Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Promo & Giveaway: Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter by Nikki Jefford



Aurora Sky
Vampire Hunter #1
Amazon US Amazon UK BN iBooks
Google Play Kobo Smashwords Audible
If there is one thing eighteen-year-old Aurora Sky wants, it's to get off the iceberg she calls home. Being kissed before she graduates wouldn't hurt either.

Then a near-fatal car wreck changes everything. Government agents step in and save Aurora's life in exchange for her services as a vampire hunter. In Alaska. Basically she's a glorified chew toy. All thanks to her rare blood type, which sends a vampire into temporary paralysis right before she has to finish the job... by hand.

Now Aurora's only friends are groupies of the undead and the only boy she can think about may very well be a vampire.
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/4ExDDqf6nlk

Excerpt: 

Volleyball had been replaced by badminton while I was in the hospital. Mr. Mooney let me get away with sitting out class the first two days, but by the third he decided to diagnose me as fit for participation.

“Sky, ready to jump back in?”

I paused on my way to the bleachers. “I’m not dressed.”

Besides, everyone was already paired up.

“Fane!” Mr. Mooney called. “Get out here. You can be Aurora’s partner.”

I tried not to flinch or show signs of distress. My last memory of Fane involved his tongue tracing his upper lip in lewd gesture.

Fane stood up and gave Mr. Mooney a glare so dark it sent a shiver down my spine. It was the first real sensation I’d experienced since the accident. When his eyes moved to me I momentarily forgot to breathe.

Fane held my gaze a moment longer then slipped out of his leather jacket. I watched, transfixed. This was history in the making. Fane Donado taking off his coat.

All of his imperfections breezed out the door as soon as I got my first look at the six-pack straining against his cotton tee. My eyes must have been playing tricks on me. For a guy with such a slender build, Fane was surprisingly muscled.

Fane took deliberate steps down the aisle of the bench, straight to the edge. He jumped from the bleachers, causing them to rock in his wake.

I swore I felt a thud inside the pit of my stomach when he landed.

Mr. Mooney nodded at Fane. “You two are playing Clayton and Tyler.”

Fane walked past me and took two rackets off the floor. He handed me one. I took it from his outstretched hand then followed several steps behind.

Part of me was relieved he didn’t say anything. All I could think about was the obscene gesture he’d made right before my world turned up-side-down. I hardly noticed his hair. I was too distracted by his lips. And now his abs. Luckily, I wouldn’t have to look at either while we played side by side.

At the far court, Clayton and Tyler bounced birdies up and down on the strings of their rackets.

Clayton nudged Tyler as we approached. “Oh great. Goth boy and zombie girl. This should be fun.”

I took my place beside Fane. He held his racket loose and lazy. I barely held mine at all. Clayton pelted the birdie at me. I tried to shield my face and ended up dropping my racket.

“Oh, come on!” Clayton shouted.

I picked up the birdie and threw it over the net.

Clayton served the birdie to Fane, who smacked it over the net with the flick of a wrist. Tyler launched the birdie at me. It hit me on the shoulder, but I swung anyway as it bounced to the floor.

“Hello? Earth to Aurora,” Tyler called across the net.

“I think she’s still in a coma,” Clayton said.

“That’s game,” Tyler said. “Your serve.”

I picked up the birdie and handed it to Fane. It’s a good thing it wasn’t a real bird. Fane crushed it in his hand. Only for a moment. Only I saw. He relaxed and looked across the net. I felt that odd shiver return.

Fane smacked the birdie as though it were a fly. He walloped it right between Tyler and Clayton so fast neither boy had time to react. When they did manage a return hit, Fane gracefully flicked away any stray birds that came at me. I watched in fascination, fully engaged for the first time since the accident.

The boys tried to hit the birdie back. Fane had them racing across every corner of their court. By the end of the period they were out of breath. They took off without a backwards glance when Mr. Mooney blew his whistle signaling the end of gym.

