The Resistance

 

About the Book

 

Title: Wrong Side of the Rift

 

Author: Libby Heil

 

Genre: YA Fantasy

 

 

 

Grape can’t unlearn what living in Sortilege Falls has taught her. Magic is real. Vampires live among us. And there’s a portal in her back yard that leads to another world.

 

A few weeks ago, Grape lived a quiet life with her family in Watts Landing. Now, she’s stuck in Sortilege Falls, searching for a way to rescue her brother from the other side of the rift. She’s connected to Brad through dreams and what she sees terrifies her. Brad is being tortured into performing magic and, even worse, he’s being forced to torture others.

 

Grape hounds the magic folk in town, seeking a way through the rift. Her mother’s memory’s been stolen. Her new vampire friend refuses to help. Grape must do it all alone. What she uncovers is a whole host of secrets about the town and her own family. And she’s not the only one hunting for answers.

 

Time is running out for Brad, but it might be running out for Grape as well.

 

Author Bio

 

I was born during a blizzard. I’m told it was pretty cool but I have no memory of that time. I grew up in two tiny towns in Virginia and spent most of my twenties moving around the US. I’ve lived in Virginia, Florida, Missouri, and Washington. I’ve settled down, for now, in Raleigh, North Carolina.

 

I’m a writer and improviser. I studied acting in college but spent more time rewriting lines than memorizing them. My first play, Fourth Wall, was produced my junior year. Since then, I’ve written several full length plays, one acts and screenplays. I started writing fiction in my late twenties. Now, I focus mainly on novels but still dabble in theater.

 

Fun facts about me: There are none. I’m sorry to disappoint you so soon. But, I do love to read, write, and run. My hubby is my favorite person on earth. Dogs are my second favorite. All dogs. I love orange juice, especially when it’s mixed with club soda. Carbonation is better than alcohol. Jaws is my favorite movie. Everything I’ve said so far is true.

 

Awards:

 

Puschcart Prize Nomination for “Grow Your Own Dad” – Published by Mixer Publishing

 

Semi-finalist Eugene O'Neill Playwrights Conference – “STUFF”

 

Honorable Mention The Ohio State Newark New Play Contest – “The Last Day”

 

Links

 

libbyheily.com

 

Instagram

 

Twitter

 

Facebook

 

Amazon

 

Goodreads

 

Book Excerpts

 

Excerpt One:

 

This scene takes place in a church parking lot just after a funeral. Grape has just gone to find out information about her brother’s whereabouts from one of her teachers and returns to find her mother flirting with a vampire:

 

"Oh, honey, I was wondering where you'd gotten off to," her mother said as she wandered back, lost in thought.

 

"Yeah, I saw someone I knew…" Grape stopped moving, her feet locked into place. Her mind had been so preoccupied with Milly and Mrs. Humphries that she hadn't seen who her mother was speaking with. The couple and their daughter had gone, leaving Liam in their place. He stood beside Dr. Merriweather, smiling in his all-black suit.

 

Her mother waved a hand toward Liam. "Have I ever introduced you to Mr. Sable? He's a nurse at the hospital."

 

"We're acquainted," Grape said, her voice devoid of good humor.

 

"How so?" her mother asked.

 

Why is Mom smiling so much?

 

"Liam knows Graeson," Grape offered through her clenched jaw.

 

"Oh? Our neighbor? How do you know him?"

 

"Liam owns a club Graeson belongs to," Grape said before Liam could answer.

 

"A club?" her mother asked, a bit of doubt creeping into her voice.

 

Liam smiled. It was hard to read his expression as his crystal blue eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. "I own a coffeehouse. It is very old and in desperate need of decoration. Mostly teenagers come. They play board games," he said in his thick Eastern European-ish accent.

 

"And dress up," Grape said, her heartbeat growing faster. She did not like the way Liam smiled at her mother or the way her mother looked at him.

 

"Yes." Liam chuckled. "I believe it is called cos-play. The kids, they like to dress up as superheroes or villains. It is a common thing, and in a town this small they have no place to do it."

 

"Maybe we'll drop by and check it out one day," her mother said. She touched Liam's arm. "I'm sure it doesn't need decorating as badly as you think."

 

She touched Liam's arm. Her mother touched Liam's arm.

 

"Mom, we should probably get Mandy home," Grape said, forcing herself to smile. Look normal, Grape, and get her the hell away from the vampire. She nodded toward Mandy, who stood beside Adam, arms crossed and tears dripping from her eyes.

