#Review: THE VIRGIN WHO BEWITCHED LORD LYMINGTON by Anna Bradley

 

 

  3 of 5 stars

Samuel Fitzroy, Marquess of Lymington, returned to England to take up his title only to find out that two young servants have disappeared from his countryseat. He travels to London to try and find the one young woman who may be able to shed light on the missing girls. While waiting at the Pink Pearl to interview Caroline, he overhears a conversation between one of the courtesans and a mysterious young woman who has the most distinctive voice. When he encounters Lady Emma Crosby, he knows she's the one that had visited the whore house. Why was she there and how did she know the courtesans? Samuel is determined to find the killer, that is, if he can rein in his growing attraction for Lady Emma.

I've read the other books in the series and was happy to finally read Emma's story. Ms. Bradley does a good job of teasing out the details of Emma's past, but I knew right away the title was steering readers in the wrong direction. Emma was no virgin and I was disappointed that I started reading this book expecting one scenario only to find out it was something totally different. The mystery in the story kept the plot moving along nicely and the growing attraction between Emma and Samuel was sizzling.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

 

Interview with L.E. Delano, BLUE

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

BLUE is a stand-alone book. The story follows Blue Mancini, whose older brother was involved in a car accident that killed the father of her classmate, Maya Rodriguez. Now Maya has returned to school determined to make Blue's life a living hell in the aftermath. Maya has more going on in the background than just this one awful thing that ties them together, and as secrets are revealed—not just from Maya but also from Blue’s new boyfriend, Devon—Blue begins to break out of her own bubble of personal misery and realize that everyone has a story, and we’re all struggling with things that we don’t always choose to advertise. Like ogres and onions, the book has a lot of layers, all of which weave together to carry these characters to a very different place from where they began.

 

Do you have a favorite character?

That’s a tough pick! I love Blue’s journey, and Devon has got to be one of my all-time favorite book boyfriends (delivering the most hilarious first kiss in the history of YA—seriously), but Maya has a quiet strength under all that cutting sarcasm, and she really dug into my brain when I wrote her.

 

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?

Oh, absolutely. In my debut YA novel, TRAVELER, the character of Danny (the main character’s older brother, and a person with autism) was originally only going to show up in a couple of scenes. He added so much to the story, I ended up giving him a unique ability where his sister is concerned that gave an extra dimension to the plot. After the book came out, I got so many messages and remarks in reviews about how much they all loved Danny. I’m an autism mom, so I pretty much wrote my son into those pages. It was really wonderful.

 

Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?

I am currently in a contract negotiation with a publisher on another YA project and hope to have an announcement soon! In the meantime, I’ve been Indie Publishing in another genre (Romance) for years, so I’ll most likely continue to do a bit of both.

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I rarely listen to music when I write. I have a degree in Theatre so I can’t help but sing along and lose my train of thought while I’m writing! I do like to listen to music while I’m brainstorming, though. It’s good for when I’ve got a wisp of a story idea floating around and I need a little inspiration to solidify it.

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

It’s a bit of both. Early on it may just be a sentence or a paragraph that morphs into a collection of scenes before I finally roll up my sleeves and say “That’s great—but how do we get from here to there? What events need to happen to bring us to the next plot point authentically, logically, and dramatically?”

 

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

It’s crazy-making but necessary. Marketing is so, so, so important, and social media with all its interactive platforms can seriously eat your life. I’m a single mom, I work a full-time job, I have a disability, and one of my kids is special needs. I write in two different genres, and have social media platforms under two different names. If I can find time to write, anyone can find the time to write (if they want it bad enough). Some days it may only be ten minutes of writing, but I write every day.

 

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

I love to read, of course, and I can bake really well. I also love exploring odd, out-of-the-way places on road trips. When I binge TV, it’s usually history or travel shows.

 

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

I was raised with dogs but am now a certified cat lady. In past incarnations, I’ve:

·      Been hired to jump out of cakes at military birthday parties

·      Been the subject of a television makeover show

·      Been called a “Keyboard Warrior Bitch” after a blog post I wrote supporting Trans Rights was picked up by Upworthy and went viral. I had that nickname put on a tee shirt.

