a deep fascination with sacred rituals and the concept of the Divine. She has been on a search for answers to life’s mysteries ever since.
While many of those answers still elude her, she was lucky enough to find her one true love, and is living happily ever after with him in the foothills of southern California.
In addition to writing about teen assassin nuns in medieval Brittany, she writes books for middle grade readers, including the Theodosia books and the Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series. 
You can learn more about those books at www.robinlafevers.com



April 26, 2014

What's New On My Kindle?

Come Away with Me (With Me in Seattle, #1)Come Away with Me (With Me in Seattle #1) by Kristen Proby 

Kindle Edition
Being confronted on the beach by a sexy stranger wasn't part of Natalie Conner's plans for a peaceful morning taking photos. And why on earth would he think she's taking pictures of him, anyway? Who is he? One thing’s for sure, he’s hot, and incredibly romantic, feeding Natalie’s wounded soul. Luke Williams just wants the world to give him a break, so seeing yet another camera aimed at his face has him ready to pounce on the beauty behind the lens. When he finds out she has no idea who he is, he's intrigued and more than a little tempted by her. Natalie has a body made for sex, a sassy mouth and Luke can’t get enough of her, but he’s not ready to tell her who he really his. Natalie is a no nonsense girl who doesn’t do well with lies and secrets. What will happen to this new relationship when she discovers what Luke’s hiding? 

About Kristen

Kristen is the author of the Amazon and USA Today bestselling With Me In Seattle series. She has a passion for a good love story and strong characters who love humor and have a strong sense of loyalty and family. Her men are the alpha type; fiercely protective and a bit bossy, and her ladies are fun, strong, and not afraid to stand up for themselves.

Kristen spends her days with her muse in the Pacific Northwest. She enjoys coffee, chocolate and sunshine. And naps.




Shiftless by Aimee Easterling 

Kindle Edition
PMS is no fun for werewolves. Forget the full moon, female werewolves shift uncontrollably at that time of the month. But after years of practice, teenaged Terra learns to squash her wolf, which allows her to flee the repressive village where she grew up. A decade later, Terra realizes she has an even worse problem. After hiding from her wolf for so long, she is now shiftless, unable to change back into canine form. When her father shows up with an ultimatum, Terra knows she'll have to learn to shift or return to her place in her family's pack. Will Wolfie, a nearby alpha who's more wolf than man, be a stumbling block in Terra's quest to maintain her freedom? As Terra struggles to escape two werewolf packs that seem poised to suck her back in, the real question becomes --- does she really want to stay away? 

About Aimee 


Aimee Easterling has been spoiled by four dogs, has spoiled six cats, and has largely been ignored by two guinea pigs, four turtles, and a slew of fish during her thirty-some year life. Studying biology and working as a naturalist have both informed her writing, but she's quite willing to let reality slide in favor of a good story. When not writing, she loves to read and always keeps books by Robin McKinley, Patricia Briggs, and Elizabeth Peters on her shelf. She is currently hard at work writing the sequel to Shiftless, her first werewolf novel. Visit her at wetknee.com/aimee.



Death Comes to Town (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery #1) by K.J. Emrick 

Kindle Edition
Darcy Sweet would like to think that she is just an ordinary woman, happy in her life running the Sweet Read bookstore. But she isn't ordinary. She has a connection to the other side that seems to draw her into mysterious situations more often than not. Add to the mix the antics of a rather naughty, slightly psychic cat and the eccentric ghost of her great-aunt Millie, and you have a recipe for anything but the ordinary. When Darcy's neighbor is murdered she is drawn into the mystery against her will when she finds the body. She tries to leave the investigation to the police, one of which is her sister, but an overheard conversation and a small nudge from the other side has her investigating the murder. The stakes are raised when the murderer strikes again. Who was killing the people in her life? Things are complicated even more by her building attraction to her sister's new cop partner, who makes it clear he does not appreciate Darcy's interference in the investigation. Sparks fly between the two of them as they get further into the mystery surrounding the deaths. With a town full of suspects how will Darcy work out who the murderer is? None of the pieces to the puzzle fit. Things become more complicated and dangerous as Darcy's own life is threatened. Will she survive to see justice served? 