 

"Oh, yes, you're probably right," her mother said, glancing at Grape before returning her attention to Liam. "I'll see you at work, I guess."

 

"I will be there."

 

Grape watched as her mother walked toward Mandy. When she was out of ear-shot, Grape turned to Liam, fury in her belly. "What the hell was that?"

 

"What? I came looking for you, to see how you are. I ran into your mother. I know her from work."

 

"You were flirting."

 

"I was being nice."

 

"Don't. My mother is off limits."

 

"Whatever you say, Grape Merriweather. I live to serve."

 

"If that's true, then take me to the Magic Lands."

 

"There are very few who could open that rift, and those few all live in…the Magic Lands."

 

"Then how did it open for Brad?"

 

"You would have to ask Brad."

 

Grape's hands balled up at her sides. She could feel a strange warmth growing through her body. "How the hell am I supposed to ask him anything if I can't get to where he is?"

 

"Exactly. It is over. He is gone. I am very sorry, Grape Merriweather. It will be best for everyone if you let this go."

 

"Nothing's over."

 

"You are spending too much time in the woods."

 

Grape balked. "What? Did my mother tell you that?"

 

"No." Liam sniffed the air. "But you smell of dirt and trees with a hint of desperation."

 

Grape opened her mouth to protest, but Liam inclined his head toward her mother, who stood staring at them, her arm wrapped around Mandy.

 

"Enjoy the ride home."

 

Excerpt Two:

 

Grape’s brother, Brad, was forced through a rift into a parallel universe where magic is the norm. Grape is still connected to him through dreams. Here, she encounters Brad in dream-form for the first time.

 

"Uuuuugh," Brad moaned as he opened his eyes. The darkness had been a better, more forgiving place. Waking up only returned him to his new reality. The cave came into focus: the burnt ashes of last night's fire, his own dirty backpack crammed with the objects of a former life, the dead man sitting patiently by the mouth of the cave—his mud-caked robe creased stiffly around his body, and the couple huddled in the shadows. Their whimpers grew louder as Brad sat up.

 

"Tomorrow, you will wake up earlier," the dead man said in his dry voice.

 

Brad ignored the rotting corpse and turned his attention to the cowering couple. "It's okay." He raised his empty hands palm up to show that he bore them no ill will.

 

The woman buried her head in the man's chest. They sat shaking into one another, two skeletons covered in loose skin and scars.

 

"Don't bother with them. They probably don't understand a word you're saying."

 

Brad reached for his glasses, forgetting that he no longer wore them. That was the first thing the dead man had done, poured a potion in his eyes and bound them for two days. Poor eyesight was a weakness they could ill afford, the dead man had told him. Blinded, they'd moved him to this cave, well away from the rift that could lead him home. Orzael, the cat man, had hunted as the dead man cared for Brad. But the dead man wasn't the only one who stayed with him. Brad could feel someone in his mind, exploring his thoughts. Brad called him the Other. Occasionally, Brad had been able to pick up on a few thoughts of the Other as well.

 

"They're frightened. And hurt," Brad said, moving slowly toward the couple. "Those are new cuts on her arm."

 

"Yes. Search your mind. You'll remember them."

 

Brad didn't want to search his mind, didn't want to remember what he'd done under the Other's influence, but the images came back unbidden. His hands flicking by his sides, chanting in a language he didn't understand, the slashes appearing across the woman's arms. Red, bloody gashes cutting into the brown skin.

 

"You know the incantation now," the dead man said. It was not a question.

 

Of course Brad knew. He knew every one they'd taught him. Even when it was the Other who took over his body and performed the spells, Brad knew them. He was always there with the Other, and not there. Alive, but not in control, and completely unable to forget what the Other had made him do.

 

"Here," Brad said, handing a canteen of water to the man huddled in the darkness. He could just make out wild eyes staring at him. The man wore torn rags, revealing skin-sheathed bones beneath. How long had it been since these two had had enough to eat? Years, it looked like. The man's skin was the color of milk chocolate, the parts that weren't caked in dirt. Brad watched as the man scooted farther back, trying to press his body into the rock wall behind him. His grip on the woman grew tighter and she whimpered under his embrace.

 

"I gave them water this morning and some boiled roots to eat."

