The Elven King’s Promise (Fated Elves #3) by Devon Vesper

A carefully forged peace is threatened by unforeseen danger.
The prospect of going to college terrifies Dustin, and he balks at using Casersis’s money to do it. Along with his normal, human insecurities, Dustin is beside himself between going to therapy to deal with changing species and worrying about his omega’s upcoming heat. But Dustin is unprepared for the new twist when he accidentally soulbonds with an enemy. Erastus is crazed to get Dustin away from Casersis and will stop at nothing to get his way. 
Casersis is trying his hardest to put Dustin’s mind at ease, despite not understanding the very human hang-ups getting between them. But when his public relations officer attacks him, Casersis’s worries shift from Dustin to those trying to hurt him and his alpha. 
With his mate distracted, Dustin’s new soulbond could cost his relationship with Casersis. Or—even worse—his life. 

I know that I mentioned in my review of The Elven King’s Love that I missed the first book in the Fated Elves series, The Elven King’s Captive. At the time I also mentioned that I felt like I was missing integral parts of the story (Duh!) but it wasn’t too bad and I caught on quickly. Unfortunately, I felt those “missing pieces” even more in The Elven King’s Promise. It didn’t keep me from enjoying the continuation of Cas and Dustin’s story, it was just enough to let me know that there was more to the story. So, if this review is your first introduction to the Fated Elves series and it peaks your interest, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning. You can thank me later 😉

Even though Dustin and Cas have come a long in their relationship, they still have some challenges ahead of them. Trust has grown, but there are still those niggling moments of doubt. Not so much about each other, but mostly about themselves and how they stack up to their mate. Cas worries that Dustin will get bored with him and eternity and Dustin worries that he will never be enough. Plus, Dustin is still transitioning, which just adds another layer to everything else that’s going on. As if all that weren’t enough, Erastus is a force that isn’t going to go away. He cares about Dustin and despises Cas. Cas doesn’t trust Erastus either, but neither one of them know the full story about the day that changed the course of both their lives. Throw in someone within Cas’s own ranks trying to cause him harm and it’s no wonder this was a hard one to put down.

I have a feeling things are about to get really interesting. The Elven King’s Forever is next and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Burn (Witchbane #1.5) by Morgan Brice

One hundred years ago, a sheriff’s posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory, but his witch-disciples escaped, and their magic made them nearly immortal. To keep their power, each year one of the witch-disciples kills a descendant of one of the men in the posse, a twelve-year cycle that has cost dozens of lives, including that of Seth Tanner’s brother, Jesse. 
Seth uncovers a cycle of ritual murders that feed the witch-disciples’ power, and he saves Evan Malone, one of the warlock’s potential victims. Neither Seth nor Evan expected to fall in love, but when the dust settles, they find themselves on the run and on the road together, heading toward Pittsburgh, on the trail of the next killer. 
Seth wonders whether Evan will come to regret his choice to stay together, now that he’s living the reality of Seth’s nomadic life and the risks that come with it. He wants Evan to stay, but he’s afraid that Evan would be better off without him, living a normal life. Evan’s whole world has been upended, but there’s one thing he’s sure of, his love for Seth. Evan worries that he’s a liability, not yet able to hold his own in Seth’s rough-and-tumble world, but determined to do whatever necessary to have Seth’s back. On the way to face the next warlock, supernatural threats abound, forcing them to learn to fight as a team. 
Fate and danger threw them together. But once the adrenaline fades, will love last? 

In true “Creative Deeds Reads” fashion, I somehow missed this book. By the time I realized my mistake I had already read both Dark Rivers and Flame and Ash. Yikes! Burn was a nice reminder of how new things really were between Evan and Seth, so I guess it wasn’t too much of a blunder on my part. 😉

Burn takes place right after the events in Witchbane. Even though Evan was thrown head first into the supernatural world in Richmond, he had no idea exactly how extensive that world was. Burn was kind of like an initiation. A lot happened in this story and the events tested both Evan and Seth and their new relationship. Evan spent time proving himself and Seth spent time hoping the reality of dealing with everything didn’t scare Evan away. They both had something to prove and they didn’t always handle things perfectly.