 

What’s next for you?

The story I’m currently in negotiations with is a YA thriller with a Sci-Fi twist about a girl with night terrors that are far more real than she knows. My next WIP is a witchy Cinderella retelling that begins with a murdered fairy godmother. I’m making it my NaNoWriMo project this year, and it’s full of adventure and humor and an ending that will hopefully knock you backwards. Wish me luck!

Blue
L.E. DeLano
Publication date: October 26th 2021
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

When Blue Mancini’s mother picked her name, it ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy.

A year ago, Blue’s brother, Jack, was involved in a car accident that killed the father of her classmate, Maya Rodriguez. Luckily for Jack, he got out of a manslaughter charge and into a plea bargain thanks to the top-notch lawyer hired by Blue’s wealthy parents.

The fallout is now affecting Blue as Maya returns to school determined to carve out a pound of flesh from the only member of the Mancini family she can reach. On top of that, Blue has a demanding mother, a father who’s never around, a drama-addicted best friend, and a secretive new guy who’s determined to make Blue his own personal cheer-up project. It’s a perfect storm of misery.

When Maya’s social media taunts and in-person digs finally push Blue to retaliate, they find themselves in afterschool detention and forced into a project meant to foster cooperation and civility. As the layers of their tangled drama unravel, Blue learns more about Maya’s life—and her own sense of privilege—when secrets are revealed that cast a new perspective on everything in Blue’s world.

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Author Bio:

L.E. DeLano comes equipped with a “useless” Theatre degree that has opened doors for her in numerous ways. Though mostly raised in New Mexico, she now lives in Pennsylvania with two adventurous kids and two ridiculous cats. When she’s not writing (which is almost never), she’s binge-watching Netflix and planning road trips.

Her debut novel, TRAVELER was selected as a Keystone To Reading Secondary Book Award finalist for school year 2018-19 by the Keystone State Reading Association (KSRA) and also voted one of The 20 Most Beautiful Books in the World for 2017 by MTV UK.

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Interview with Ali Lucia Sky, THE DREAM KEEPERS

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

Hello! Thanks for being interested in The Dream Keepers. TDK is part of The Powers that Be series. It’s a New Adult Paranormal Romance with a lot of sexiness. The story in this book follows three main characters who find themselves discovering a whole World they never knew existed. Gabriel and Thea are siblings going through a rough spot, and Michaela is their foul mouthed, next door neighbor who just can’t go two minutes without sniping with Gabe.

 

Do you have a favorite character?

In this book, I love Michaela. She’s easy to write and a lot of fun. But much to my editor’s despair, I also love Gwen who is despicable and the worst best friend that ever existed.

 

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?

This did happen. I would ruin the book series going into much detail, but Lexa is introduced in The Dream Keepers and she became such an awesome person in my mind, that she becomes a major one in book two, Wishcraft.

 

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

My favorite place to write is anywhere that isn’t home. I tend to go to the club house where my husband plays golf a few hours a week and it’s the easiest place to write. They do play music and I can dance in my seat while I write. But if I’m home, I tend to write in silence.

 

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I tend to be a pantser. The Dream Keepers was completely unplanned when I originally wrote it. It’s been through infinite versions to come to what I’ve published. The second book I did do an outline for, though.

 

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?

I do have a facebook group for the book that my PA admins. I use my personal FB, IG and blog. Bri, my PA, does a lot of work promoting the book so I have more time to write. She’s a peach.

 

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?

This is something I think all Indie authors struggle with. I’m lucky to have Bri who can handle a lot of the business end for me, so that I can focus on being creative. I think the one thing you can never have too many of is connections. So your best marketing is networking.

 

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?