 

Brad left the canteen at their feet and joined the dead man at the mouth of the cave. He stood, looking out at the hilly terrain. Rocks and dirt and clumps of yellowing grass were all he’d seen of this new land since his vision had returned. "Is Orzael out hunting?"

 

The dead man nodded, his head bowing to his chest and back, loose on his neck. "Your lessons will begin after breakfast."

 

"No," Brad said. "No more. Please." His first few days' lessons had been simple, learning to harness the magic within him. He'd been taught to turn plants different colors, to manipulate the light and shade to make a boulder appear to be a doll's house. Brad had been excited in those days, if lonely. The Other had touched his memories, learned his mind, but hadn't interfered. Then, one night, Orzael had returned with the couple. They'd already been through something terrible. The scars on their bodies and the way they shook and slumped as they moved told him that. And their eyes, awake and distant, as if they'd had lots of practice pretending they weren't there at all. Brad had supposed that Orzael had found them foraging in some nearby woods, that he had brought them here for the dead man to help them. He had been very, very wrong.

 

"A gift from your grandfather," the dead man had told him. It was the first time Brad had heard the Other named, though he'd already gleaned the information from the Other's mind. My grandfather, Ravanuri.

 

"Who are they?"

 

"Who they are is none of your concern. They are for you to practice upon."

 

"Practice healing?" Brad had asked, taking in their sunken cheeks and wild eyes. A blistering burn covered the woman's cheek. Could he rid her of the pain or maybe even make the burn disappear completely? His mind reeled with possibilities, and he felt the Other's presence. He reached out with his mind and inspected the Other's thoughts. He found a spell that could at least rid a cut of infection; perhaps he could use it on her to see if the burn would heal more quickly.

 

"No," the dead man had said, his milky-white eyes boring into Brad. "You are not a Healer, boy. Your task is far more important."

 

"Than what? She needs our help."

 

The dead man had taught him a spell, urged Brad to repeat it, but Brad had refused unless the dead man told him what the spell would do. The dead man struck him, even had Orzael slap him with his meaty paw, but Brad had resisted. Then the Other had taken over. White heat engulfed Brad's body like flames. He felt his own mind receding, becoming a spectator as his arms flailed, his voice calling out the words the dead man had taught him. There was pain. And helplessness. And fear. Brad fought, but the Other was too strong. He watched, paralyzed, as the Other, his grandfather, a man named Ravanuri, used Brad's body to perform the spell. The couple, crying in the middle of the cave, flew backward as if thrown by a strong wind. Brad could still hear the sick thud of their bodies hitting the hard rock wall.

 

He shook the memory from his mind. What was done was done. Now, he had to figure out a way to keep the couple from getting hurt anymore.

 

"I won't do it," he said.

 

The dead man turned his attention away from the landscape and focused solely on Brad. His milky-white eyes had taken some time to get used to, but Brad wasn't sure if he would ever grow accustomed to the blue veins that snaked the man's pale skin or the thin, bone-white lips that stretched in a straight line across his face. But worst of all were the dead man's rotting teeth, small and brown. A cloud of sour odor surrounded him and grew worse when he spoke. "You don't have a choice."

 

Excerpt Three:

 

Grape is growing frustrated in her search to find her brother. None of the magical creatures living in Sortilege Falls will help her. Though normally averse to exercise, Grape decides to go for a run to clear her head, and she thinks she spots an old friend/enemy.

 

Grape rounded the corner and jogged onto her block. Nearly home. Good. Three miles was way farther than she'd intended to run though her legs still felt good and she hadn't gotten too sweaty yet. She hadn't jogged since she'd tried out for a part in Aliens, a student production in Watts Landing. She'd gone for the Sigourney Weaver role but hadn't been cast. It was the only production she'd been left out of in her home town. She hadn't really wanted to run now, but she'd been too antsy after school to just sit in her room. She'd thought about hiking through the woods but she knew she'd just end up by the tree, wishing for Brad to be back.

 

Her house grew larger as she jogged closer. Good. She wanted a shower and maybe six plates of dinner. Grape compelled her legs to go faster. "Move it!" she commanded and sped up. Her mind flashed to running toward the portal in the woods, surrounded by gnomes. They were leading her to the tree, to the rift, and to Brad. But she'd been seconds too late, only able to jump half way through the portal before the cat man caught her and pulled her back to Sortilege Falls. If it hadn't been for Liam, she'd be dead for sure. The cat man had found the idea of tearing her to shreds quite pleasurable.