About Katherine Emrick


Strongly influenced by authors like James Patterson, Dick Francis, and Nora Roberts, Kathrine Emrick is an up and coming talent in the writing world. She is a Kindle author/publisher and brings a variety of experiences and observations to her writing.

Based in Australia, Kathrine has wanted to be an author for the majority of her life and can always be found jotting down daily notes in a journal. Like many authors, she loves to be surrounded by books and is a voracious reader.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and volunteering at the local library.

Her goal is to become a best selling author, regularly producing noteworthy content and engaging in a community of readers and writers.


Rogue Alliance by Michelle Bellon 

Kindle Amazon
Trying to escape a horrific past, Shyla has immersed herself in life as a tough cop in the bustle of LA. When the case of a lifetime takes her back to her hometown of Redding, she is thrown into a world of organized crime, deceit, and bitter reminders of her childhood. As Shyla’s path crosses that of Brennan, a troubled sidekick to the ringleader she’s intent on taking down, she discovers he has a past even darker than hers and she is forced to re-evaluate everything she believes about herself, her job, and what she knows about right and wrong. Can she face the demons of her upbringing and learn to trust again? Her life will depend on it. 

About Michelle


Born in Boise, Idaho in August of 1976, Michelle Bellon has had three novels published, and is hard at work on her fourth. Embracing You, Embracing Me, published by Fingerpress, won the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award for best Young Adult fiction (Summer 2012).

Michelle was raised by her loving mother and devoted grandmother who she claims is her biggest role model. Throughout her childhood she was stubborn, precocious and full of big dreams for her future. She dedicated much of her time to pursuing a career as a ballerina, but as she grew into a young woman, that drive and energy evolved into raising a family. She earned her degree as a registered nurse in 2005, but found herself back in the home a few years later when she and her husband welcomed their fourth child into the world and so began her writing career. Michelle now lives in Washington with her husband and their four children.
The author's website


Sara's Game (Sara Winthrop #1) by Ernie Lindsey 

Kindle Amazon
Two years ago, Sara's husband left for the gym one morning...and never came back. His car was found. He wasn't. Unbelievably, the police report said, "No foul play suspected." There were a few unreliable sightings over the following months, but little else. Now, on the last day before summer break, her three children have gone missing from their schools, all at the same time. And the note under her windshield wiper asks one simple question: Are you ready to play the game? 

About Ernie

Ernie Lindsey grew up in the Appalachian Mountains of southwest Virginia, working on the family farm and reading, and has spent his life telling stories to anyone that will listen. He currently works as a freelance writer and is the author of five Mystery & Suspense novels and numerous short stories. When he's not writing, you can find him tackling the gigantic To Be Read list on his Kindle or the never-ending stack of books in his office.

Ernie and his family live in Oregon, along with a multi-fingered Hemingway cat named Luna. http://www.ernielindsey.com


The BonusThe Bonus by Alice Lingard 

Kindle Amazon
An outrageous proposal. An unexpected bonus. Millionaire Rory (Raw) Westgrove needs a new PA. More importantly, he wants Lacey Simpson in his bed. He’s arrogant enough to believe his outrageous proposal is the answer to both problems. Lacey Simpson is nobody’s fool – she knows his game. She may need the job, and she certainly needs the money, but if he thinks he can get her into his bed, he’d better think again. 




Frost (The Holly Chronicles, #1) by Moira Keith 

Kindle Edition
Two things Detective Holly Monroe has never been able to handle—Christmas and matters of the heart. Living the job has helped keep Holly sane, but as the holidays approach, she struggles to keep the past at bay. Then Jack Frost—the man she walked out on a year ago—goes missing and Holly is handpicked by Chief Claus to work the case…alone. Feelings she’s denied for the past year resurface and fear soon follow tempting her to run once more. But elves that leave the North Pole don’t survive long and regardless of her feelings for Jack, she can’t allow him to be suffer that fate. Bringing Jack back is going to take more than just showing up. Holly’s going to have to decide if she is willing to risk everything—including her heart. 

