by Mlissa | Oct 26, 2017 | Kindle Worlds, New Releases
Witchin’ Spice
READ AN EXCERPT
I can do this. I really can. I can learn to bake a cake. Filled with positive thoughts and repeated affirmations I was pretty sure I didn’t believe, I looked into the bathroom mirror and frowned at my reflection. “What?” I demanded. “Do you doubt me? Well, join the damn club.”
I was a witch or a magician or a strange, freaky person who could flick her fingers and wink her right eye and smiles would appear on nearby faces and hearts would flutter and people would fall in love.
I could also wink my left eye and twitched my nose in exactly the right way, and the opposite would happen. Tears would fall and hearts would break and sadness would filter through those around me.
Needless to say, these had been interesting discoveries when I turned eighteen and realized my boyfriend was secretly in love with my best friend. I’d flicked my fingertips at something she’d said and turned to him with a wink and poof, they were making googly eyes at one another. I was seemingly forgotten.
I didn’t have many friends to begin with and well, after that, I could count how many I had left on two fingers.
Fast forward six years and I was still trying to figure out what the hell was going on with me. I couldn’t hold a job. I had friends one day and none the next. Life was more than a little on the topsy-turvy side and I was ready to check myself into a hospital until an 80’s reject dropped onto my third-hand couch in a plume of purple smoke to inform me I needed to learn some control around humans or I would find myself in magical jail. I was kinda torn between advising that she seek professional help and believing her story about me being a witch.
Until then, I’d had no idea there were others. I hadn’t known there were rules, either. Like, real ones, not guidelines, not memos, but hard and fast rules.
“Who are you?” I’d asked.
She’d smiled and to this day, I’d swear my whole apartment lit up brighter than Rockefeller Plaza at Christmas. “I’m Baba Yaga.”
“Baba Yawho?”
My lack of knowledge didn’t faze her. “I’m the head witch. Now, what is your decision? I have a breakdance class in thirty and if I’m late, Fabio will come looking for me and believe me, you don’t want that to happen.”
“Breakdance? People still do that?” But given her choice of clothing and whipped up hair that could poke someone’s eye out if they stood too close, I realized my question was moot. However, I hadn’t answered her quickly enough and she’d dropped me off here in Blue Balls Falls, Virginia.
It was a pretty little town deep in the mountains. She assured me more than once that it couldn’t be found on a map and therefore, no humans were in dangers of knowingly or unknowingly being magically manipulated.
It was then I started not liking her, head witch or not.
Two weeks later and staring myself down in the mirror, I was no closer to controlling my magic. Mainly because I had no idea how I was supposed to go about it. I was no closer to learning how to bake, either and what bakery owner doesn’t know how to bake?
“But at least we haven’t blown up the kitchen this week,” I reminded my reflection. “That’s something, right?” I nodded to myself as though it was something to strive for and be proud of, and left the room.
I was staying at the Blue Balls Falls Inn. I had asked about apartments or houses to rent, but the owner, Bethilda, had never once answered me.
And I have to tell you, when I walked in that first day, Bethilda knew my name, had a room ready for me, and was oh so happy to finally meet and that I was welcome to stay just as long as I wanted. The stairs creaked as I took them slow and steady. There was no elevator, only staircases that rose up and up and up, far beyond where I could see. Luckily, I was on the second floor.
“Good morning, my dear.”
I smiled. “Good morning, Bethilda.”
Aside from being the proprietress of the hotel, she was also the town’s oldest resident at two hundred forty-six. She honestly didn’t look a day over forty. Okay, maybe forty-five, but that might be stretching it. There were no wrinkles on her skin and only a few gray hairs that I could see in her long espresso colored curly mane.
That she dressed as a woman from the 1800’s was beside the point.
“How did you sleep? Good, yes?” she asked eagerly.