 

Grape broke into a sprint. Thoughts of having to maybe outrun that furry bastard one day pushed her to the breaking point. Her ribs ached and a stitch ran through her side but still she pushed. What if she had to outrun him when she first landed in the Magic Lands? Maybe he would be standing guard on the other side of the rift? Her ribs burned but she didn't stop. She was almost there.

 

Something small and red caught her eye. Grape glanced at her neighbor's lawn and spotted a gnome sitting at the base of the mailbox.

 

"Auuuuuuugh!" she screamed as she leapt for the gnome. Clutching him in her arms, she tumbled through the thick grass. She rolled to a halt on her neighbor's driveway, clumps of dirt and grass sticking to her sweaty legs.

 

"Take me to Brad!" she screamed at the gnome. She held him up to her face so she could look him in the eye. "Take me to…" her voice fell as she took in the painted beard and the unmoving eyes and cap. The gnome was a statue. An inanimate statue. Grape sat up, the gnome resting on her lap. Dammit.

 

Excerpt 4:

 

The Models have just returned to school. Their otherworldly beauty is gone and so is their power over their fellow students. Some adjust well, some don’t. Grape does her best to protect her friends, but as you’ll see, it isn’t always easy.

 

Graeson hovered just outside the cafeteria doors. He smiled when he saw her approaching and gave a quick wave.

 

"I'm starving. Not literally, but you know what I mean," Grape said, thinking of people who were actually starving. She'd forgotten to pack a lunch that morning or any snacks. Her tummy rumbled as she searched her purse for a few dollars.

 

"I might be able to spare some of my sandwich. I haven't been super hungry lately," Graeson offered.

 

"What'd you bring?"

 

"PB and J."

 

"That sounds like heaven. I'll take whatever you don't finish, but no worries. I have money in here somewhere. And Bam! Found it." Grape pulled a crumpled five dollar bill out of her bag and held in front of Graeson, savoring the small victory.

 

"Good. I kind of want all my sandwich."

 

"Can I have a bite?" she asked, now that her mouth was watering for creamy peanut butter and sweet jelly.

 

Graeson made to answer, but his words were drowned out by a scream from down the hall.

 

"What the…" Grape said, peering at the backs of students as they huddled into a mass. They swarmed the middle of the hall, circling around a small space. "What's going on?"

 

"Looks like a fight." Graeson's body tensed. "We should head into the cafeteria.

 

"Uh-huh," Grape said, but she kept her gaze locked on the crowd.

 

"Get him, Reggie!" someone yelled.

 

A book bag flew into the air from the middle of the pack. Grape recognized the Gucci bag. It might not be too long before the twins' aunt made Xavier sell his expensive accessories as well as their cars, but she hadn't yet.

 

"Crap, come on," Grape said, jogging toward the crowd. She had to push her way to the front. A hefty kid with huge, hulking shoulders held Xavier in a headlock. He punched the former Model in the face, and Grape saw blood spurt onto the floor.

 

"Hey!" she screamed, stepping forward, not sure what she could do. She tried to grab the guy's arm to stop him from hitting Xavier again, but the kid swatted her away. She tripped backward and landed hard on her rear, sending a jolt of pain through her body.

 

Anger raged in her belly as her ribs throbbed. Grape struggled to her feet. The giant kid picked Xavier up and held him in the air as if the former Model weighed no more than a child. "Put him down," she yelled, but her voice was drowned out by the crowd. They cheered to see Xavier body-slammed.

 

Grape heard a low growl and was surprised to find that it was coming from her. She took a step forward, her fists clenched and ready.

 

Two kids standing in the front row, red-faced from yelling, were shoved aside as Lonnie plowed through them. He landed two quick punches to the big kid's mid-section. The kid dropped Xavier, who landed heavily on his side.

 

"Ugh," Xavier moaned as Lonnie reached down to help him to his feet.

 

"Look out!" Grape yelled as the kid raised a ham-sized fist in the air. But he moved too slowly. Lonnie landed a kick to the giant's crotch before the boy could throw his punch. The boy stood still for a moment, his hand still raised. His face slowly turned red as he folded over, falling hard to the ground. Xavier stood and thrust his boot into the kid's stomach.

 

"You okay?" Lonnie asked his brother.

 

Xavier grabbed his book bag from the ground. He used the bottom of his T-shirt to wipe the blood from his nose. "I'm fine," he grunted.

 

Graeson grabbed Grape's arm and pulled her back into the crowd.