About Moira Keith

Moira Keith has a penchant for men in kilts, is a lover of shoes, Celtic mythology, connoisseur of Guinness, baker of cupcakes and overall complete mess! As an author of paranormal, urban fantasy and contemporary romance, Moira writes stories that are often filled with the magic of love and the mayhem that ensues, threatening to keep her couples apart.

Currently, Moira resides in Las Vegas with her twin zombie sons, her husband the Beta and a turtle.

To learn more about Moira, please visit her website and blog. You can also find her hanging out on Facebook and Twitter as well.



Beyond Control (Beyond Love, #1)Beyond Control (Beyond Love #1) by Karice Bolton 

Kindle Edition
Everything in Gabby Sullivan's life is going according to plan--her father's plan. With a brilliant job in the corporate world, glamorous parties, and a beautiful condo overlooking Seattle, she is thrown into a world she doesn't want to claim. It's not until Jason crashes into her world that she realizes she's not really living. Facing his own demons, Jason attempts to piece his life back together after a personal tragedy. Damaged by his ghosts, Jason finally begins to forgive himself whenever Gabby's around. She makes him feel--alive, something he hasn't felt for a long time. It's only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.  

About Karice Bolton


Karice Bolton lives in the Pacific Northwest and is a writer of Young Adult and New Adult books. She loves to read anything and everything. She also enjoys baking, skiing, and spending time with her wonderful husband and two English bulldogs.






Better Off Dead (Lily Harper #1) by H.P. Mallory 

Amazon Kindle
If there’s such a thing as luck, Lily Harper definitely doesn’t have it. Killed in a car accident before it’s her time to go, Lily learns that the hereafter isn’t exactly what she hoped it might be. First, there’s AfterLife Enterprises, the company responsible for sorting out the recently dead and sending them on their way to the Kingdom, (aka happily ever after,) or to the Underground City, (not so happily ever after.) Learning that Lily’s death was indirectly their fault (her guardian angel, Bill, was MIA during her accident and was one of their employees,) Afterlife Enterprises offers Lily the chance to live again. But, as with most things involving the afterlife, beware the fine print. Most notably, Lily will have to become a soul retriever, venturing into the bowels of the Underground City to retrieve souls that were mistakenly sent there by Afterlife Enterprises during a Y2K computer glitch. Second, there’s angel Bill. As if risking her second life in the Underground City wasn’t enough, Lily’s guide to the Underground is none other than her incompetent, alcoholic, womanizing guardian angel, Bill, the antithesis of anything wholesome. With only Dante’s Inferno and Bill to help her in her quest, Lily’s future isn’t looking bright. Finally, there’s the legendary bladesmith, Tallis Black. As Scottish as his kilts and heavy brogue, Tallis Black is a centuries-old Celt who, for reasons only known to him, offers to train Lily and act as her escort into the depths of the Underground City. Dark, brooding and definitely dangerous, Lily knows she shouldn’t trust Tallis, but she also can’t deny her attraction to him. Between soul retrieving in hell, dealing with Bill and trying to figure out what’s in it for Tallis, Lily wonders if maybe she would’ve just been better off dead. 

About H.P. Mallory

http://hpmallory.com/
Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance Author

I started my writing career as a self-published author and was lucky enough to hit both the Amazon and the Barnes and Noble bestseller’s lists with my two series, the Jolie Wilkins series and the Dulcie O’Neil series. Most recently I hit the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists!

I signed with Random House (Bantam imprint) to write three books in the Jolie Wilkins series (Witchful Thinking, The Witch is Back and Something Witchy This Way Comes). Now I love the fact that I’m both a traditionally published author as well as a self-published one (with my Dulcie O’Neil series).

I’m a huge fan of anything paranormal and I always have been. I get super excited whenever they have those Twilight Zone Marathon days and anything ghost or vampire related will always attract my attention.

My interests are varied but aside from writing, I’m most excited about traveling. I’m extremely fortunate to have been able to live in England and Scotland, both places really having a profound effect on my books.