Burn was the perfect transition story for the Witchbane series. Both men learned a lot about themselves and each other. It also built on the world that this series is centered around – and touched on characters from other series the are a part of the same world. Next up for me is Unholy, the 4th book in the Witchbane series (if you consider Burn 1.5).

Seduced by the Dragon Lord (Dragon Lords #2) by Kiersten Fay

Trapped in an alien spacecraft through no fault of her own, Jessie Knight is jettisoned into space and intercepted by a mysterious group of soldiers who call themselves dragon shifters. Thrust into a world of myth, legend, and danger, she discovers she may not be entirely human as she begins to develop latent powers that both captivate and mystify her. Placed under the protection of a gorgeous dragon shifter named Orik, she quickly realizes she must conceal her new abilities or be declared his enemy.
No one knows better than Orik Theroux of the King’s Guard that witches are heartless and ruthless killers who must be stamped out of existence. Orphaned by a group of them at a young age, he has vowed to destroy every last witch who crosses his path…until he begins to fall for an exquisite human female who turns out to be more than she seems. When the palace is besieged by witches, he must decide if he can trust Jessie with his life…and his heart.

I think I might have liked this one even more than Tempting the Dragon King, the first book in the Dragon Lords series. That always bodes well when you’re starting a new to you series. 😉

Orik was such a broken, stubborn dragon. He had good reasons to be leery of Jessie. Reasons that went beyond his responsibility to the protect the King. It seemed way to coincidental to him that two travelers from Earth would end up in their kingdom under much the same circumstances. Plus, there was something not quite right about Jessie that made him want to keep his distance, but his attraction to her made that almost impossible.

I loved Jessie from the beginning. She was such a strong character. Most people wouldn’t have handled the situation that she was thrown into nearly as well. Not that things weren’t difficult. She understood Orik’s hesitance to trust her initially, but she also sensed that the attraction he felt was just as strong as hers was toward him.

Besides the inevitable relationship between Orik and Jessie, there was a lot more going on in Seduced by the Dragon Lord. There was a traitor in the Kingdom and would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. So, danger, betrayal, romance, suspense, humor… this story had plenty to keep the pages turning.

Dragon Lords is a spin-off series of Shadow Quest. I’ve only read The Demon’s Possession, but since characters from Shadow Quest show up in the Dragon Lords from time to time, it probably won’t be long before I pick up The Demon Slave so I can get acquainted with them all 😉

Black Moon (Wolf Moon Rising #1) by Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes

An apple a day won’t keep this doctor away.
Linden Grove has always known that he’s not destined to be the next pack alpha. That position belonged to his brother Aspen—but then Aspen left the pack to join the military. When the unthinkable happens and the pack is left rudderless, someone has to step up and take care of it. Can a doctor go from “do no harm” to defending his own with his teeth and claws?
Colt Doherty is used to a certain kind of life. Glittering, picturesque, and . . . empty. As the youngest child of the country’s only werewolf senator, Colt has grown up in the spotlight, and he’s all too used to knot-headed alphas taking credit for the work of others, especially omegas like himself. When his editor sends him to write a story on the Grove pack, though, he finds something completely unexpected: Linden Grove in his unpolished perfection, as shiny and sweet as the apples his pack are known for.
A Grove pack omega has been kidnapped, and someone has to step up. The pack needs Linden to fill his father’s shoes, but no wolf can stand on his own. To save the day, sheltered Colt has to drop the politics and become the action hero he never thought an omega could be.