As I walked past Fane I felt a twitch. Not my own. I felt the twitch of his hand wanting to stop me.

“Hey, you. Are you okay?”

If I had any emotion left I’d laugh. He didn’t even know my name—that or it wasn’t worth saying.

He studied me carefully. “I’ve seen that look before.”

Now I was curious.

Valerie jumped down from the bleachers. “Fane!”

He didn’t pay attention to her. I held my breath waiting for him to tell me what he saw.

Valerie sashayed her way over to Fane, red hair blazing down her shoulders. She held out his jacket. “I’m ready to blow this joint. Let’s get a bite.”

Her last words grabbed his attention, and he forgot me completely. Valerie looped her arm around Fane’s and they walked toward the double doors. I was right behind them, silent as a ghost. When I reached the hall entrance leading to the locker rooms I stopped. I saw his head start to turn. I knew he was going to look back, but by the time he did I’d be gone.
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Nikki Jefford loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt. Books, travel, TV series, hiking, writing and motorcycle riding are her favorite escapes. She loves meeting people from all walks of life, from around the globe, and wouldn’t trade her French husband in for anyone – not even Spike!

She’s a third generation Alaskan, born & raised in Anchorage, now living in northern Washington. Crazy about her dog, Cosmo. (Writer’s best friend.) The dark side of humanity fascinates her, so long as it's balanced by humor and romance.

Find Nikki and her books
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New Releases: 2/22-2/28


Mon. Feb. 23rd

 Her Fallen Protector (Entangled Covet) by Nichole Severn
 Locked in Stone (Hearts of Stone #1) by Tory Michaels

Tue. Feb. 24th
 Of Shadow and Stone by Michelle Muto 
 Quake (Pulse #3) by Patrick Carman 
 Soulbound (Darkest London #6) by Kristen Callihan
 Unchanged (Unremembered #3) by Jessica Brody
 Unleashed (Uninvited #2) by Sophie Jordan
 When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling

Happy Reading!!

Monday, February 23, 2015

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Enchanter’s Echo by Anise Rae


UFI welcomes Author Anise Rae. Thanks for Joining us!!

My Fictional Cure for Pesky Tasks….

I hate drying my hair. I also don’t like raking leaves or doing dishes. So when I created the world of the Mayflower Mages, I addressed those little nuisances of everyday life. In Enchanter’s Echo, as well as the first book, Syphon’s Song, mages can take care of all kinds of task with a flick of their vibes. It’s an envious ability. I’d love to have a few of these spells at my fingertips. Here are my top ten favorites:

10. The Deflection Spell.
It takes a special kind of mage to do this one—specifically, a deflector mage. They can push away most anything…power, air, explosions, water from wet hair. Yes, this is the hair dryer spell. But how useful would this be when you have to clean out a stinky fridge? Just deflect the stink!

9. The All-Purpose Destruction Spell.
Again, the average mage is out of luck here because only a certain type of mage can destroy. But this is the guy you want with you when you take your dog for a walk. If your pup has to…you know…do his thing, no need for a doggie bag. With a quick zap of mage vibes, the poop is annihilated.

8.  The Dirty Dishes Spell
This is a variation on the destruction spell. It needs a little perfecting as is used in Enchanter’s Echo, but it’s got a lot of potential. Edmund Rallis, the hero, can destroy dirty dishes. I’m sure with a little practice he could destroy only the dirt on them instead of destroying the entire dish.

7. Healing Spells—all variations
This should probably go at number one since it’s so essential to life, but I feel like it’s such a given that it’s just taking up space on my list. Curing life-threatening illnesses? But of course! That’s why I’ll put it at lucky number seven.

6. See-Me-Not Charm
Charms are expensive, and this one is more expensive than most. It’s not for everyday use or even for the average mage. Cast its single-use spell and you’ll turn invisible…if you were a mage, that is. Think of the people you could spy on.