Stay positive. It’s really hard and a lot of work. It can be crushing to work on something and then see people trash your book. I don’t think readers realize how much work goes into writing something and the vulnerability that is involved with showing that baby to the world or they wouldn’t be so blatantly mean. So if you are a new author, just try to keep going no matter what you encounter and take the criticisms with a grain of salt. You can always get better, but you can’t please everyone.

 

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?

I love reading and traveling. Does coffee count as a passion? I love reading and traveling while drinking really great coffee!

 

Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?

Dogs or cats? Both.

Chocolate or vanilla? Depends on the day.

Coffee or tea? COFFEE.

Talk or text? Oh good god, if you want me to actually talk to you, text.

Day or night? Early morning.

 

What’s next for you?

I’m working on Wishcraft right now. After that, it’s a break during the holidays and then moving on to the last book in this series, with lots of travel between projects.

 

 

The Dream Keepers
Ali Lucia Sky
Publication date: October 11th 2021
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

This World is just one of thousands of Worlds the Makers have created. The Universe and Makers are playing with those who live on it.

GABRIEL
No one who had met Michaela Beauchamp could come away from it unscathed. She was a shrew–argumentative, crass, and the focus of all my wet dreams. I loved to hate her. We were at war and I was determined to win. I didn’t want her to just go away, I wanted to watch her fine ass as she went in that direction.

MICHAELA
Whoever thought Gabriel Langdon was more than a pretty face never met the douchecanoe.
He had very few redeeming qualities. He was dumb, frustrating, and constantly featuring in all my sexiest dreams. I wasn’t difficult to please. I was reasonable. All I asked was that the Universe bless me with the absence of this jackhole!

THEA
What is one to do when you summon a hitchhiker and they take up residence inside your head? No fifteen-year-old girl has a good answer. With my brother and neighbor circling one another in a strange mating dance, I barely know how to ask for help.

I mean really, all I did was a little spell to Invoke Helpful Spirits and Positive Energy Beings.

Note: THE DREAM KEEPERS is a mature Young Adult/New Adult book and for readers over the age of 18 due to sexual content and profanity. This is part one of a trilogy and ends on a CLIFFHANGER.
This book is rated M for Mischief.

October 2021 – The Dream Keepers
February 2022 – Wishcraft
October 2022 – TBA

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Author Bio:

Ali Lucia Sky is the author of The Powers That Be series. She lives in Southern California with her husband and a house full of kitty cats and a yard full of crows. When she isn’t writing, drinking coffee, or dreaming of new stories, she can be found planning her next vacation because traveling is LIFE.

The first book in The Powers That Be series, The Dream Keepers, will be released 11 October 2021.

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#Excerpt: DECEPTION IN THE TRUTH by A.B. Medley

Deception in the Truth
A.B. Medley
Publication date: October 26th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

Sometimes you think you know the truth.

Sometimes, it knows you better.

Ivie Davis’s seemingly perfect life is not quite so perfect thanks to a stalker who is determined to hurt her in every way possible.

The guy she falls for is forbidden.

Malicious intent is around every corner she turns.

She runs…for a while.

When she returns home to piece together the puzzle of her past, she finds herself working painfully close to the one man she knows she can’t have.

Her heart has other plans.

Sterling Brigg is a rancher by blood, detective by choice.

He is driven by a need to find the truth.

He fell in love with Ivie, even though he knew better.

Years later, he still searches for the answers to her past.

Now that she’s back in his life, he has no intention of letting her go again.

Together, they vow to find the truth, and in doing so, they will have to decide if the truth will bring them together or be the barrier that keeps them apart forever.

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—

EXCERPT:

I cross my arms over my chest, and my stomach flips. Is she going to fess up about lunch with Dean today? Do I want to hear this? I haven’t heard from Dean since last night. He made his intentions clear, but I didn’t.

“Okay, what do you want to talk about?” I ask around the dread settling in my gut.

She takes a deep breath. “I had lunch with Dean today. It was…weird.” And there it is.

“You did?” I ask, as if I didn’t already know. “Why’d you do that?”

Her brows slam together. “We were close a long time ago. I haven’t seen him in years. You already know that. It was just us…catching up.”

