A man must make a hard choice

PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND MAGGIE BLACKBIRD!!

I write romance starring Canada’s Indigenous People.  Normally, I stay within my comfort zone of contemporary and historical.  But for Twisted Beauty, my latest release, I wanted to focus on the Indigenous People of North America, but with a twist.  The twist comes from my fave movie The Road Warrior aka Mad Max II.  I longed to take my characters into that kind of civilization where they live outside of modern society and play by their own rules.

I’m an action movie watcher at heart.  Although I love romance novels and writing them, when it comes to visually immersing myself in something, it must be action or mystery.  Some kind of adventure!  And that’s exactly what Twisted Beauty is.  Adventure in the plot, but also adventure in the character arcs of the two main male leads.

I’m not an adventurer LOL.  I golf.  I exercise.  I walk.  I enjoy working on my lawn.  I don’t even get on rollercoasters haha.  So I live vicariously through movies where the leads are finding themselves in all kind of adventurous situations.

Currently, I’m hooked on watching the climbs on Mount Everest thanks to YouTube.  Would I go up Everest?  Heck no.  I enjoy a good hike, but not that far off the ground.  So my characters do the crazy and wild living that I won’t.  Sure, I’d love to race cars, but I’m leaving that up to Chassis (one of the male leads) to do for me in his ’69 Mustang Mach 1.  Or Hunter, who sits on the passenger seat of his car, aiming a shotgun at Chassis to take him down.

I hope you enjoy reading the novel as much as I had fun writing it.  Yes, it borders on dangerous and violent, but there is plenty of romance, too.

Book Blurb and Buy Links:

His community or his enemy.  He can’t have both.

Deep in the badlands, long after the fall of modern civilization, Hunter patrols the area as the war chief for his Lakota community.  His latest mission is to hunt down a marauder who robbed his neighbors of their precious goods.  He’ll act as this man’s judge, jury, and executioner.

Having lost everything at his former Ojibway encampment, Chassis is far from home.  He wanders the badlands, a grim reaper bringing death to those with what he needs to survive.  But there is one man courageous enough to challenge him.

When the duo faces off, neither expects the sizzling chemistry to erupt between them, nor for their duel to touch what both have denied themselves.  Now they must choose to either remain together and sacrifice their beliefs, or go their separate ways, losing what they’ve spent their lives searching for—love.

EXCERPT

The ember stirring in Chassis grew stronger, most likely because the man wasn’t a coward and had pursued him with the cunning of Nanabush. There was more going on here than a mingling of pure exquisiteness and bold masculinity. The stranger was as determined as Chassis. Most would have ignored his supposed crime. But something told him his opponent not only believed in an eye for an eye, the fucker wanted both, which was why the man had stalked him here—to kill him.

For some strange reason, he admired that.

Or he could be wrong. The people he’d robbed might be his opponent’s parents, as he’d surmised earlier. Any other reason to hunt down someone who’d robbed a couple of their food and gasoline was ludicrous.

Chassis moved the knife again but applied minimal pressure. The man’s incandescent eyes widened for a brief second and then were masked by an emotionless façade. Fear lingered, though, since he sat on the man’s chest. The vibrations coming from his captive’s rapidly pounding heart were present in Chassis’ groin.

Again, he peeked at Waabooz. Her presence reminded him why he couldn’t allow himself to become vermin. He licked his lips. But it’d be so easy to take what he wanted…

“Turn over.”

The man’s upper lip curled into a snarl. “Forget it. You want my life? Then you stare into the eyes of the man you’re gonna murder.”

“Is that what you do?” Chassis couldn’t help the amusement from creeping into his voice. It was sort of funny. The man’s ruffled feathers were about as stupid as some hero swooping in to save the day. Heroes didn’t exist. Not anymore. “Is that what you were going to do when you came here? Stare into my eyes before you killed me?”

The man snorted.

“Well?” Chassis again ran the blade across his opponent’s throat.