5.  The Standard Heating Spell
Almost all mages can cast heating spells to keep themselves warm in the winter. If a mage can’t do this, he/she is considered to be very weak…not how you want to be classified in the Republic of Mage Territories, where mages rule and the powerless obey. But I’m sure if you and I were mages, we’d be super strong. Think of the savings on your heating bill!

4. The Standard Cooling Spell
Naturally, this is the heating spell’s counterpart. Goodbye, sweaty summers! Soak up the sun without worrying about your clothes getting unsightly marks or your hair flattening with perspiration. Have a favorite sweater that you want to wear all year round? Go ahead! Flaunt that mage power!

3. Clothe Charm
Truly one of my favorites. Again, charms are expensive, so it’s much cheaper to buy extra outfits than one of these, but you can’t beat their convenience. For instance, it’s impossible to keep a little black dress, heels, and jewelry in your pocket or, say, in your glove compartment. But you can easily fit multiple charms in either spot. Long day at work and no time to get ready for your hot date? Cast this charm and poof! Sexy and ready…just be sure to spare a few of your vibes to touch up your hair and make-up.

2.  Calling Charms Bracelet…a necessary accessory for every stylish female mage.
Do you have a charm bracelet among your jewelry collection? Imagine if each one of those charms was programmed with mage vibes to “call” an individual. Perhaps you might have a heart-shaped charm programmed to contact your lover or a pizza charm programmed to call up your favorite pizza delivery mage. Calling charms are the mage version of a cell phone. (Male mages use calling cards that they keep in their pockets, which are not nearly as durable as the calling charms.) I confess, I find these calling charm bracelets utterly…yes…charming.

And now…drumroll, please! The number one spell in the Mayflower Mages series is…

1.  The Gravitation Spell
Actually, I don’t think any of the mages in either book has used this spell yet. I guess my characters must not be as lazy as I am. As I type this, I’m sitting on the couch under the warmest blanket in America. I need my cell phone, but it’s on the kitchen counter. As the dog doesn’t fetch and my children aren’t awake, I’m going to have to get up. I’m really dreading this. It’s cold out there. (My heating spells are on the blink.) Maybe if I dig deep and concentrate really haaaarrrrd…. Nope. Nothing.

(Hey, Apple/Samsung/Blackberry, how about a Gravitation Spell app in the next upgrade?)

I’d love to know…if you could choose one spell to rid your life of an onerous task, which would you choose?
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Photo by www.surianiphoto.com
Anise Rae has been reading romance novels since she first discovered her grandmother’s stash of books hidden away in a cabinet. Learning that she wasn’t the only one dreaming about love and magic was a turning point in her life. She started her own stash of books and wrote a few too.

A native of Ohio, Anise long ago moved south, armed with boxes of romance novels and degrees in chemistry and library science. Creating chemistry on the page between two lovers proved to be a lot more fun than working with test tubes in a lab or searching patent databases. She refocused on writing.

Her stories revolve around heroines who dare to stand up to society’s expectations and be true to themselves and heroes with plenty of savvy to fall in love with such brave women.

Anise lives in Atlanta with her two children and a fluffy dog that has an amazing ability to find dirty socks.

For information on future releases and giveaways, sign up for her newsletter

Find Anise and her books
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Enchanter's Echo
Mayflower Mages #2
Amazon BN Kobo iTunes
Aurora Firenze lives a quiet life hiding in a junkyard. Her repair shop is the last hope for gadgets and gizmos before they get tossed onto the trash towers. Fortunately, Aurora can fix almost anything, including mages, though repairing people with metal enchantments is highly illegal.