To be truthful, I had slept well, far better than I’d expected given that I was in a strange magical town, possessed of magic that I had been living with for six years but still hadn’t a clue where it had come from, and I was currently the defacto owner of a bakery and I didn’t know the first thing about baking or business ownership. Was it different in the magical world? Did I need to get permits? Was there a baker in town who’d be happy to do the actual baking? “Yes, I slept great,” I responded. She rewarded me with a brilliant laugh that tinkled in the air like little tiny bells.
“That’s just wonderful. Come. I have breakfast all ready for you.”
“You do?” I should be getting used to it by now. She’d been feeding me like clockwork since the day I arrived.
“I do.” She ushered me into a large, crowded room, much larger than the dimensions of the house should physically allow and seated me at a small two person table near a front facing window.
Voices from all directions distracted me for a few minutes as they did every day. I couldn’t help wondering if they were all like me? Magical? If so, what could they do and why were they here? Were they being punished like I was?
“Oh, no, dear. You’re not being punished,” Bethilda said with tenderness.
“How did you…?” She smiled and set a plate down in front of me loaded with French toast and perfectly cooked bacon. ”And how did you know this is what I wanted?” I stared at her with narrowed eyes. “You can read minds, can’t you?”
She gave me an impish smile, lifting and lowering one shoulder in a half shrug. “I can.”
“Why didn’t you say so before?”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you, being that you’re not quite sure of yourself and your abilities, yet.”
She was pretty awesome, I had to admit. She’d tried to show me that I could use a little magic to make a bed or to move clothes from drawers and closets to the bed and back again. She’d tried to help me write simple spells for small things. It was like Magic 101, except I was failing every subject.
Clothes ended up on the floor.
The cold water turned on instead of the hot.
The bed flipped itself over, and the sheets flung themselves out the window.
And my spells? Oh yes, those were special. I’d blown up Bethilda’s kitchen at least twice and I’d melted four pounds of butter all over the floor, causing serious injury to two of her cooks.
I appreciated everything she tried teaching me, but I honestly didn’t think this magic thing was for me.
“Yes, it is. Don’t be so hard on yourself, dear. You’re coming along just fine.”
“I did come up with a new spell last night before I went to sleep, so maybe…” I offered hopefully.
“A new spell? Well, look at you. See?”
Her words were supportive and encouraging, but her eyes darted around before focusing on me again. She didn’t believe I could do it, either.
“Oh yes, I do. I’m just not sure my kitchen can survive you.”
Available as an ebook:
Welcome to Witchin’ Spice Bakery or what’s left of it… My name is Broo. Yes, Broo. Just Broo. And I’m new here. Like, you know, NEW! So, we’re going to be learning this witch-y stuff together. And I hope you’re taking notes because I may need to sneak a peek at them later.
See, I didn’t know I had these color changing magical powers that would make a box of crayons jealous and put me at the top of the therapist’s schedule. That is if I needed a therapist. Which I don’t. Maybe.
And… I didn’t know that being dropped in Blue Balls Falls, Virginia would alert the Wicked Shitz and prompt an unwanted and nasty family reunion with my messed up in the head Papa Warlock.
But of course, it couldn’t just be a quick visit and don’t use your magic around humans again thing. Nope. Because there’s also a cursed frog in need of a kiss, a group I call the Prayer Chain because they travel in a pack and stick together no matter what, and a wand that needs a bit of love and understanding.
The blowing up of Witchin’ Spice Bakery, though? Yeah, let’s not talk about that one, okay?
Author’s Note: This is an original story set lightly inside Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Kindle World.
For More Information On Robyn Peterman’s Magic and Mayhem Kindle World, Click HERE
For More Information on Kindle Worlds, Click HERE
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by Mlissa | Feb 21, 2017 | Kindle Worlds, New Releases, Paranormal Romance
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I have a new release today. it’s the 4th and final book in my Black & White Series in Eliza Gayle’s Southern Shifters Kindle World.
Writing in someone else’s world, one that they lovingly and painstakingly created was a challenge, one I didn’t think I’d create anything but one story around. But here we are and there are 4.