“Your question doesn’t merit an answer. Vermin like you don’t—” The man’s reply had spit to it.

“Vermin? I’m vermin?”

This son of a bitch was no better than Chassis. At least he was honest about what he was. He didn’t hide behind a mask, pretending to be an avenging angel out to save the day.

“That’s exactly what you are—vermin.”

Enough with the pleasantries. “Turn over,” Chassis coolly ordered.

“No.”

“Then I guess you leave me with no choice…”

Genre(s): M/M Dystopian Romance, LGBTQ+, First Nations Romance, Native American Romance
Heat Rating: Level 4 (violence, dubious consent)
Publication Date: November 3, 2023
Publisher: eXtasy Books

Amazon.com:  https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Beauty-Maggie-Blackbird-ebook/dp/B0CM8Y8NKP/

eXtasy Books:  https://www.extasybooks.com/Twisted-Beauty

Kobo:  https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/twisted-beauty-4

Barnes and Noble:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144307020

iBooks:  https://books.apple.com/us/book/twisted-beauty/id6471351602

Google Play:  https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Maggie_Blackbird_Twisted_Beauty?id=40jhEAAAQBAJ&hl=en_CA

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1479229

BookStrand:  https://www.bookstrand.com/book/twisted-beauty

Also available in Kobo Plus.

Author Bio:  An Ojibway from Northwestern Ontario, Maggie resides in the country with her husband and their fur babies, two beautiful Alaskan Malamutes.  When she’s not writing, she can be found pulling weeds in the flower beds, mowing the huge lawn, walking the Mals deep in the bush, teeing up a ball at the golf course, fishing in the boat for walleye, or sitting on the deck at her sister’s house, making more wonderful memories with the people she loves most.

Links:  Web Site | Facebook Page | Twitter | Goodreads | BookBub | Instagram | Amazon Author Page | eXtasy Books Author Page | Newsletter Sign-Up

Setting by memory in the Florida Keys

PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND MARIA IMBALZANO!!

Key West is one of my favorite places to visit. My husband and I go there twice a year and have been for the past 37 years. Since I know the island so well and have done many of the water and land activities they have to offer, Key West was the perfect setting for “Island Detour” (although I did change the name of the island to Sunrise Island).

Sophie Kearns, the heroine of this book, takes a temporary teaching position at Sunrise Island School. When she arrives, she learns that outdoor skills are as important as academics, and her lack of the former has her at a distinct disadvantage

It was so much fun looking back to some of my failed encounters with nature in the Keys as I was writing this book. Kayaking was my number one disaster. My husband and I, along with our two teenaged daughters at the time, signed up for a kayaking tour through the mangroves. There were about seven kayaks, all two-person, on the tour. My older daughter came with me, because my younger daughter always asked whether I ever did something in the past before deciding whether to come with me. Of course, I had never kayaked, so she opted for her dad. (She did the same thing when we went snowmobiling) What a traitor!

I should have paid more attention to the instructor, but I’m sure my older daughter and I were talking. She was always being reported as way too chatty in school. I took the rear, which is the steering spot. We all followed our tour guide out into the shallow waters as we headed toward the mangroves. Unfortunately, we were not in sync with our paddling and ended up spinning around in circles, causing us to laugh uncontrollably and get further away from our guide. At some point, he gave up on us. Now when we go kayaking, I make sure my husband sits in the back.

There are scenes in this book where I imagined myself doing what I have Sophie doing. She goes out fishing with Max, the hero, and has no idea how to bait a hook, cast a line, or take a fish off the hook. And cleaning them when they get back is way beyond her life skills. Camping is another disastrous adventure, which is partly based on my older daughter’s overnight trip when it rained so hard her tent caved in (that may have had something to do with the way she put it up).

So I invite you to read “Island Detour” and take Sophie’s journey to the Florida Keys. You will laugh, sigh, and maybe even cry. The early reviews say that this emotional enemies to lovers story will have you turning the pages well past your bedtime.   