Edmund Rallis, heir to the Rallis senate seat, has spent months hunting down his errant enchantress. He’ll play every game he knows to win her back and entice her to share the secrets she hides. But he’s inadvertently put her on the frontlines of a new game, one with an opponent who’s determined to destroy Rallis Territory and drive the Republic toward war. If the new enemy isn’t stopped in time, Edmund will lose his enchantress again—and this time there won’t be another chance.
Excerpt: 

The keep-out spell awoke at her approach. The enchanted mesh of vines and branches that blocked the entrance to Rallis Territory’s forbidden forest vibrated in welcome as its creator returned. Aurora Firenze cast her vibes along the perimeter of her spell, testing and prodding. Its strength resonated back. It was as strong as it had been six months ago when she’d created it and hid her secrets within the forest’s depths. She let go of a relieved breath, but it didn’t cure her tension.

Her nerves were strung tight, as if she’d spent hours placating customers in her repair shop. But the day had been quiet. She’d even made decent progress—fixing a curling iron with a too-hot heating spell and a stapler that had a bad habit of chasing the boss around the conference table. Yet a restlessness itched at her skin with an unpleasant persistence. She’d closed up early and headed out for the short walk to the forest. Within its heart, she’d find the peace to wash away this unease.

She sent another stream of vibes into the keep-out spell. A discreet doorway formed. With a quick glance around the barren field and the junkyard behind her, she stepped beneath her illegal spell.

As she brushed against the branches, a faint thump sounded at her feet—the soft crash of a pinecone or a weak branch falling to the ground. A normal forest noise. She flinched anyway. Her glitter puffed around her in an anxious cloud as her mage energy escaped her control. It was the fifth time today. Enchantresses did not make good criminals. She should probably let the other three in existence know, in case they were considering lives of crime. Those blasted sparkly clouds would blow their covers wide open.

She lifted her foot to continue into the small forest that was tucked inside the territory’s capital city, but stopped. A proper lawbreaker should investigate mysterious noises outside her lair. She turned and scanned the ground for the culprit. A gold coin glinted in the crisp weeds. That wasn’t normal. She reached to pick it up, scanning the field and the junkyard beyond with a twitchy gaze. Empty. She was alone.

Behind her, the forest shuttered closed, nearly catching her in its fortress wall. She jumped forward with a surprised lurch at the swat of vines and twigs. A basic rule of illegal enchantments: get out of the way or risk being incorporated into the spell.

Ignoring the sting of the swat, she stared at the coin. It was tarnished at the edges, a used-up charm. See-me-not was embossed on its golden surface. She jerked her head up. A man stood ten paces away. He was tall, broad...beyond familiar.

“Edmund,” she whispered. A shiver tiptoed across her shoulders like kisses, soft lips that hid a sharp bite. Her nerves stretched thinner yet, trapped in a battle between memories of lovers’ frolics and the promise of a dark fate that had just materialized from thin air.

Behind her, the forest’s trees rustled with the wind, a warning to retreat, one she dare not heed. Not until she knew why he’d finally come searching for her. She hadn’t thought he’d ever come back.

He prowled forward. “Hello, princess.” Though his words might have held some affection, nothing of the lover she’d once known appeared in his countenance. He lifted his left hand to reveal a glowing ball of mage vibes in his palm. His blue eyes reflected the tiny flashes of energy, and his power snapped in the air like a miniature electrical storm. The heir to the most powerful territory in the Republic had quite a steam of anger built up.

Dark hair waved across his forehead, and little curls peeked out at the edges of his neck. Though the wind buffeted and pushed at Aurora, winter’s boldness didn’t dare touch Edmund, not his hair, nor his dark gray suit or scarlet tie.

The hard slope of his nose matched the sharp lines of his jaw and cheekbones. When he smiled, he was deadly handsome. At the moment, he was simply deadly.

“Aurora.” He cast her name through the air and a piece of her soul tumbled away, as if it might dash toward him and cling like a forlorn, discarded lover. But he hadn’t discarded her....

“You stand accused of melding earthen metals to human flesh with an enchantment.”

Her heart thumped once, hard and loud, and then took off with a sprint, drenching her veins from head to toe with lightning sharp fright.

Goddess, he’d found out. How?