The characters I created… Bex and Gus, Michael and Maxine, Marcel and Mari, Leah and Blake, even Gus’s parents, Beck, the Mayor, and the newest character, Roan… these are my characters and I will be taking them outside the Southern Shifters Kindle World and into my own world that will at some point intersect with my dormant Denali Heat series that will get new life breathed into it.
Luke Blackwood is not a character I created. He is one of Eliza’s characters and I cannot take him out of the Kindle World. He must stay there. Others will write about him in their own way and it’s possible I’ll return to write a tale about him myself. But it won’t be anytime soon.
This series was a labor of love and learning and frustration and headaches and fear.
I also know that there will be some who will hate the way it ended. Others will understand and look forward to the next series. But I had to stay true to what Bex and Gus were telling me over these last months. And when all was said and done, I did what they, the characters dictated to me.
I have always been a character driven author and am proud to remain so. I have nothing but love for this book and this series.
I appreciate each and every reader who read it from start to finish and who loved it more with each book and always, always asked for more. Thank you. So very much.
Blurb:
Tracking Luke Blackwood, wolf shifter and all around pain in the ass, hadn’t been the toughest part of Gus’s current situation. No… Lying to his mate had been.
While Bex was home overseeing the renovations on her house, Gus and Luke were working to gather information on their enemies. But in their absence, danger has closed in on Bex and the ragtag band of werewolves and werebears left behind to watch out for her.
When the threat causes her to lose everything she owns, lines in the sand blur and choices have to be made. The safety of not only their immediate friends and family, but that of all the shifters in and around the Dragon and Deal’s Gap depends on it.
Author’s Note: This fast paced story is the final installment of my Black & White series within Eliza Gayle’s Southern Shifters Kindle World.
Author’s Additional Note: This cannot be read as a standalone. If you try, you will be very confused. Please start with book one, Ink To Bear.
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by Mlissa | Dec 13, 2016 | New Releases, Paranormal Romance
Happy Release Day to ME!
Or, happy re-release day to me. A version of this story was included in an anthology last Christmas, A Very Alpha Christmas. That anthology is what allowed me to say that I was a USA Today Bestselling Author. To say it was an incredible feeling would be an understatement.
I haven’t re-released my story from that collection until now because I wanted it to come out at Christmas. I’ve doubled the word count, added a bit more back story and a few additional characters than weren’t in the original telling. I do hope you’ll like it. It’s fun and fanciful and charming. And it’s open-ended enough that I could write additional books if there’s enough interest.
I’ll be adding additional formats for sale soon.
Blurb:
The picturesque town of Snows Fall has a new resident: Rand. Lead reindeer and… Santa’s son.
Rand has some pretty big doubts about humanity’s inherent good versus their apparent greed. But doubts aren’t tolerated in the North Pole where wonder and magic rule the kingdom of Christmas.
The one thing Rand does believe in is an elf named Blix. She’s the owner of Wishes Bakery and the future Mrs. Only, she doesn’t know about that last part. Rand didn’t have the chance to tell her before waking up in a snow covered cabin far from home with more questions than answers.
Now he’s alone, just days before Christmas with nothing but a basket of Blix’s magical cookies and a few wishes of his own.
Is it too late for Rand? Will he be banished forever? Or do the holidays, his parents, and the town of Snows Fall have a few tricks up their collective sleeves to help restore his faith in humans and the holiday season?
Excerpt:
Inside Wishes Bakery, a long line had formed, starting at the register. A fresh batch of cookies must’ve come out. He loved when they were just out of the oven, when one of the elves brought out a tray of them for the customers. They would melt in a spicy mix of goodness on his tongue when they were warm.
Rand took a spot behind a group of elves who, once they saw him, turned away and started to whisper and giggle. That wasn’t a new thing. His role on the sleigh team this year was a well known fact and he was some sort of celebrity among the citizens of the North Pole. He grinned down at one of the elves when she glanced over her shoulder at him. He winked and her eyes widened.