EXCERPT:

“Just because you have issues shouldn’t mean you can’t trust anyone but yourself.” The second the words were out of her mouth, she knew she’d gone too far. But he had started it. And frankly, she didn’t care if she had struck a nerve.

His jaw clenched, an almost imperceptible movement. After a few seconds he bowed his head and sighed. Then he turned his back to her, picked up his rod, and cast the line into the ocean. No comeback. No smart remark. A minor victory. Had she really gotten in the last word this time?Unfortunately, she couldn’t let it go.“Is that how you deal with conflict? You turn around and ignore it?”She was definitely pushing the envelope now, but he deserved it. One didn’t just end an argument by turning away. He needed to stick with it. Fight it out. Until the bitter end.She watched him in profile, the brooding, detached fisherman whose lips rarely inched into a smile, whose eyes rarely sparkled, and whose cutting words were meant to slice—and hurt. Which they did.Sophie looked over at Ben, who had remained quiet during their little altercation. He held his finger to his lips as if to say enough.She itched to continue but followed his unspoken suggestion. He knew Max a lot better than she did. And sometimes, she just had to let things settle down.

Maria Imbalzano is an award-winning contemporary author who writes about strong, independent women and the men who fall in love with them. She recently retired from the practice of law, but legal issues have a way of showing up in many of her novels. When not writing, she loves to travel both abroad and in the states.  Maria lives in central New Jersey with her husband–not far from her two daughters. For more information about her books, please visit her website at http://mariaimbalzano.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/mariaimbalzanoauthor

X-Twitter http://www.twitter.com/mariaimbalzano

@mariaimbalzano Instagram Mariaimbalzano_author

Website Link http://www.mariaimbalzano.com

Goodreads Author Page https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7276749.Maria_Imbalzano

Book Bub Profile page https://www.bookbub.com/profile/maria-imbalzano

 Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00FG9RI5K

Buy Links

https://books2read.com/u/4D20y7

Awards

Maria is a member of New Jersey Romance Writers and has received many honors and awards for her work including the ACRA Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence Award, the Wisconsin Romance Writers Write Touch Readers Award, The NEST (National Excellence In Story Telling) Award, the Carolyn Award, Book Buyers Best Award, The Stiletto Reader’s Choice Award, Long & Short Reviews Book of the Month Award (3^rd Place for Book of the Year), and Still Moments Magazine Reader’s Choice Award.

A different kind of adventure

PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND *lizzie starr!!!

Hi! I’m *lizzie. I write as *lizzie starr (and LizAnne Axtel). And today is my birthday. Now before we get all excited about that–I haven’t been excited about my birthday for years–it’s not going to be the kind of day I’d hope for. Nope, not at all. Although it will be an adventure.

Because I’m scheduled to have two wisdom teeth removed.

Scheduling and other issues created a hassle and I’d waited long enough so I took the first available date. I’m not a fan of dentists or having the whole top of my mouth deadened, but there ya go. It could be worse. My dentist said all 4 needed to go, but the oral surgeon said only the top two. So yay, I guess. My biggest concern is whether I’ll bruise or not. That’s one of my other issues and the last time I had a tooth pulled, I looked like I’d been punched.

I make my characters face all kinds of situations they don’t like—all to provide a good story of course. But no one has had to go to the dentist. I think my characters all have great teeth. And I’m going to keep it that way.

Unless they eat too many cupcakes from Cookie’s Coffee & Cakes in my book, Fortunate Cookie.

Here’s a short scene:

~~

Vernon lifted his cup. “There’s truth in that, my boy. Ah, here’s Cookie.”

Coffee order hovering on his lips, Tony rose and moved toward the counter. A young woman had bent behind the clear display case, placing cupcakes in precise rows on a colorful tray. “Uh, excuse me?”