I feel anger coursing through my veins. “So you say.” I can feel the muscles working in my jaw.

“Sterling, why would I lie to you? You know my secrets.” She closes the distance to where I’m leaning on the counter. She reaches out to put her hand on my face, but I turn away.

She pulls back like I burned her. “Don’t do that, Sterling.” I didn’t mean to react that way. I’m just so angry and jealous, even a little scared. I don’t want her near Dean. I want her with me. I want him to know that she’s mine.

“Do what, Ivie? I don’t know how I’m supposed to react to you spending time with your ex-boyfriend. If there’s a certain way I need to act about this, please tell me.”

She bites her bottom lip like she does when she gets nervous. “He asked me if I was seeing anyone. I didn’t know how to answer him. What are we doing? Are we a thing? Was the other night a fling?”

I blow out a frustrated breath. “What did you tell him?” She looks at me, wide-eyed. “Nothing. I told him things were complicated. Because that’s how they feel right now. That’s all I said. I didn’t want to assume this was something it might not be without talking to you.”

I lift my cap and run my hand through my hair. “Ivie, what do you want from me? He’s been my best friend for years. None of us are kids in high school anymore, and I thought you knew how I felt. But if it’s complicated, I don’t know what to tell you.”

She backs up. “What are you saying, Sterling?”

“I’m saying I think you know how I feel about you, and if you don’t, you should. I’m saying I can’t tell you how to feel or what to do. You’re the only one who knows what you want and how you feel. But I can tell you this.” I walk right up to her and grab her hand and put it flat on my chest over my heart. “This, my heart, belongs to you. And only you. It has for a long time now.”

She lets a tear fall down her cheek as her fingers splay on my chest, feeling my heartbeat underneath. “And Ivie, I didn’t fight for you before. I stood on the sidelines and let you go. I can’t do that again. I won’t. My heart can’t take it. Having you back here made me realize that. So, whatever you’re going to do or decide, don’t wait too long. I can’t handle not knowing where we stand.” I brush a kiss over her lips and wipe away her silent tears. “I’m getting in the shower. You can stay, or if you need to leave, I understand.” I walk away and leave her in my kitchen speechless.

Author Bio:

A.B. Medley lives in Tennessee with the love of her life and two sons. Her husband stole her heart when she was sixteen and their relationship is one of those meant to be love stories you find in magazines and novels.

She is a dental hygienist who loves to read and has always dabbled in writing. When she's not making people's smiles shine, she enjoys belting out songs with her boys, dancing, raspberries, baseball, and anything vintage. Like any proper Tennessean, Sundrop is her drink of choice.

She loves her family and friends fiercely and believes in always chasing your dreams.

Deception in the Truth is her debut novel—but now she's hooked, and there's more to come!

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#Review: RULES FOR HEIRESSES by Amalie Howard

   4 of 5 stars

 

Instead of being forced to marry a vile man, Lady Ravenna Huntley, disguises herself as a man and flees on one of her brother's ships headed to Antigua. She loves the freedom of posing as a man and everything was going well until she was accused of cheating at cards by none other than Lord Courtland Chase, the gaming hells's owner. In the scuffle to get away, Ravenna and Courtland end up on the floor with Chase on top of her. To make matters worse, the scuffle is witnessed by many and when her identity if revealed, Ravenna's reputation is ruined. Unfortunately, one of the people witnessing their scuffle is a solicitor from London who informs Courtland he is now the Duke of Ashvale. Courtland is shocked that he's been found because he'd been forced to flee from his childhood home by his stepmother when his father died. Now he must return to London to claim the title and do the right thing to save Ravenna's reputation by marrying her.