Even as she thought it, he revealed the answer. The glow faded from his ball of energy to reveal a small metal sphere. Her racing heart shriveled at the sight, pulling the rest of her organs with it, as if they thought to hide, seeking a chance to slip past this disaster unnoticed and, perhaps, survive. She shifted her feet on the ground, unable to resist the fear pumping through her core. Run, her gut whispered. She couldn’t afford to listen... not with the evidence sitting in his hand.

The sphere was heavier than it looked. She knew that. After all, she’d made it...and thought it long gone. He closed his fingers around it, capturing her fate within his fist.

“How’d you get that?” Her fast words shot out, hustling forward before fear, creeping up her legs with tingles and pricks, stole her voice.

“You ought to be down on your knees thanking me for confiscating it.” His voice was sharp and cutting. He sounded like a stranger, his jokes and teasing wit long gone.

“What did you do? Sneak into the junkyard and pluck his eye from his skull? Has it been hiding under your pillow for six months?” Not at all where she’d thought it was. Betrayal jolted through her. “Hardly actions befitting the heir of the mighty Rallis realm.” Her voice wavered.

“You have no idea what I’ve done.”
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Sunday, February 22, 2015

Week in Review: 2/15-2/21



Books Received for Review

- Dark Alchemy by Laura Bickle-eARC- Edelweiss

- The Exile by C.T. Adams- Publisher

Books I've Read

Shiftless by Aimee Easterling
The Leveller by Julia Durango
The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston
Pocket Apocalypse by Seanan McGuire
Infinity Bell by Devon Monk

Reviews Posted

Changing Nature by April White
Cursed by Fire by Danielle Annett
Black Wolf's Revenge by Tera Shanley

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?

* Monday- Promo & Giveaway for The Immortal Who Loved Me by Lynsay Sands

* Wednesday- Release Day Blitz &; Giveaway for The Return by Jennifer L. Armentrout; Cover Reveal & Giveaway for Wicked Ride by Rebecca Zanetti

* Friday- Promo & Giveaway for Bitten by a Hellcat by Felicity Heaton

* Saturday- Promo & Giveaway for Fortune's Blight by Evie Manieri

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* Did you know you can follow UFI on these other sites?

You can also add me (as in Stacy) to your friends on these sites if you're on them.
 
 * I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Promo & Giveaway: Fortune's Blight by Evie Manieri


Fortune's Blight
Shattered Kingdoms #2
The second book in a compelling epic fantasy series takes place after the Shadari revolution, as danger beckons across the sea—a stirring adventure in the vein of Karen Miller and Robin Hobb.

Victory for the Shadari rebels has come at a terrible price. Hardship, superstition, and petty feuds poison King Daryan’s young reign, and entire families are vanishing without a trace. Help is nowhere to be found, for their Nomas allies have troubles of their own and the Mongrel, plagued by the sins of her violent past, has disappeared.

While Daryan struggles to maintain the peace, Eofar and Rho are racing to their northern homeland to plead—or fight—for the Shadar’s independence. But Norland has changed, and they soon find themselves embroiled in the court politics of an empire about to implode. Meanwhile, the Mongrel’s path carries her deep into Norland’s frozen wastes to redeem a promise—one that forces her into the heart of the growing conflict.

As the foundations of the two far­flung countries begin to crack, an enigmatic figure watches from a tower room in Ravindal Castle. She is old, and a prisoner, but her reach is long, and her patience is about to be rewarded...
Praise for Evie Manieri
 
“Manieri’s BLOOD’S PRIDE, the first book in
the new Shattered Kingdoms series, is the perfect mix of romance, family ties, betrayals and agonizing dilemmas…The world created by Manieri is one of love, treachery and intrigue that will keep the audience hanging on until the very last page.”
-- RT Book Reviews
 
“The setting is what sells me on this book:
quasi-Medieval Mediterranean region. Just as with Indian fantasy, I think this subgenre is a really ignored one, and it’s fantastic that Evie Manieri is going to be exploring it in this novel.”
-- io9.com Most Anticipated Releases for 2013

“This hefty fantasy, first in a series from debut author Manieri, presents the tangled dynamics of two cultures at war with each other and within themselves….Plot twists, romantic entanglements, and political rivalries make for lots of melodrama.”
-- Publishers Weekly

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Evie Manieri graduated from Wesleyan University with a degree in Mediaeval History and Theatre, disciplines that continue to influence her work in about equal measure. She is enthralled by intricacy, and when not weaving together the threads of her plots, she can be found knitting airy lace shawls and singing Renaissance polyphony. Evie lives with her family in New York.