This is the second book that I’ve read by Sam Burns and W.M. Fawkes. The first was Wildfire, which was full of magic and mythology – one of my favorite genres. Black Moon is the first book in what promises to be an amazing werewolf series, that is also another one of my favorites. In other words, I’m pretty sure I’ve found a new favorite writing duo 😉

Linden was one of those characters that was hard not to like. He was admired by many and misunderstood by a few. His caring for the members of his pack went way beyond the fact that he was their doctor. He had the heart that was necessary for a pack alpha, he just didn’t think he had the brawn to back it up. Watching him grow into the leader that his pack needed was one of my favorite parts of this story. My other favorite part was watching Colt slowly become a part of a pack that was nothing like what he was used to.

Black Moon had plenty of danger, suspense, pack politics, a sweet romance and a few new twists on pack dynamics that kept the story fresh and the pages turning. Both Colt and Linden grew a lot during the course of the story and surprised even themselves in the new roles that they found themselves made for.

The next book in the Wolf Moon Rising series is Harvest Moon followed by Hunter Moon. I can’t wait to get to know the rest of the Grove pack even better.

Up in Smoke (Hotshots #4) by Annabeth Albert

Three Men and a Baby meets Backdraft with explosive chemistry and heartfelt feels.
Freewheeling smoke jumper Brandt Wilder thrives on adrenaline. He’s never met a parachute he can’t repair or a dangerous situation he couldn’t wrangle his way out of. He’s popular and fun-loving and not at all looking to settle down or form lasting relationships. It’s a lifestyle that’s served him well…right up until the day he finds a baby on his doorstep.
Shane Travis is used to putting his country music career—and his own happiness—on hold after his sister rolls through his life. Like last spring when she convinced him to try skydiving for his birthday—and she walked away with the hot parachute instructor.
Now he gets to deliver the piece of news that will upend Brandt’s carefree life: he very well might be a dad.
Shane’s niece is safe in Brandt’s strong, capable hands, but too many questions remain unanswered. Co-parenting while they sort it out leads to late-night talks, and soul-bearing confessions lead to a most inconvenient attraction. Still, Shane can’t leave this makeshift family behind—even if it means playing house with the one man he can’t resist.

This was another great installment to Annabeth Albert’s Hotshots series. It had an interesting twist with surprisingly low drama and angst – given the situation that both characters found themselves in.

The story opened with Brandt and Shane’s first meeting. There was a strong attraction then, or at least Shane thought so. Turns out that he may not have been as far off as he first thought.

These two guys both had to give up part of their lives to take care of Jewel, but there was no doubt in either of their minds or hearts. Even though Jewel was an central part of the story, another real focus was how she brought these two men together. Shane’s sister was always in the background, sometimes even when she was there. I wasn’t a fan of Shelby, so I understood Shane’s animosity toward her. What I did like was how Brandt interacted with her in comparison.

It didn’t take long for this unlikely trio to become a real family, but the progression was perfect. I love books that include kids, especially when they’re an integral part of the story in a believable way. Up In Smoke definitely accomplished that and more.

The Hate Project (The Love Study #2) by Kris Ripper

This arrangement is either exactly what they need–or a total disaster
Oscar is a grouch.
That’s a well-established fact among his tight-knit friend group, and they love him anyway.
Jack is an ass.
Jack, who’s always ready with a sly insult, who can’t have a conversation without arguing, and who Oscar may or may not have hooked up with on a strict no-commitment, one-time-only basis. Even if it was extremely hot.
Together, they’re a bickering, combative mess.
When Oscar is fired (answering phones is not for the anxiety-ridden), he somehow ends up working for Jack. Maybe while cleaning out Jack’s grandmother’s house they can stop fighting long enough to turn a one-night stand into a frenemies-with-benefits situation.
The house is an archaeological dig of love and dysfunction, and while Oscar thought he was prepared, he wasn’t. It’s impossible to delve so deeply into someone’s past without coming to understand them at least a little, but Oscar has boundaries for a reason—even if sometimes Jack makes him want to break them all down.
After all, hating Jack is less of a risk than loving him…

Although I haven’t picked up all of the Carina Adores offerings, I’m loving what I’ve read so far. Which brings me to the fact that I somehow missed the first book in Kris Ripper’s The Love Study series. I need to rectify that because I really need to get to know Oscar and Jack’s friends – because as friends go, this crew is amazing!