“Yikes.” She jerked and stuck her thumb into the thick, creamy white icing on a dark cupcake. “Well, shi— shoot.”

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. I, uh…” Words failed him when she straightened and looked at him with wide, chocolate-brown eyes. Dark hair, tucked up in a messy bun, highlighted her fair complexion. The contrast was a study in perfection. She lifted her hand as if to brush back a stray hair but stared instead at her frosting covered finger.

He had the insane desire to pull that finger into his mouth and lick off every bit of sweetness.

Seeming to pull herself together, she pasted on a perfect customer service smile and reached for a towel. “Hi, welcome to Cookie’s Coffee & Cakes. What can I get for you?”

He couldn’t look away. Her soft gaze held him in thrall. He wanted nothing, nothing but… “Coffee.”

Her pasted-on smile softened to a true grin. “Plain or fancy?”

Regaining some semblance of composure, Tony gave his order in a well-practiced manner.

She turned without comment and started his drink. He hadn’t specified a size, so was filled with relief when she grabbed the largest cup. Rooted in place, he watched her economical movements. When she placed the coffee on the counter, he pointed to the ruined cupcake. “Since I caused that, I’ll take the cupcake, too.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. One of the tribulations of baking. It’s not the first time I’ve worn frosting. It won’t be the last.”

The suddenness of the vision filling his brain made him draw a sharp breath. This woman, wearing frosting. And nothing else. He gave his head a quick shake but couldn’t dislodge the thought from his brain—or his uncomfortably interested body. He cleared his throat. “Still, in this case, I’d love that cupcake for breakfast.”

~~

Fortunate Cookie

 This woman. Wearing Frosting. And nothing else…

Cookie Lamont owns a successful cupcake shop in Spencer’s trendy tourist center. Life would be perfect if not for the escalating unwanted attention from a self-important town trustee. She has everything she needs—and a man is the last thing on her mind.

Until he walks into her shop.

Treehouse builder and TV personality Anthony Burnham returns to Spencer and finds focus building cabins for a new camp. His passion for treehouses is rekindled as a sweet, sexy new love blooms.

But the past haunts his steps and threatens his growing relationship with the alluring baker.

Get Fortunate Cookie here: https://books2read.com/fortunate-cookie

Check out the multi-author Aspen Gold Series at https://www.aspengoldseries.com/

About *lizzie starr

*lizzie always made up games and stories to keep her company. So, a cunning witch lived in Grampa’s weather research station and was only held at bay by waving a certain weed. An ancient road grader morphed into a boat carrying wild adventurers to islands filled with fierce lions and dangerous cannibals, which really looked a lot like sheep. 

Now filled with fantasy, love, and romance with a sparkling twist, the stories of her imagination swirl their way into the mundane world.

*lizzie retired from her more routine life of being *the Lunch Lady* at a private school. According to the kids, she was ‘the best cooker!’ Yes, she misses the students and teachers, but is delighted now to start her days by telling stories rather than opening cases of chicken nuggets and counting milk cartons.

Her tag line of Author and lunch lady~~what a combination! no longer holds true (which makes her sad because she really liked that one).

Now you’ll know *lizzie by her tales of…

                ~~Romance with a sparkling twist~~

Want to keep up to date with all of *lizzie’s worlds? Sign up for her newsletter here!  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/o9q4q4

Follow *lizzie on social media

Website: www.lizziestarr.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlizziestarr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlizziestarr/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/139855.Lizzie_Starr

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lizzie-starr

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/*lizzie-starr/e/B003F33Y0W

Living with REMNANTS OF FIRE

PLEASE WELCOME LYNDI’S ADVENTUROUS FRIEND ALANA LORENS!!!

A bad divorce, a broken heart, a need to begin again.

These three things propel reporter Sara Woods to leave her comfortable position working for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and take the first news job that comes along, working as the new reporter for small-town Ohio’s Ralston Courier. Ralston is a sleepy little town that doesn’t seem to have much to offer this big-city girl, but her very first assignment is to investigate a dead body, a young woman found half-frozen on the side of a country road.