He didn’t mind the extra dose of popularity. He minded that he could never get near the one elf he wanted most. The one coming from the kitchen carrying a large stack of gift boxes. The one who just tripped and started falling forward, disaster written all over her face. Rand jumped from his place in line and stretched out his arms as the boxes began tumbling down. He caught all of them, lifted them high, and put his body directly in front of her. She fell right into him. He hardly felt the impact.
Beneath the sparkle of her eyes lurked embarrassment accompanied by a blush staining her already rosy cheeks. “Rand,” she said, breathless and hushed.
“Hey, Blix.” He raised his brows. “You okay?”
She righted herself quickly and let go of where she’d grabbed his shirt. She was barely five feet, and the small heels on her shoes helped minimally, but her soft curves and plush weight was felt in every region of his body. He’d been the buffer between her and the floor and if he let his mind wander, it’d wander straight to wanting to take her to the floor, a bakery full of curious eyes or not. He didn’t care. He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to hold her. He wanted to make love to her.
He simply wanted her. There was no way around it and there was no way to fight it.
“Yeah, Rand. I’m okay.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder and straightened her dress. Red and silver, a scoop neckline and a skirt that swished around her knees when she walked. “Thank you for catching the cookies for me.”
“You’re welcome. Where were you headed with them?”
“Oh, the display table behind you and the front window. They’re the first chocolate sugar cookies of the season and I wanted to make sure there were plenty ready. I got a little over excited.”
“I see.” He’d like to see her a lot excited, but right then and there wasn’t the time or the place for it. “Let me help you set things up.”
“T-that’s not necessary. Really. I can do it.”
“I’d still like to help.”
She nodded after a brief hesitation. “All right. Sure.” She took three boxes from the stack he held. “I’ll take these to the window, if you’ll put yours on the table.”
“Any particular way?”
“A pyramid is fine. It’s what I was planning to do until I brought out some other things.”
Rand smiled. “A pyramid it is.” He was aware of the stares from the line behind him, but he didn’t give anyone the satisfaction of looking at them. They were curious and he’d let them be. Blix had disappeared into the opening of the display window where she painstakingly arranged and rearranged her three boxes.
Was she avoiding him? Was she trying to take as long as possible so she wouldn’t have to talk to him again? Was she still embarrassed about having almost fallen? Whatever it was, Rand wasn’t going to let her get away with it. She was going to have to face him, talk to him just a little bit more before he went away.
At the window, he positioned himself so that when she turned around, she’d come face to face with him. She’d be the perfect height for a kiss. A kiss he couldn’t give her in such a public place, but a kiss he’d love to give her nonetheless.
She stepped once, twice, and her heel caught on the edge of the display platform. Rand’s arms shot out again, but instead of catching boxes of cookies, he caught Blix as she grasped for purchase where there was none.
“How have you survived without me?” he asked, lightly, with a chuckle at the end of his question.
“I’m kind of wondering the same thing.”
Rand eased her down the front of his body and held onto her a little longer than he should have. When he finally let go, she spun to face him. “You okay?” He brushed hair from her face, behind her delicately pointed ear. Rubies hung from her earlobes.
“I am. I’m not usually this clumsy. I am so sorry.”
“I don’t mind at all. I’m glad I was here to catch you.”
She smiled up at him and Rand’s heart stopped in his chest. The little elf had no idea what she did to him. “Admit it. You’re even more glad you saved the cookies from crashing to the ground.”
She was teasing him and oh, how he adored it. “That’s a definite perk. I mean, I can eat cracked and even crumbled cookies, but I’d rather eat whole ones. Even better if I could share a box with someone.”
“Oh. Of course. Why wouldn’t you want to? I’m sure she, ah… What I meant was… Your, ah…” Blix closed her mouth, pressed her lips into a tight, thin line, and blushed scarlet. He’d never heard her stammer like that. She stepped around him, grabbing the box from the top of his pyramid. “Take these. On the house. For helping to save them. I’m sure your date will love them.”