Find Evie and her books
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Review: Changing Nature by April White

Changing Nature
Author: April White
Release Date: January 22, 2015
Publisher: Corazon Entertainment
ISBN13: 9780988536852
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author
Immortal Descendants are disappearing and seventeen-year-old Clocker Saira Elian is next on the list…

Saira and Archer’s romantic London summer is shattered by the bold kidnappings of Immortal Descendants. It’s clear Mongers want control of the Descendant Families, and when they target a powerful Shifter, there’s no doubt they will eliminate anyone who stands in their way.

A split in time could be the cause of this new Monger aggression, and Saira, Archer and Ringo suspect their time-traveling nemesis Bishop Wilder. One dangerous world is exchanged for another when Saira and her friends track Wilder to the gloomy streets of Paris in 1429. They find the city besieged by marauding wolves led by a fanatical peasant girl who will be known to history as Joan of Arc.

Crossing the time stream to repair it has dropped them into the heart of the Hundred Years’ War on the eve of an epic battle, where the line between friends and enemies will be drawn in blood. To finally end the deadly game of cat and mouse with Wilder, Saira must confront her greatest challenge yet: the truth about her changing Nature.

The Immortal Descendants Series continues to be enjoyable to me. Not only are the characters interesting, but the setting is always well put together. No matter what situation Saira and her friends are put in, I am always really excited to see how they will pull off their mission.

I don't want to get into the storyline because that is something you really need to experience. I will say that Paris in 1429 is full of danger and Saira, Archer, Ringo, Charlie and Connor had their work cut out for them. I am always surprised at the way the characters are able to work together and navigate a time that they are not used to. Saira has grown a lot and allows others to take the lead when needed. I really enjoyed getting to know Connor and Charlie more in CHANGING NATURE. Connor will be a force to be reckoned with when he is older and Charlie is just a really good person and deserves the best. Her and Ringo together are just too darn cute as well, I really hope they get a HEA no matter what life brings them in the rest of the series.

My only small complaint? The relationship progression between Saira and Archer. It of course progresses in each book, but i want it to progress MORE. I know Archer has known Saira a lot longer than Saira has known Archer, but I can't help but want to push them farther along than where they are. I just love them. So, not really a complaint, just me being impatient lol.

This is definitely a series you want to read. I am not a huge time travel reader, but the Immortal Descendants Series is so much more than time travel and I am so glad I gave book one, MARKING TIME, a chance when I was asked to review it. I am always super quick to jump into each installment when it hits my inbox. Do yourself a favor and start from book 1.

I gave it 4/5 stars

* This book was provided free of charge from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Friday, February 20, 2015

Promo & Giveaway: Bitten by a Hellcat by Felicity Heaton

Felicity Heaton's Bitten by a Hellcat Blog Barrage

Bitten by a Hellcat, the sixth book in New York Times best-seller Felicity Heaton’s hot paranormal romance series, Eternal Mates, is now available in ebook and paperback. To celebrate the release, she’s holding a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY at her website and sharing sneak peeks of the book. This book works as a standalone, so it’s perfect for those new to the series too.

Find out how to enter the Bitten by a Hellcat international giveaway (ends March 1st) and be in with a shot of winning a $75, $50 or $25 gift certificate at her website, where you can also download a 5 chapter sample of the novel: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Here’s more about Bitten by a Hellcat, including an excerpt from this paranormal romance book.