Soon the story on this body ties in with others, and she finds herself scrambling to come up with a common link among the dead other than the fact that they’re all young women Sara’s age.

Still recovering from a previous auto accident and struggling with chronic pain, she becomes a patient at the Goldstone Clinic, a local mecca of healing.

But all is not as it seems at the Goldstone,  its doctors and nurses are all the picture of perfect beauty and health. Patients at the clinic first seem to get better, then they deteriorate. Sara enlists the help of Dr. Rick Paulsen, a doctor at the city hospital who shares her concern about the deaths of the young women, one of whom was his own patient. He teaches her through Eastern techniques how to access her internal power, skills she never knew she had, revealing secrets from her past.

Police officer Brendon Zale also takes an interest in Sara, but he acts like a stalker, watching her every move, and he won’t leave her alone. He always turns up at the most suspicious times, especially where the dead bodies are found. What’s his interest in Sara?

As she digs deeper into the story, and more young women die without explanation, she tries to choose allies wisely, but not till the last confrontation does she discover the identity of her true enemy.

By then, it’s too late.

REMNANTS OF FIRE is a supernatural mystery thriller, and also a 2009 NaNoWriMo novel.

Check out the book trailer here: https://youtu.be/pWjJT2upVlo

Excerpt:

The waiter brought the souvlaki and more bread. After he left, I leaned forward and put my elbows on the table. “So what’s going on here? Why did you call me?”

Rick’s blue eyes dissected me. “Because there’s something unusual about you.”

Oh, please. That was as bad as ‘What’s your sign, baby?’ “Do I seem naive enough to fall for that line?”

“Not really.” He speared a chunk of lamb and dipped it in the creamy cucumber sauce. “That doesn’t make it any less true. And I think you really care about Lily Kimball, and what happened to her.”

“Then you believe something ‘happened.’” Remembering his outburst at the hospital, I added, “You think she was killed by someone. You even know who.” I watched his face for reaction.

“I suspect. I don’t know.” He took a long drink of water, as if he were trying to swallow something unpalatable.

“But you haven’t gone to the police.” He shook his head. “Why not?”

He started to answer and then Athena swept over, wanting to make sure everything was to her dear doctor’s satisfaction. She effused with grand passion about how wonderful Rick Paulsen was, as a medical professional and as a man, her praise transparently designed to convince me, as his dinner partner and potential life mate, of his worth. He squirmed as she continued, but seemed loath to interrupt her. Once we had assured her that everything was delightful, she withdrew at last, to

observe from behind the cash register.

When he didn’t answer my last question, I asked again. “Why haven’t you gone to the police?”

“You don’t understand. The police won’t be any help in this matter.”

“They’re investigating her death—”

“They’re not investigating her death! They’re just going through the motions until everyone forgets about her and they can toss her file in a cabinet, never to be seen again!” He slapped his fork onto the table, a flush of anger suffusing his face, all the way to the tips of his ears. “Just like the others.”

Buy Links: (soon on Kobo and Apple!)

AMAZON PAPERBACK $11.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/194918756X/

AMAZON KINDLE $3.99
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFDKZ8BZ/

B&N PAPERBACK $9.99
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781949187571/

B&N HARDBACK $19.99
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781949187588/

B&N NOOK EBOOK $3.99
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940185612927/

SMASHWORDS EBOOK $3.99
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1435752/

Author Bio

Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years, while working as a pizza maker, a floral designer, a journalist and a family law attorney. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, the aging hippie loves her time in the smoky blue mountains.

She writes romance and suspense as Alana Lorens, and sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal mystery as Lyndi Alexander. One of her novellas, THAT GIRL’S THE ONE I LOVE, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She is the author of the Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series, which draws on her 25 years as a family law attorney in the state of Pennsylvania. One of the causes close to her heart came from those years as well–the fight against domestic violence. She volunteered for many years at women’s shelters and provided free legal services to women and children in need.