 

"Where were you?"

 

"Stuck in the back. We gotta go."

 

"But Lonnie's..."

 

Graeson pointed at the teachers rushing toward them. "We gotta go."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the giveaway code:

 

 

Or if the code doesn't work, here is the link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OWVmMzUzNWJlY2NjOWExMTIxY2QwNzQ2NmEzMTdiOjU2Nw==/?

About the Book

Title: Winner Take All

Author: Mary Rodgers

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Hot shot skier and unrepentant party girl Carly Carrington is on top of the world until a disastrous crash destroys her championship dreams. Can she lower her guard long enough to trust the one man who might be able to heal her body…and her heart?

When it comes to sports doctors, buttoned-up Paul Blackburn is the best of the best. But when Carly upends his carefully ordered little world, will Paul fight his one chance at true love, or go for the gold in… WINNER TAKE ALL.

Giveaway

 

Two lucky winners will win a Kindle Fire loaded with “Winner Take All” and “Project Catchstar”.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Book Excerpts

Excerpt #1:

Paul

I handed the judge the file he'd requested.

A silent Carly perched on the arm of a chair that was as far away from Judge Whiting as she could get without being in the next room, rubbing her thumb into her palm over and over as she studied her shoes.

Pale and tear-streaked--why had she been crying?--she was still lovely, her sun-bleached hair curling up around her face in messy layers, her green blouse setting off her hazel eyes above her Cupid's bow of a mouth that looked too perfect to be real.

Although it had certainly felt real several weeks ago, when Carly had made one of my fantasies come true. Well, almost. My forbidden daydreams about kissing that luscious mouth involved both of us being willing and sober. God knows I'd been willing. But she hadn't been sober.

And that, for me, was an absolute deal-breaker. My jaw tightened as I thought about my broken mess of a brother. On every possible level.

I'd been pretty cold to her afterward. But that was because I was furious with myself, not her. Getting suckered in by her bad girl appeal--ridiculous. I knew better. Shouldn't have allowed it to happen. Shouldn't have wanted it to happen. Headstrong, reckless, unpredictable Carly was the opposite of what I needed to have around.

Well-practiced routines made my life run just the way I liked it. Classic clothing that functioned as both uniform and armor. Pleasant women whose appearance in my life was welcomed, but whose disappearance made scarcely a ripple.

Not jacked-up, cocky skiers whose kisses left me rock hard and dangerously close to losing control.

EXCERPT #2

Carly

Door hinges squeaked, and a barefoot Paul clad only in pajama bottoms padded inside. "Carly? Why are you up? Are you okay?"

I swallowed hard as he approached. "I'm kind of freaked out. Put my boots back on for the first time since…since I fell…" My trembling increased. I slammed one of my shaking hands against the walkway. "This is stupid, this is so stupid, they're just the damn boots for God's sake. We aren't even near a mountain, what is wrong with me?"

Paul knelt beside me and gathered my unresisting body into his arms. "It's trauma. It'd be a miracle if you didn't suffer from some kind of PTSD after that crash."

"I've been dreaming about it again. I think that's what triggered this. Shit. I need to find a way to handle it, I need…" I decided that dignity was overrated and curled up against Paul, pressing my cheek against his chest. His sleep-warmed skin smelled of soap and a faint note of pine-scented cologne.

"It's okay. It'll be okay, I promise." Paul reached down and tugged off my boots. "We'll try again with these later. But right now you need to relax. Jesus, Carly, it's the middle of the damn night. Stop pushing yourself so hard." He picked me up and stepped off the walkway into a grassy swath of the garden.

My laugh was tinged with more than a little hysteria, even to my ears. "Stop pushing myself? Have you met me?"

He chuckled and set me down. With deft hands, he pulled the blanket from around my shoulders, spread it out on the ground and repositioned me on top.

I nestled closer to him, drawing real comfort from his proximity.

"We'll just sit here for a bit, all right? There's no rush. Can you match my breathing pattern? Nice and deep, okay? Try it with me." He inhaled slowly, controlling his breath on the exhale. "Like that." He pitched his voice at a level someone might use on a skittish horse.

Ordinarily I would have bristled at the notion of being handled. But he sounded so soothing, and made me feel safe in ways I hadn't experienced in ages. It couldn't hurt to try. After a few false starts, I managed to coordinate my breath in time to his.