In the beginning, the short description of Oscar and Jack is pretty accurate. “Jack is an a**” and “Oscar is a grouch” – but that’s only on the surface. There’s so much more to both of these guys. The fact that they seem to bring out the worst in each other doesn’t help. They’ve both put up emotional walls that they are desperately afraid to let down.

I loved watching these two get closer and pick away at those walls. It broke my heart when the inevitable happened and those walls came up stronger than they were before. Since The Hate Project was told entirely from Oscar’s POV it would have been easy to sympathize with him, but my heart surprisingly went out to Jack more than once. And although the story was Jack and Oscar’s, their friends were a driving force in The Hate Project. They may have loved Oscar, but they didn’t coddle him. They called him out when he was wrong, but were there for him regardless.

As I said, this is one series that I’m definitely going to back track. The Love Study isn’t part of Carina Adores, but after meeting these characters and reading the description, I already know it’s the beginning that I shouldn’t have missed out on. 😉

Haven (Magic Emporium) by Morgan Brice

Old secrets, hidden psychics, secret shifters, ghosts, scandals—and true love.
A series of long-ago disappearances leads cold case private detective Austin Williams to investigate a troubled sanitarium.
Jamie Miller is new in town, temporarily running the local historical association, and he willingly signs on to help solve Austin’s mystery.
Sparks fly between them as they dig into the hospital’s troubled past. But someone wants the past to stay buried—and is willing to bury Austin and Jamie to keep it that way.

Haven is part of the multi-author Magic Emporium Series. Each book stands alone, but each one features an appearance by Marden’s Magic Emporium, a shop that can appear anywhere, but only once and only when someone’s in dire need. This book contains explicit scenes and a guaranteed HEA.

I have to admit, Haven is the only book that I’ve read in the Magic Emporium series. Since it’s a multi-author series with only one element of connection, it can definitely can be read as a stand alone. That one element was intriguing though and after taking a glance at the rest of the authors included in the mix, I have a feeling I’ll be checking out at least some of the rest of the offerings included in Magic Emporium. 😉

Jamie and Austin were both characters who were easy to like. They both had secrets that they were hesitant to reveal to each other, but those secrets made more alike than they realized. They also made them the perfect team to solve the more dangerous secrets that the town was hiding.

There was plenty of action, danger, spookiness and romance to keep the pages turning in Haven. There were also some familiar characters for those readers who have read the Fox Hollow series and other Morgan Brice books. Just enough to give new readers a taste or what they’ve been missing and give long time readers a chance to re-visit familiar locations and characters. Which kind of makes me think that readers haven’t seen the last of Jamie and Austin 😉

This is Not a Horror Movie by Sara Dobie Bauer

Emory Jones loves two things: horror movies and Connor Nichols.
For the past four years, Emory, Connor, and their families have vacationed side by side on Longboat Key, Florida. Eighteen-year-old Emory has pined for his neighbor from behind the covers of Stephen King books, but college boy Connor has never noticed him. Probably because Emory looks like Jack Skellington with good hair.
Emory anticipates another predictable summer of sunburn and disappointment. Instead, he ends up with a mystery on his hands when a beloved beach bum goes missing, and Connor volunteers to help with the search. Turns out it’s not just scary movie cops who are worthless, so the boys start an investigation of their own—leading them straight to an abandoned beach resort.
Despite the danger, Emory and Connor grow closer, but as Emory’s gay dreams start coming true, so do the horror movie tropes he so loves. Even though he knows that sex equals death in slasher flicks, Emory can’t keep his hands off the guy of his teenage dreams.
This is Not a Horror Movie is a 78,000-word new adult gay rom-com… with a monster.

There was so much to love about This is Not a Horror Movie. It was a grand mix of a sweet young romance, laced with humor and a touch of B-Movie campiness.