The Gigolo’s Bride (The Necklace Chronicles #2) by R.E. Butler 

Kindle Amazon
Sold into slavery…. Only one person can truly set former sex slave Eden Atarn free: his soul mate. Taken from her planet…. When Ashleigh Turner receives a beautiful necklace as a gift from a secret admirer, she has no idea who it came from. When another delivery shows up at her home, instead of finding out who sent her the necklace, she finds herself transported onto an alien spaceship as it speeds her away from earth. Will she be what he needs or find herself a slave as well…. On a planet where forced prostitution is a punishment and young adults are sold by their families for money, Ashleigh must decide if she can be what Eden needs when she comes face to face with what he once was. Will she always want to go home, or will she find that the place she longs to be most is in Eden’s arms? 

About R.E. Butler

I always wanted to be a homebody and live in one place for my entire life, but fate had other plans. In the past twelve years of my married life, we’ve moved seven times, including from one coast to the other. Southern New Jersey is home now and I love it. I have two young children, a husband who begrudgingly pays for my ebook addiction, and two dogs that think they’re people. After college, I spent eight years as an executive assistant before “retiring” at twenty-seven to become a stay-at-home mom. I have a soft spot for self-published authors, Ghirardelli chocolate, muscle cars, and men with tattoos. Most people who know me don’t know I have a tattoo of a tiger on my hip or that I have an unhealthy obsession with The Simpsons.

I love sunsets, several cups of coffee in the morning, and I absolutely cannot live without books. When I’m not busy with my family, you’ll find me sitting at my desk working on any number of projects, including reading, reviewing, and writing.



RisingRising (The Rising #1)by Holly Kelly 

Kindle Edition
In a war between the humans and the inhabitants of the sea—humans will lose. Xanthus Dimitriou—the most lethal Dagonian to rise from the ocean—is on a mission to save mankind from annihilation. But first there’s one small thing he needs to do… kill a beautiful young woman in a wheelchair. Killing her doesn’t start out as part of his plan. He entrenches himself deep in the human world. Aligning himself with his enemies, he prepares to send them to Triton to face their punishment. Then Sara Taylor rolls onto the scene. Xanthus knows at once she’s a criminal. And her crime? Being born. She’s a human/Dagonian half-breed, an abomination. Killing her should be an easy job. All he has to do is break into her apartment, slit her throat, and feed her body to the sharks. Simple, right? Wrong. If only she weren’t so beautiful, so innocent, so sweet... Saving the world may have to wait. It appears Xanthus has a woman to save. But protecting her may cost him his own life. 

 About Holly Kelly 


Holly Kelly is a mom who writes books in her spare time: translation--She hides in the bathroom with her laptop and locks the door while the kids destroy the house and smear peanut butter on the walls. Holly was born in Utah but lived in Salina, Kansas until she was 13, in Garland, Texas until she was 18, and attended college in Hawaii--studying marine biology. She's now back in Utah--"happy valley". Holly is married to her wonderful husband, James, and the two of them are currently raising 6 rambunctious children. Her interests are reading, writing (of course), making Halloween props, and spending time with family.




Ember (Death Collectors #1) by Jessica Sorensen 

Kindle Edition
What if you knew when someone was going to die? For seventeen-year-old Ember, life is death. With a simple touch, she knows when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Raven. Then she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. So when he pushes into her life, she doesn’t mind. But when unexplained deaths start to haunt her town, Ember starts questioning why she can’t sense Asher's death and what he may be hiding. 

About Jessica Sorensen 


 Jessica Sorensen is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author from the snowy mountains of Wyoming. When she's not writing, she spends her time reading and hanging out with her family.
http://jessicasorensen.com/







Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves,
may it be physical or virtual.
This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online,
books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

April 25, 2014

OMG I WON AN EASTER GIVEAWAY

Thank You So Much to Lupdilup @Hotlistens for the opportunity to win an audiobook and a $20 Giftcard in the

4th Annual Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza





April 24, 2014

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3)

Cress by Marissa Meyer


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This isn't an ordinary futuristic Sci-Fi fantasy, it's also a clever version of a classic fairytale Rapunzel.

I love everything about Cress. I like how she was imprisoned in an orbiting satellite travelling around Earth, and how she wore her hair, and how obviously intelligent she is but is very shy. She survives 7 years in space with the occasional visit from her evil adoptive mother Sybil Mira.