"Good. You're doing great. Keep going." He stroked my back and whispered encouragement, the steady rhythm of his movements lulling me into a relaxed, meditative state. My rigid muscles softened as the adrenaline gradually receded from my body. The fear faded away as well, replaced by a growing awareness of Paul's body wrapped around mine.

I couldn't have said when the mood changed, the shift was so subtle. But little by little, I raised my head, gazing at Paul through wondering eyes, my mouth only a few inches from his. I didn't move any closer at first, drinking in his half-sleepy, half-sultry expression, reveling in the power of our attraction that clearly held him as captive as it did me. A dreamy tension built up between the two of us, and when I finally leaned in to close the distance, Paul met me halfway.

So soft, so sweet. We kissed as if it were the first time, a tentative exploration that turned heated in a matter of moments.

 

 

Author Bio

 

A career performer and storyteller, Mary was the keyboardist and lead vocalist in an all-female rock band for a number of years, and has acted in leading roles in plays and musicals across the globe.

 

Her first screenplay, Common Ground, was a finalist in the Moondance International Film Festival competition, and she is a member of the Screen Actor’s Guild/AFTRA and the New York chapter of Women in Film and Television.

 

An avid gamer and unrepentant nerd, Mary’s been a fan of romance, science fiction and fantasy novels since she was old enough to hide them between the pages of her textbooks during geometry class in high school. She is delighted to introduce the first book in her new contemporary romance series, Winner Take All.

Links

Twitter – @mb_rodgers

www.mary-rodgers.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075TRJ4SP

ENDING A TRILOGY

 

My close friends and readers who follow me on Facebook or Twitter know how much I stressed about writing the end to this trilogy.

 

I love series and trilogies, however, as a reader, I do not like waiting for the next book after I’ve read the first two or three. Call me a bit of an OCD, laced with some impatience, and a desire that eats at me to know what happens next. In two words waiting for the next book…KILLS ME!

 

It is a slow torture of what if’s, who done it’s, and damn it how much longer?

 

So when I’d written myself into a trilogy, which by the way did not happen on purpose. When I wrote the first book, LAKOTA HONOR, my plan was to write the last two books within a year. That did not happen. Instead life, death and mourning happened, and I could not write.

 

When it came time to get back to the keyboard I was nervous, and full of doubt. After all I’d waited a whole year before writing the last book to the Branded Trilogy. My readers had most likely given up on me ever finishing the book, and I felt horrible.

 

I sat and stared at my computer many nights wondering how I’d make it up to them. How was I going to give them a story that was by far the best ending I could write?

 

I wrote starters, and scenes but nothing wanted to stick—nothing seemed right. It wasn’t good enough. I never once thought of giving up…that’s not in my blood. I knew I had to finish this and damn it I was going to blow it out of the park…but I just didn’t know how.

 

I had no real plot, no sub plots. Nothing! One night as I lay in bed I started thinking of the characters, and myself. I wondered why Tsura wouldn’t use her magick? Why she was angry, full of torment and hate. What could have happened in her life to make her feel such horrible emotions every day? It would have to be something severe. A pain so profound she no longer wanted to live.

 

In a way I could sympathize with Tsura’s agony because I’d experienced a similar pain the year before. I decided to use my heartache and place it into my character.

 

Once I was able to release some of myself, the storyline came to me almost immediately along with sub plots and other characters. I sat down and wrote the rough draft in 10 weeks.

 

“SACRED LEGACY will immerse you in a harrowing journey of anger and bitterness that only love and forgiveness can heal. You won’t soon forget

 

Tsura and Red Wolf’s journey.”

 

—Kristy McCaffrey, award-winning author, WINGS OF THE WEST series

 

About Kat…

 

Kat Flannery’s love of history shows in her novels. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense, paranormal, and romance. She has her Certificate in Freelance and Business Writing.

 

A member of many writing groups, Kat enjoys promoting other authors on her blog. Kat loves to teach writing classes and give back to other aspiring authors. She volunteers her time at the local library facilitating their writing group. She’s been published in numerous periodicals throughout her career

 

Her debut novel CHASING CLOVERS has been an Amazon Top 100 Paid bestseller twice. LAKOTA HONOR, BLOOD CURSE, and SACRED LEGACY (Branded Trilogy) are Kat’s three award-winning novels and HAZARDOUS UNIONS is Kat’s first novella. Kat is currently hard at work on her next series, THE MONTGOMERY SISTERS.