She lives with her daughter on the autism spectrum, who is the youngest of her seven children, and she is ruled by three crotchety old cats, and six kittens of various ages.

Author Links

Website           http://Alana-lorens.com

Facebook    https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens/

Goodreads   https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4829967.Alana_Lorens

Amazon Author Page  https://www.amazon.com/Alana-Lorens/e/B005GE0WBC/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/alana-lorens

Twitter:  @AlexanderLyndi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexander_lyndi/

Please note: This book was formerly released as LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME by Lyndi Alexander. It has been rewritten with new material added.

An underwater adventure worthy of Lara Croft or Indiana Jones!

Please welcome Lyndi’s Adventurous Friend D.V. STONE!!!

Thank you so much for sharing your space to talk about Sea Hunter with me. My life tends to be an adventure. In the past I’ve crawled through caves, repelled off of buildings, white-water rafted, and hiked parts of the Appalachian Trail. Down in the Caribbean when I was the oldest in the group of jet skiers, they stuck me at the end of the line. Geez, don’t judge this book by her cover. By the end they’d moved me up and I was side by side with the leader. My adventures these days are a little milder but still fun and exciting. My hubby and I travel in our 5^th Wheel Camper. This sucker is 41 feet long and 13 feet high and yes I drive pulling it.

Sea Hunter is my latest book and it’s my first action adventure. This is a romance between Professor Zahra Corbyn, a historical conservator, and an underwater archeologist. Jack Alexander is the captain of Freya, a refitted tender for hire for diving adventures. He also happens to be a treasure hunter and has a piece of the map she needs.

This story was so much fun to write and especially research. I traveled to Freeport, Maine, and then to Cape Cod and tried New England Clam Chowder everywhere we could. Yum. Oh, about the book. Sorry, I lost myself remembering the creamy goodness of the soup.

Sometimes the research was daunting. In so many ways, WWII was horrid. So much loss of life and people, but it also led science forward by giant steps. Colleges and universities worked together with the armed services to develop things like sonar, radar, and radio communications, which opened up a new and exciting area for divers, equipment, and underwater archeology.

During our time in New England, we visited the Bath Iron Works Shipyard and naval museums then a visit to the Whydah Pirate Museum on Cape Cod immersed me in all things pirate. I learned so much about their way of life. One of the most exciting things was consulting with one of the conservators about protecting artifacts. Thankfully, maritime laws have been established to keep treasure hunters from destroying so much of our history from ancient to modern times.

One of my favorite passages is:

“But I’ve had dealings with treasure hunters before. People like you who take what you want without care for preserving our past.” She yanked her hand from his and turned toward the open water. “I spend my life locating pieces of history. Trying to understand them. Things that may help our future.”

The other thing I enjoyed was learning about people in the post-war years. Their vernacular, way of dressing, and spunk—especially for women who’d learned to depend on themselves when men were overseas fighting.

So hoist the sails, Squidies, and join me on a seafaring adventure of love, treachery, fun, and treasure. Oh, did I mention there’s a ghost and a curse? AND that Sea Hunter is only .99 for a few more days! OR, that there is a free series sample for download!

Blurb

Sea Hunter:

Zahra Corbyn

As the professor of antiquities, nothing snaps my cap more than treasure hunters and looters. They smash and grab and then are gone with the wind. And there are two after Sea Wraith. But fate is a funny thing. Thanks to an ancient Mortar and Pestle, not only am I in cahoots with one of them but he’s also fired up my heart, turning me into a khaki-wacky.

Captain Jack Alexander.

I’ve been told women on a ship are unlucky, but this dame has the two pieces of the map I need to finally claim Sea Wraith. Now, I find myself in a lousy deal that makes me one-third partner with her and a known scalawag. It’s either that or bupkis. After all these years of chasing down my dream of finding the shipwreck, my obsession is cooling off and heating up toward a bird who’s way above my pay grade.