“Blix, I don’t —”
But she didn’t give him a chance to finish his sentence. She scurried back into the kitchen and out of sight, leaving him staring after her, with a box of chocolate cookies in his hands. He shook his head, certain confusion was written all over his face. “Elves.”
Merry Christmas, Y’all!
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by Mlissa | Aug 23, 2016 | Temptation Tuesday
My good friend, Brandy Walker, has a new release out. It’s the 13th installment of her Mystic Zodiac series. I fell in love with the cover when I first saw it and pestered her until she got me an excerpt I could share with all of you!
You’re welcome.
And buy links are below…
What was meant as a scathing remark has turned into a twelve-month long bet between Chloe (Clotho, the Fate of Birth) and Eros (the God of love and desire.)
Chloe and Eros are revered Gods on Olympus. Their station in the otherworldly life is that above the mere mortals and Mystics of the world they hold power over. What they aren’t above, though, is lashing out in a jealous rage and coming up with the biggest wager the realm has seen in some time.
Chloe must perform Eros’s job of matching one Mystic a month with their fated soulmate. If she wins, she gets Eros for an entire month, with no interruptions, to do with as she pleases. If she loses, Eros gets one favor, no questions asked. What Chloe doesn’t know is that Eros wants her to win the bet just as much as she does.
*Includes the Prologues and Epilogues from all 12 books in the Mystic Zodiac series
Excerpt:
Eros scraped his fork over his plate, scooping up the last bite. He popped it into his mouth then moaned happily. “Maybe I should take up cooking. Imagine the number of women I could lure into my bed with the promise of a meal.”
Chloe rolled her eyes at him.
“Admit it,” he crowed. “This was a fantasy you had. I expected you to want me to cook naked, but I don’t mind the clothing.”
“Cooking naked is ridiculous. Exposed flesh around things that could cut or burn does not make for a sexy scene.”
“So, you’re admitting this was a fantasy. Maybe you’ll indulge me in one then.”
Chloe raised a brow, giving him an imperious look.
“I want to see you in a frilly apron and cleaning up.”
“I am not one of your handmaidens,” she frowned. His train of thought was not where she’d hoped he would go, yet she should have expected it.
“That is a brilliant idea though. Serving girl wearing short skirt and frippery. I would be the talk of the realm.”
Buy Links:
Click below to find out more about Brandy:
Website: http://www.brandywalker.net
Blog: http://brandywalket.net/blog
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/BrandyWalkerfanpage
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/brandywalkerromancereaders/
Facebook S&W Romance: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SWRomance/
Facebook MilBrat Romance: https://www.facebook.com/groups/milbratromance/
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by Mlissa | Aug 16, 2016 | Temptation Tuesday
J.M. Walker is such an incredible author and designer. She’s gorgeous inside and out. She puts her heart and soul into her books and I’m happy to share with you an excerpt from her latest release, Stain. It’s the second book in her King’s Harlots MC series, it’s ONLY $0.99 right now, and readers are loving it…
He wants to be alone.
Nightmares from his past keep him guarded and afraid.
Vice-One is his life. They’re his brothers—the only people who helped keep him out of his own head long enough to move on from the childhood he never asked for.
His therapy has been protecting his country, barely taking a break before beginning his next mission. But no amount of training can prepare him for his great challenge yet—convincing Meeka Cline that she will be his.
She wants out.
Her world fell apart when King’s Harlots no longer trusted her, but she continues to fight to gain back their respect.
All she wants is to help those wronged by the evil that has put a shadow on everyone she knows.
Asher Donovan comes to her for help when he needs her most only to have passion flare up between them. One problem: He’s her best friend.
Putting aside their friendship, they use the heat between them to please the depraved minds they now understand…
Excerpt:
“I love you,” I confessed, my voice muffled by his shirt.
Asher pulled my head back, staring intently into my eyes. His thumbs brushed over my cheeks, wiping the tears away. “Say that again.”