Cress picks up the sequence of events better than Scarlet did . I finally felt the logical continuum of the Lunar Chronicles that I anticipated and missed in Scarlet. In fact , Scarlet didn't make a lot of sense to me but I adored Cinder! The Lunar, Cyborg, Princess.

What was unfortunate about Cress was Captain Thorne's blindness and Wolf's passive aggressive behavior over the temporary loss of Scarlet. In fact Scarlet was missing for the most part but is still alive. She was captured by Sybil and taken to Luna and is surrounded by lunatics <----haha. Seriously though .

Winter, the next book in the series, is very much a loon. She is crazy because she is suppressing her lunar gifts. Going crazy is what happens when one doesn't use their mind control abilities.

Cinder is convinced she has to stop the Emperor Kai and Queen Levana's wedding because she thinks Levana's only interested in overthrowing Kai and killing him so she can rule the Earth and ultimately the world.

When captain Thorne tries to rescue Cress he is threatened by Sybil Mira, Cress' adoptive mother and head of the queen's army, and Jacin Clay, one of the queen's guards. This is when the fun begins. After a fight inside the satellite, Thorne and Cress are left to die in the vessel that is speeding towards earth destined to crash in the desert. Cinder and Wolf and Jacin are in the Rampion that lands in Farafra Africa where Dr. Erland is .

I loved how Cress and Thorne became love interests and survived the Desert. How they were found by the caravan people who later betrayed them. I loved that Thorne bought a new escort-android for Iko but perhaps not under the best of circumstances . It was a kind and thoughtful gesture on his part and Cress did forgive him She loved him afterall but I admit Kai and Cinder are my favorite couple.



View all my reviews

April 23, 2014

Waiting and Desperately Wanting

Desperatly Wanting Wednesday, hosted by Parajunkee's View

Ghouls Rush In (Peyton Clark, #1)

Written by: H. P. Mallory
I loved her Jolie Wilkins Series about a witch who didn't really know she was a witch. Peyton Clark sounds like Grateful Knight in The Ghost and the Graveyard. by Genevieve Jack

Scheduled Release Date: May 20th 2014

Do you believe in love after life?
Looking for a fresh start, Peyton Clark becomes the proud owner of a piece of New Orleans history: an Antebellum-era two-story house in the Garden District. It’s going to take time and a fat wallet to restore the fixer-upper to its former glory, but after her recent divorce, Peyton could use the distraction.
It’s not long before Peyton discovers she’s moved into the haunted home of a flirtatious paranormal prankster. She’s receiving kisses from unseen lips and caresses from a ghostly hand, and soon she begins to have vivid dreams, bringing her face-to-face with the incomparably handsome ghost of Drake Montague.
When Peyton grows closer to her general contractor, Ryan Kelly—who is as charming as he is alive—the chill in the air could only suggest Drake’s jealousy from beyond the grave. But even though she’s definitely attracted to and interested in Ryan, Peyton also can’t get Drake out of her dreams, or her heart, as she begins to uncover the frightening truth behind his death a century ago…

April 22, 2014

New Release: East of Ecstasy by Laura Kaye

We are so excited for the release of Laura Kaye's EAST OF ECSTASY! 

EAST OF ECSTASY is the final book in her Hearts of the Anemoi Series. 

See below for a note from Laura and an excerpt!!


  The final chapter in the award-winning and bestselling Hearts of the Anemoi series…

  She’s the only one who can give him the strength to save them all…
 Annalise Fallston made peace with postponing her big-city dreams to care for her ill father, but lately she's been filled with a restlessness not even her beloved painting dispels. Worse, the colors don't speak to her as they always have, and all her efforts produce dark, foreboding images of a dangerous man and a terrifying future.
 Devlin Eston, black-souled son of the evil Anemoi Eurus, is the only one who can thwart his father's plan to overthrow the Supreme God of Wind and Storms. But first, Dev must master the unstable powers he's been given. Distrusted and shunned by his own divine family, he never expected to find kindness and passion in the arms of a mortal.
 But Devlin's love puts Annalise in the path of a catastrophic storm, and in the final Armageddon showdown between the Anemoi and Eurus, sacrifices will be made, hearts broken, and lives changed forever...or lost.