Bitten by a Hellcat
The sole remaining member of the most famous shifter hunter family in history, Owen Nightingale is a mercenary and a man with a secret held in his closely guarded heart, but when a beautiful rare shifter catches his eye and offers him a job, he has the feeling he’ll be the one paying for helping her—with his heart.
Cait is in a spot of trouble with a capital T. A male hellcat has set his sights on claiming her and she’s one kitty who doesn’t want a collar. When she meets a dark, alluring and mysterious hunter, she sees a chance to rid herself of the male, but the price Owen sets and the fierce passion that burns white-hot between them lures her dangerously under his seductive spell.
Can Owen discover the true intent of the male hellcat and stop Cait from falling into his hands? And can Cait retain control as the heat of desire burns between her and Owen, or will a reckless moment seal both of their fates forever?
Bitten by a Hellcat is available from Amazon Kindle, Kobo Books, Barnes and Noble Nook, Apple iBooks stores and other retailers. Also available in paperback. Find the links to your preferred retailer at: http://www.felicityheaton.co.uk/bitten-by-a-hellcat-paranormal-romance-novel.php

Excerpt

Owen closed the door, rounded the compact car and slid into the driver’s seat. He twisted at the waist and put his bag on the back seat, and then put the key into the ignition and started the car. The engine growled to life and he flicked the switch for the lights, checked the road and pulled out. He tugged his seatbelt on as he drove and glanced across at Cait.
“Buckle up.” He waited to see she was doing as instructed, tugging the slim black belt across her chest, before returning his focus to the road.
It was quiet, the night drawing on, making it easy going as he navigated the short journey deep into an affluent neighbourhood near the centre of London.
Cait’s eyes grew wider by the moment as she stared out of the windows, taking in the buildings. When he drove through large black wrought iron gates, her eyes shot impossibly wide and she looked across at him. He kept his eyes on the road, unwilling to field her silent question, slowing the car as he drove through the rows of beautiful pale townhouses.
He turned left down another side road where the biggest houses were located and pulled the car into a reserved parking spot outside his one. Cait was still staring at him. He turned the engine off, undid his seatbelt, gathered his bag, and stepped out of the car.
She followed him a moment later, her eyebrows pinned high on her forehead as she finally looked away from him, her gaze settling on the huge four storey Georgian townhouse behind him.
“What you pictured?” he said before locking the car and turning his back on her. He strode towards the short black iron gate, opened it and glanced over his shoulder at her.
She hurried towards him, her eyes flitting between him and the house.
It was too big for him.
He used the sum total of five rooms out of the possible fourteen.
“This is yours?” She spoke at last, her gaze on the white townhouse, slowly drifting up the height of it.
Owen walked up the path, took the steps up to the covered porch with its Grecian columns, and unlocked the wide black wooden door. He pushed it open, proving it was his.
“It belongs to my family,” he said as way of an explanation when she looked at him again. “It costs a small fortune to run, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to part with it.”
“You grew up here.” It wasn’t a question. She looked him right in the eye as she said it, her expression sober, and he nodded.
It wasn’t often he met someone who could see straight through him as Cait could. Most people didn’t seem to understand him at all.
The humans he met who weren’t hunters, and therefore were unaware of the world of fae and demons that co-existed with theirs, weren’t worth his time. He had nothing he could talk about with them, not as normal people did. He couldn’t gripe about his work week over a beer with a buddy. The hunters avoided him because he wasn’t aligned with any of the organisations they worked for and only exchanged information when it suited them.
The fae and demons preferred to keep him at arm’s length because of his profession.
The only people he could really talk to and who had ever understood him were his family, and those who had been closest to him were dead now. He had a handful of relatives remaining, mostly from his mother’s side, and he rarely saw them.
“You live here alone.” Cait’s soft voice drew him out of his thoughts and he sighed as he looked at her where she now stood on the porch beside him, close enough that he could smell her sweet perfume on the night breeze.