Can the two unlikely allies work together while safeguarding their hearts against the power of the Mortar and Pestle?

If you like Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, you’ll love Zahra Corbyn and Jack Alexander.

Excerpt

“Come on, gorgeous.” Hugh slunk up behind her again, his plummy voice sliding over her like mold on fruit. “You like the attention. Stop playing hard to get.”

Zahra Corbyn flinched. Between the wind blowing and her fascination with the choppy waters off Cape Cod, she’d missed the sound of his approach. This man needed to leave her alone. The jerk saw her USO dancing-and-singing act overseas and decided she was easy. Though World War II was over, this battle raged on. She turned and stiff-armed  him to keep him away. “I’ve told you more than once—I’m not interested.”

“Listen, chippies like you are nothing but teases.” He grabbed her wrist. A greasy lock of dark hair fell across his forehead. “I…

“It’s lady, jerk.” She let her arm go soft as she kicked out and broke the hold. “And I said, ‘no’.”

Taking a boxer’s stance, she fisted her hands. This guy picked the wrong woman to mess with. Zahra knew how to take care of herself.

A sneer crossed his face under the bushy eyebrows and wide, flat nose, but he turned away.

Zahra relaxed. After being released with the last USO troop, she was tired and wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Besides, the ocean waves called to her.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him swing back around with a viper’s speed.

She whirled about.

His shoulder hit her stomach.

“Oomph.”

“You tease. I’ll show you.” He rushed forward. “Filthy Jezebel.”

Zahra flailed when he pitched her over the rail of the steamer.

The sneering smile got smaller, and he saluted before the frigid Atlantic water closed over her.

Splashing into the rough water, she suppressed her initial gasp. As an experienced diver, she understood the peril of aspirating saltwater. However, her heartbeat was out of control. When the disorienting shock of hitting the cold ocean in the darkness dissipated, she kicked toward the surface, following the bubbles up. Gasping and sputtering, she stared at the disappearing ship while treading water in its wake.

Stop and focus, Zahra.

Surfacing once more, she coughed and turned three hundred sixty degrees, looking for anything to help her. A buoy, a plank, floating garbage.

She wasn’t shivering anymore. Uh-oh, this was it. Her body was shutting down. Slowly, she descended below the surface. A flicker of light caught her attention. Was that a ship? Or rather the wreck of one? She must be hallucinating.

The depth of the water here wasn’t bad, considering. Only about twenty to thirty feet. Could it be Sea Wraith? Archeologists and fortune hunters had been searching for her for years. The figurehead poking from the sand and silt resembled a specter with its gaping maw and tendrils like an octopus. Spots developed in her vision. The last thing she saw was the shape of a man standing on the ship’s figurehead.

Sea Hunter

A Mortar & Pestle Story

A wisp of smoke, a swirl of promise, a breath of destiny…a message within the Mortar & Pestle for those who want to believe. Throughout time people have sought their heart’s desire. But true love is often elusive. Carved with ancient Norse runes, the Mortar & Pestle shows paths to happily-ever-afters. Once you capture the Mortar & Pestle’s scent of magic, you’ll want to read all seven individual romances.

Link to Sea Hunter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRYJLLW1

Link to series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS42PKHZ

Link to free sample of serieshttps://dl.bookfunnel.com/b1ytv2r7nq

Social Media links for D.V. Stone:

https://www.dvstoneauthor.com/

https://t.co/MUVW91E2iB

https://www.instagram.com/d.v.stone/

Tweets by donnavstone

https://www.facebook.com/dv.stone.1

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16344100.D_V_Stone

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/d-v-stone

@dvstoneauthor

https://mailchi.mp/3b289d8d7569/d-v-stones-peek-further-and-campfire-crew

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoWqGJB3WxpUCV2OUE2VN_w