 

Visit Kat at: www.katflannerybooks.com

 

Find her on Facebook: Kat Flannery, author

 

Follow her on Twitter: @KatFlannery1

 

About the Books

 

Branded Trilogy

 

Author: Kat Flannery

 

Genre: Historical / Western / Paranormal Romance

 

Sizzling ROMANCE, the WILD WEST, and a dash of PARANORMAL make the BRANDED TRILOGY bundle a heart-pounding and satisfying read…

 

LAKOTA HONOR

 

 

 

Fate has brought them together, but will a promise tear them apart?

 

In the small town of Willow Creek, Colorado, Nora Rushton spends most of her days locked up in her home with a father who resents her and fighting off unwanted marriage proposals from the wealthy Elwood Calhoun. Marked as a witch, Nora must hide her healing powers from those who wish to destroy all the witkowin—crazy women. What she doesn’t know is that a bounty hunter is hot on her trail.

 

Lakota native Otakatay has an obligation to fulfill. He has been hired to kill the witkowin. In a time when race and difference are a threat and innocence holds no ground, courage, love and honor will bring Nora and Otakatay together as they fight for their freedom. Will the desire to fulfill his promise drive Otakatay to kill Nora? Or will the kindness he sees in her blue eyes push him to be the man he once was?

 

BLOOD CURSE

 

 

 

Four years after the Blood Curse, Pril of the Peddlers vows to protect her child against the evil men who hunt her. With her clan unaware of the branded girl among them, Pril has to keep the identity of her daughter a secret. When her child is kidnapped, she is forced to ask Merchant runner, Kade Walker, for his help.

 

Kade Walker needs to find the gypsy child. Blackmailed and pushed beyond his own moral code, he is determined to do whatever it takes. When he comes across the Peddler clan, he is sure the girl is there, however all hope is lost when the gypsies capture him. Time is running out—until Pril makes him an offer he cannot refuse.

 

Amidst greed, lust, revenge and love, Pril will need to trust Kade. But as the evil nears and doubt creeps in, will she discover that the enemy has been standing next to her all along?

 

SACRED LEGACY

 

 

 

Tsura is a Chuvani, and with that comes great power…

 

Desperate to escape the memories that haunt her, Tsura Harris returns to Jamestown, the very place her mother forbade her to go. A gifted Chuvani, Tsura has sworn off all magick, thus making her vulnerable to the Renoldi clan, who wish to kill her and take the pendant that is the key to her power.

 

Red Wolf is hell-bent on living his life on the sea, until he runs into Tsura on the docks. His pride wounded from her rejection years before, he hoped to never see her again. But when the evil Corsair, Romulus Black, demands to know where she is, Red Wolf must protect her, as is his duty.

 

But is duty and honor his only reason, or does Red Wolf still carry a flame of love in his heart? And will Tsura finally discover her destiny?

About the Book

Title: Did I Ever Thank You Sister?

Author: Sal Di Leo

Genre: Nonfiction

Sal Di Leo returns after 30 years to the Catholic orphanage outside Chicago that he and his siblings called home in 1963. This is the beginning of a journey of discovery and remembrance as Sal is forced to reconstruct his life as it really happened, including some of his most difficult years at Boys Town in Nebraska. As an adult, Sal tried to rise above his turbulent past in an aggressive quest for power and money. Successes soon led to failures. Eventually, a wise friend convinces Sal to go back to his roots and look for the good experiences and valuable lessons he learned as a nine-year-old orphan.

 

Author Bio

An entrepreneur who has successfully tackled many challenges in business and in life, Sal volunteers much of his time serving those in need. With his family, he founded St. Francis Lodge, a free retreat center where nuns, priests and others can reflect and rest to enhance their lives and work. The State Fish Art contest, which he started in Minnesota to help kids learn about conservation through art, is now offered in all 50 states and 12 countries. Sal has been actively involved with Rotary and the Lions Club, and he has spoken to service clubs around the United States about his life and the importance of gratitude. His self-published memoir, Did I Ever Thank You, Sister?, rooted in his childhood experiences in a Catholic orphanage, is available worldwide. The proud father of two adult daughters who have successfully left the nest, Sal has been married to his lovely wife Beth for more than 30 years. A longtime resident of Minneapolis, he is a 1977 graduate of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

 

Links

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7062486-did-i-ever-thank-you-sister

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2xPYcPh

Website: http://www.saldileo.com/