He nodded again. “I keep most of the rooms closed and use just the ones I need… bathroom, bedroom… living room… kitchen. I did make one of the other reception rooms into a gym and training room.”
She looked as if she was on the verge of saying it sounded lonely, so he turned his back on her, stepped into the hall and switched on the lights. Thankfully, she took the hint and remained silent as she entered behind him and closed the door.
Owen locked it and pocketed his keys. “Come on. I’ll get you settled in the living room.”
He led the way up the wooden staircase to the first floor and the large pale blue room he used for his living room. He grimaced as he realised he had left it in a worse state than he had thought.
Cait drifted past him before he could say anything in warning, a twinkle in her eyes as they danced over all of the weapons spread across the large oak table on the left side of the room, and all the knickknacks he had left strewn across the square wooden coffee table nestled in the U of his three black leather couches in front of the fireplace.
She ambled around the room and he watched her as she allowed her fingers to drift over a few items on the coffee table and checked out some of his weapons.
“It looks very much as I had expected in here.” She lifted her eyes away from the crossbow she held and smiled across the room at him. “I imagined weapons and books.”
She looked around at the stacked bookcases that lined the wall to his right between the tall sash windows and the one behind him, and then down at the sheets of paper, notepads, and newspapers stacked haphazardly on a smaller coffee table beside an armchair.
“Although… it has an air of bachelor about it too.” Her smile teased him and he shrugged.
She hadn’t seen his bedroom.
If she thought this room looked like a bachelor owned it, she was in for a shock if she set eyes on his inner sanctum.
Her blue eyes drifted over the couches and then roamed back to him, gaining a dark edge of desire that set his pulse pounding and left him feeling she might just want to see that inner sanctum.
He was damned if she was going to see it as it was though.
He wasn’t sure how hellcats lived, or what accommodation they were used to, but he was fairly certain that as a woman she wasn’t impressed by clothes strewn across the floor, unmade beds, and several empty take out cartons, and that was exactly what his bedroom contained.
“You seem to favour magic.” Cait set the crossbow down and Owen stared at her, his heart pounding for a different reason as he took in what she had said. When she frowned and gestured to all the knickknacks covering the coffee table, his gaze leaped there and his heart settled. “The items… they’re magic aren’t they?”
Owen quickly nodded. “I get them in the fae town nearby. Some I use, others are just part of a collection.”
He backed towards the door.
“You like magic?” She looked at him again.
Owen took another step backwards and gave a noncommittal shrug in answer.
“I have to get changed and get some stuff together. Make yourself comfortable.”
He turned and walked out of the room, feeling her gaze boring into his back, intense and focused, as if she was trying to strip away the layers of his defences to uncover a truth he preferred to keep hidden.
A secret he’d had for most of his life and had kept from his father.
A secret only one living person in this world knew.

Books in the Eternal Mates paranormal romance series:

Author Bio

Felicity Heaton
Felicity Heaton is a New York Times and USA Today international best-selling author writing passionate paranormal romance books. In her books, she creates detailed worlds, twisting plots, mind-blowing action, intense emotion and heart-stopping romances with leading men that vary from dark deadly vampires to sexy shape-shifters and wicked werewolves, to sinful angels and hot demons! If you're a fan of paranormal romance authors Lara Adrian, J R Ward, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Gena Showalter and Christine Feehan then you will enjoy her books too.
If you love your angels a little dark and wicked, the best-selling Her Angel series is for you. If you like strong, powerful, and dark vampires then try the Vampires Realm series or any of her stand-alone vampire romance books. If you’re looking for vampire romances that are sinful, passionate and erotic then try the best-selling Vampire Erotic Theatre series. Or if you prefer huge detailed worlds filled with hot-blooded alpha males in every species, from elves to demons to dragons to shifters and angels, then take a look at the new Eternal Mates series.
If you want to know more about Felicity, or want to get in touch, you can find her at the following places:

FelicityHeaton.co.uk | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | GoodReads | Amazon
 

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