East of Ecstasy Excerpt:
 By Laura Kaye 

 You guys! I can’t believe release day for East of Ecstasy is finally here! This is the final book in my Hearts of the Anemoi series, which includes: North of Need, West of Want, and South of Surrender. The Anemoi were wind gods the Greek associated with controlling the wind, weather, and seasons. In East of Ecstasy, hero Devlin Eston is the heir to the East Wind which has long been associated with unluckiness, misfortune, and, thanks to Devlin’s father, even evil. Devlin himself has been the victim of father’s evil, and thereby finds himself an outcast among his own divine family. In this scene, heroine Annalise Fallston—who gets visions that she’s forced to paint in order to quiet them in her mind—sees Devlin for the first time. Here’s what she says:
 Forcing the chaos in her mind away, Anna dipped her brush into the gray and stepped to the canvas. Motion captured her attention from the corner of her eye.

 The Dark Man, the subject of her recent paintings, stood in the doorway and leaned against the jamb.

 Anna jumped and her pulse raced, but this time, anger flooded in instead of fear. “I will deal with you on my own damn terms,” she said, taking a perverse amount of pleasure from putting a figment of her imagination in its place. Because that’s all he was.

 He didn’t move or speak. Not that he could, since, you know. Figment.Of.Imagination.

 Anna rolled her eyes, done with being scared and so pissed to have to do this again that she was nearly out of her mind. “I’m doing your damn painting already. So just leave me alone.” She cut her gaze back to the expanse of white, but the desire to see if his image would still be there if she looked again drove her to distraction.

 Finally, she gave in and…he was still there.

 Completely still.Blatantly scowling.Totally unfathomable.

 Was this a vision? Another image she’d have to paint?

 Her heart tripped into a sprint, and she couldn’t look away from him. Like the compulsion that forced her to paint these images, Anna couldn’t help but return his stare and memorize his masculine features. The sharp angles of his face, the harsh set of his mouth, the dark shadows around his even darker eyes.Black eyes. Blades of black hair hung low over his forehead and just touched the hooded shirt he wore under his short, scuffed leather jacket. He’d crossed his arms over his chest, and the position caused his biceps to bunch up under the worn leather. In fact, everything about him appeared worn—the coat, the threadbare jeans, the scuffed boots. None of it struck her as the kind of shabby chic you could buy in some upscale store for a small fortune, either. The whole effect was rough. Dangerous.Deprived.

  Deprived? What a strange way of describing him. But as Anna’s gaze swept over him again, the thought stuck. For his height, he seemed thin, with his lean hips, clad in old black jeans, a trim waist, and pronounced cheekbones. Her fingers twitched around the nearly forgotten paintbrush. What would it feel like to cup that harsh face in her hand?

 Anna gasped and tore her gaze away. She had to blink to pull herself out of the haze of thoughts. Frustration surged through her and tensed the muscles of her shoulders and neck. She didn’t want to be working on another of these paintings as it was, so the last thing she needed was to lose a bunch of time daydreaming. Or would it be daynightmaring?

 As she stared at the blank canvas, the image of the shackled man behind the prison bars filled her mind’s eye.

 Definitely the latter.

 Curiosity pulled her eyes to the left again. The doorway was empty.  


 So, did you have a favorite line from the excerpt? Thanks for reading!
 Laura
 

Buy at Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iTunes

Anemoi Box Set
Catch up on the whole series with the Hearts of the Anemoi box set featuring the first three books: North of Need, West of Want, South of Surrender!



About Laura Kaye:

Laura-Kaye-cropped
Laura is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books in contemporary and paranormal romance. Growing up, Laura’s large extended family believed in the supernatural, and family lore involving angels, ghosts, and evil-eye curses cemented in Laura a life-long fascination with storytelling and all things paranormal. She lives in Maryland with her husband, two daughters, and cute-but-bad dog, and appreciates her view of the Chesapeake Bay every day.

 

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