Emory was adorable. He was a little geeky and totally clueless about his growth-spurt turning into someone both girls and guys were staring at for reasons he didn’t quite understand. He had admired Connor from somewhat of a distance for years. His family knew all about his attraction to their yearly vacation neighbor, but since Connor was way out of his league, most likely straight and too reminiscent of the jocks at his school – Emory kept his feelings to himself. This was destined to be a summer of change though.

Both Emory and Connor were the kind of teenage boys that were refreshing to read about. They were far from perfect, but they were good, thoughtful, caring kids. The kind of kids who walked an older woman’s dog, or went in search of a homeless Vet – and put themselves on the line when they could have just turned away.

I also loved the family connections in This is Not a Horror Movie. They had their moments, like all families do, but both Connor and Emory’s families were super supportive. I also adored the twin connection between Liz and Emory.

Basically, This is Not a Horror Movie is the perfect vacation read, especially if you’re headed to the beach. 😉

This Is Not A Horror Movie Release Blitz

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: This is Not a Horror Movie

Author: Sara Dobie Bauer

Publisher: Self-published

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow Designs

Release Date: May 13, 2021

Genres: m/m new adult, gay paranormal romance, LGBTQ, romantic comedy

Trope: Friends to lovers

Themes: non-explicit, humorous, teens, Florida, summer vacation, hauntings, evil spirits

Heat Rating:  2 flames

Warnings: Scenes of graphic violence, death of minor characters, mentions of bullying, alcohol use

Length:  78 000 words

It is a standalone story.

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Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb

Emory Jones loves two things: horror movies and Connor Nichols. 

For the past four years, Emory, Connor, and their families have vacationed side by side on Longboat Key, Florida. Eighteen-year-old Emory has pined for his neighbor from behind the covers of Stephen King books, but college boy Connor has never noticed him. Probably because Emory looks like Jack Skellington with good hair.

Emory anticipates another predictable summer of sunburn and disappointment. Instead, he ends up with a mystery on his hands when a beloved beach bum goes missing, and Connor volunteers to help with the search. Turns out it’s not just scary movie cops who are worthless, so the boys start an investigation of their own—leading them straight to an abandoned beach resort.

Despite the danger, Emory and Connor grow closer, but as Emory’s gay dreams start coming true, so do the horror movie tropes he so loves. Even though he knows that sex equals death in slasher flicks, Emory can’t keep his hands off the guy of his teenage dreams.

 Excerpt 

I’m about to follow a mysterious rat into the darkness when a hand lands on my shoulder. I suck a panicked gasp in through my lips as Connor says, “Sorry! Sorry.”

I put my hands on my knees and relearn breathing.

He stands there, backlit like some kind of hot angel, and shrugs. “Maybe you should be thanking me.”

“What?”

“You like to be scared,” he says.

He’s right. Haunted house in the neighborhood? I’m first. Spooky cemetery? Coming through. Maybe that’s part of the reason I always let Liz drag me to parties at the Outpost. It feels like being in a scary movie. I’m waiting for Leatherface to show up and murder the morally reprehensible youth. Of course, if horror movie rules are true, I’m totally dead. I lost my virginity at sixteen and more often than not spend “happy hour” sharing malt liquor with Longboat’s famous homeless dude, Leland.

“What are you doing over here?” Connor asks.

“Befriending local wildlife.” I glance over my shoulder into the dark. I shove hair out of my face—a nervous tic I’ve acquired since growing it out. Because I needed another nervous tic. “What are you doing over here?”

“Talking to you.” He grins, but I can feel a disconnect. 

Connor and I have always had a mutually agreed upon rhythm. He’s the big, gorgeous straight dude who puts up with me, the skinny, little gay kid. 

Well. 

No one knows I’m gay down here. Florida is for family, not fu— Anyway.

In summers past, Connor wrestled me and tickled me, and I pretended not to like it. We talked about some things, mostly scary movies, but kept an emotional distance. He accepts me being a drama queen, and I never let him know I would climb Everest for his kiss. 

Staring at me with a dumb look on his face is not our rhythm.