“I love you,” I repeated with more confidence. “I’ve been in love with you since the first day we met. But you are so damned intense, I’ve never had the courage to say it.”
Asher searched my face before crushing his mouth to mine.
I sighed, leaning into him, and poured all of the love I felt for the man into that kiss.
I barely noticed the guys leaving us alone, giving us some space.
All I could focus on was the man staring down at me. My hand grazed up his chest to his heart. It beat rapidly beneath my palm but his body had finally relaxed.
When we were alone, Asher pulled me into his arms and knelt with me wrapped around him.
I sat there quietly in his arms, afraid to let him go. Afraid of losing him forever. It felt like hours since either of us spoke. The only movement came from Coby when he wrapped Asher’s knuckles in bandages. He left right after, not saying a word.
“I know you don’t want to, but you need to talk about what happened.” I grabbed Asher’s hands gently, brushing my thumbs over his damaged knuckles. “Your brothers need to know.”
Leaning his head against the wall, he let out a shallow breath. “Right now all I can think about is you telling me that you love me.”
My cheeks heated. Looking down between us, I played with the hem of his shirt. “What happened to you years ago scares me. As each day passes, you lose yourself. I can see the darkness that you try so hard to fight. You told me once it’s why you joined the Navy. You felt it was safer for you and whoever you came across. It took you away from the man who tried so hard to destroy you. But as selfish as it is, it took you away from me too.”
Asher shifted his weight so I was straddling his lap. He wiped a lonely tear that had fallen down my cheek. “I want to tell you that I’ll be okay. That I won’t have another episode. But seeing him triggered something. I know I need help, but I don’t want to sit there and talk to a fucking shrink about my problems. I know I have shit to deal with. I’d rather talk to you and that’s it. I don’t need anyone else. No one else can help me through it like you can.”
“You need your brothers,” I said softly.
“Of course I need them, but you—” Asher pinched my chin, forcing me to look up at him. “I can’t live without you. What I feel for you scares me. It terrifies me more than the fear I felt as a child. Because I know that if something happened to break us apart, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
“Nothing will happen to us.” I cupped his cheek. “I promise. Whatever happens, whatever you need; I will be there. If you go see a shrink, I’ll be right there by your side. But you need to see someone.”
“I know, but I don’t want to take a shit load of pills for the rest of my life.”
“Maybe there’s another way.” I shrugged. “Whatever you decide to do, I will be behind you a hundred percent.”
“No,” he said, his voice firm. “I want you at my side. Not behind me. We’re equal, Hummingbird. Remember that.”
Fresh tears welled in my eyes, threatening to escape. God, this man and how he could make my heart melt in a shitty situation.
His eyes moved back and forth over my face. “I love you, Meeka. I love you so damn much. I can’t tell you how thankful I am that I broke into your bedroom that first night.”
I laughed which came out more like a sob. “Well, it wasn’t like you were a stranger or anything.”
“I remember the first time I saw you in those sexy as hell pajamas. With your perky little tits and tight as fuck ass.” He groaned. “God, the things I wanted to do to you that night.”
“You could have,” I whispered.
“And then what? Your dad would have fucking killed me or chopped off my dick and fed it to me.”
“But you could have kissed me, at least. All this time, I thought we were just friends but then when you did finally kiss me—”
“What?”
“I knew I was done.”
“Baby, I was done the first time you smiled at me.” He rubbed a hand down his face, the dark mood once again taking over. “I know I need help, but I can’t do this without you.”
“I’ll be here. Every step of the way.”
He kissed my forehead, then my nose, and placed a soft peck on my lips. “I love you. Fuck, I love you so damn much.” His voice wavered. “Don’t ever doubt that. No matter what happens. Know that I am yours.”
My heart swelled. “And I am yours.”
Book one, Grit, is also on sale right now for $0.99! Grab. Them. You won’t be sorry!
You can find out more about J.M. Walker on her website and social media:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Author Page