I finally lose my shit. “Jesus, am I bleeding from my eyes?”

He coughs out a laugh. “What?”

“You’re looking at me funny.”

He looks away. “Oh.”

I cross my arms. I have, in fact, filled out a lot since last summer—and the lifeguarding helps—but I’m still self-conscious about my small frame and will probably never forget the jocks calling me “Tinker Bell” from seventh to tenth grade. I press my lips together and side-eye the kids dancing to some club beat on Liz’s phone. “Everyone’s looking at me funny, actually.”

Connor clears his throat and plucks at the front of his tight, white T-shirt. He looks like he wants to dive headfirst into the empty pool at his back.

“You don’t have to talk to me, you know.”

His blue eyes flit back my way. Even in the dark, I know they’re blue. He says, “But I like talking to you.”

I hug myself tighter and lift a shoulder. “Seen any good horror movies lately?”

His smile is back. “Tons. I saw this French one called Raw.”

I bounce up on my toes. “Cannibals! Oh my God, that movie was so good! The writing.” I tear at my hair in euphoric bliss.

He nods. “And the scene with the roommate.”

“And the ending!” I poke him in the chest. “Dude, I tried to get Liz to watch it. She’s all vegetarian now because she dated this hippie dude senior year. She said she gave up meat for her health, but I think it’s because he said he tasted death in her mouth.”

Connor does the silent open-mouth laugh thing that happens when my storytelling reaches peak levels of absurd. 

“She made it thirty minutes into the movie before she had to leave the room and vomit. Meanwhile, I was sitting there eating, like, spaghetti.”

He puts his hand on my shoulder as he keeps laughing. I smell his deodorant: sporty man stuff. “I can’t believe I almost didn’t come this year.”

That steals the air from my lungs. Sure, I should be avoiding the guy, looking forward to the future, but all of a sudden, I can’t imagine a summer without Connor Nichols making me blush.

About the Author 

Sara Dobie Bauer is a bestselling romance author and mental health / LGBTQ advocate with a creative writing degree from Ohio University. She lives with her hottie husband and precious pup in Northeast Ohio, although she’d really like to live in a Tim Burton film.

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All Fired Up Release Blitz

Release Blitz & Excerpt: All Fired Up By Jenn Burke

Ashes & Dust, Book 1

Once bitten. Twice burned. Forever bonded.

Don’t miss this riveting and romantic spin-off series from Jenn Burke, author of Not Dead Yet.

Paranormals are dying. All over the city, with no explanation and only one thing in common: their magic is missing.

Vampire and private investigator Evan Fournier isn’t supposed to be taking on paranormal cases, but when the murderer hits close to home, he agrees to look into it. The last thing he expects is to become a target himself—and then to become irrevocably bonded to the man who just tried to kill him.

With his memory gone and his soul bonded to a stranger, former firefighter Colin Zhang wants to be anywhere else. He doesn’t have a damn clue why he just tried to kill Evan, and he didn’t even know about magic until just now. The sooner he can get back to his real life, the better.

But every time either of them tries to leave, pure agony stops them short. Forced to work with Evan or suffer the consequences, Colin must excavate the secrets buried in his missing memories while battling two rising threats: the conspiracy behind the murder, and his mutual attraction to the bond mate he never wanted.

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Special Excerpt from All Fired Up:

Found family “There are two meetings with new clients tomorrow. One at 10 a.m. and one at 3 p.m.” Hudson took out one of the shirts Wes had tossed into the suitcase and refolded it Marie Kondo–style. I nodded. “Got it.” “And Sam’s got a list of questions from the website that I was going to tackle tomorrow.” “Yep.” “If the reporter from Canadian Investigator calls back, tell him I’ll get in touch when I’m back in the country.” Our receptionist, Sam, would take care of that, but I made an affirmative grunt. “You taught Vamp Junior bad habits, Hud,” Wes piped up from inside the massive walk-in closet. I shook my head at the old nickname as Hudson gave a grunt of his own. The man had mastered the art of grunting instead of responding with words…and yeah, I’d kind of picked it up. But hey, so had Wes—sometimes—so there. “Are you taking notes?” Wes made his way toward the bed and the half-full suitcase. I held up my sketchpad, complete with the caricature of Wes and Hudson on a plane. “Nope.” “Hey, that’s pretty good. New style?” Wes haphazardly folded a shirt and put it in the suitcase and Hudson predictably picked it up and refolded it properly. Wes didn’t notice. “I’m playing with it a bit.” “Cool.” Hud frowned at the picture. “You sure you’re going to remember everything?” I raised a brow. “Two new client interviews, plus the questions from the website tomorrow, impersonate you for the Canadian Investigator interview.” “Ha. Funny.” “Relax, boss. I know what I’m doing.” “I know. I’m just—” “Freaked out,” Wes supplied as he appeared from the closet with a new load of clothes. “Freaked out,” Hud agreed with a sigh. “Have you gotten any updates?” I asked softly. “The last I heard, he was going into surgery. No news is good news, right?” I wasn’t sure, so I grunted noncommittally. “Exactly my thoughts.” Hudson refolded another shirt, then seemed to realize that the suitcase was mostly full, and mostly with Wes’s clothes. “Do I not get to wear clothing?” “If I had my way, no,” Wes singsonged back. “I’m not parading naked around London.” At that declaration, Hudson joined Wes in the closet, and I chuckled at the bitching between them. This was family. Maybe not by blood—well, sort of, since Hudson had used his blood to turn me into a vampire. But this was what family was supposed to be. Love without limits or conditions. Love that accepted you, no matter who you were. “Oh!” Hudson stuck his head out of the closet door, his hands full of pants and shirts in a variety of colors. “We need to discuss new clients.” “The ones I’ll be meeting with tomorrow?” “No. I mean the ones who show up looking for special help.” Oh—those kind. The sort looking for Wes the God and Hudson the Vampire King. “I’m not sure we can hang up a Gone Fishin’ sign for them.” Hudson scowled. “Well, we’re going to have to. Because like hell you’ll be taking on any paranormal cases while we’re gone.” I set my shoulders and opened my mouth, preparing for a fight. Hudson might be my sire, and my boss, and my unofficial big brother, but I did not appreciate being told what I could and couldn’t do. Especially not in that almost-not-quite sire voice. “What Hudson means,” Wes interjected before I could share my displeasure, shooting a glare in Hud’s direction, “is that those cases tend to go sideways.” “Sometimes,” I countered. “Most of the time,” Wes counter-countered. “Name one that didn’t.” It took me a few seconds, but then I snapped my fingers and pointed at Wes. “Finding the witch’s familiar.” Hudson squinted at me. “Oh, you mean the cat the witch stole from the kid in the unit down the hall and tried to hex you and me so we wouldn’t find out? Which left us wandering Midtown without memories for a couple of hours until Wes found us and did his god thing?” Oh. Right. I mean, in the grand scheme of paranormal cases we’d investigated, it was one of the more tame ones. There’d been no murder, at least. Or creatures summoned from the beyond. That had to count for something, right? The deepening scowl on Hudson’s face said no. “Okay. No paranormal cases. I promise.” If only I knew how I would come to rue those words.

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About the Author:

Jenn Burke has loved out-of-this-world romance since she was a preteen reading about heroes and heroines kicking butt and falling in love. Now that she’s an author, she couldn’t be happier to bring adventure, romance, and sexy times to her readers.

Jenn is the author of a number of paranormal and science fiction romance titles, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station science fiction romance series (authored with Kelly Jensen) and her newest series, Not Dead Yet, both from Carina Press.

She’s been called a pocket-sized and puntastic Canadian on social media, and she’ll happily own that label. Jenn lives just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and two kids, plus two dogs named after video game characters…because her geekiness knows no bounds.

Connect with Jenn: Website: http://www.jennburke.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeralibu Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeralibu Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9869819.Jenn_Burke

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