This was not the usual regency romance all happening in the glittering ballrooms of London and I enjoyed the different locales. Neither Courtland or Ravenna are happy to be married, but agree to play the loving newlyweds to give Courtland time to claim the title. Unfortunately, neither his half-brother nor stepmother are pleased to see him fearing him inferior because of his mixed heritage. They will do anything to discredit him. The story moves along at a good pace full of twists and turns that constantly throws obstacles in the path of Ravenna and Courtland's happiness. It was fun watching Ravenna and Courtland fall in love. The ending was wrapped up nicely with family relationships finally settled.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#Review: DELIGHTING THE DUKE by Alexa Aston

 

  4 of 5 stars

 

Aaron Hartfield was never supposed to inherit the dukedom. His father had banished him after the death of a younger brother, a death his older brother caused but would not own up to. After school Hart went off to war along with his fellow "Terror brothers" and only returned when he was notified of his father and brother's deaths. When he meets Lady Olivia Knight, he's immediately smitten, but Olivia has endured her own family troubles with a father who ignored her for her entire life. Can these two tortured souls find love?

This was another enjoyable story in this series. I loved both Hart and Olivia. I'm glad to see Olivia stand up for herself throughout the story although her father continues to berate her. I loved how all the wives of the other Terrors took Olivia under their wings and allowed her to really blossom. I can't wait to read the last Terror story. What exactly is Finch's story?

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own. 

#Paranormal Release: DRUID DREAMS by M.F. Adele

Druid Dreams
M.F. Adele
(The Chronicles of Sloane King, #1)
Publication date: April 27th 2020
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Reverse Harem, Romance

I am not a good person.

I don’t cheat or steal, but I do lie a little bit… and participate in the occasional murder… spree.

Life as I know it gets turned upside down when I’m asked to step in and halt the progress of a black market drug tainted with magic. That one little business adventure opens up a whole f*****g Pandora’s Box and brings my ebony tower crashing down around me.

As if life wasn’t complicated enough, I also now have mates. Emphasis on the ssss part. I want to be mad about it, really I do… but they’re so hot, and the temptation to make them all mine is fueling my desire.

With a final mate that I’m not happy about and a stalker on my heels… maybe having several someones at my back isn’t such a bad thing.

Don’t get me twisted though… I’m Sloane f*****g King, and I’m no damsel in distress.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

Author Bio:

M.F. Adele resides in the outskirts of the Rocket City in Alabama. She lives in her overactive imagination, often fueled by caffeine and no sleep. When she isn’t writing, M.F. is outdoors with her family, obsessing over spicy margaritas and cigars, or reading books by her favorite authors.

If you’re looking for M.F. Adele, you can find her on social media in her group:

M.F. Adele's Hellacious Hybrids.

M.F. loves to interact with her readers, hear character theories, and share embarrassing stories.

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#Review: INTOLERABLE by Darcy Burke

 

4 of 5 stars

Ruark Hannigan, Earl of Wexford, vowed to his dying father that he would not wed until he was 30. By that age, he should know his heart, but he can't stop thinking about Cassandra Wexford and their steamy kisses in a cupboard at her brother's Phoenix Club. He thought he was in love before, but did it ever feel like this? Cassandra, the daughter of a duke, is being pressured by her father to marry this Season, but the only man she feels an attraction for is the Earl of Wexford--a man her father has forbidden to court her. Can these two keep away from each other or is their attraction too strong to defy even a ducal order?

I really liked Cassandra--she was fiesty, saucy and knew her own mind. She tries hard to be the proper young lady, but it's so hard when Ruark is around. She can't get the Irishman's passionate kisses out of her mind. Ruark tried to be so honorable and stay away from Cassandra, but it was only when another gentleman was ready to propose did he realize that his love for Cassandra was real and forever. Ms. Burke does a good job of moving the plot forward at a good pace. It took a while for these two to find their HEA. Warning--there are some graphic sex scenes in the story. I can't wait to read Prudence's story next.

I voluntarily read the advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

 

#Review: A DUKE BY SCOT by Amy Jarecki

 

  4 of 5 stars

Martin MacGalloway, Duke of Dunscaby, is finding carrying the responsibilities of being duke much more than he anticipated. When he hires a new steward, Jules Smallwood, he's pleased that the quiet and slight man is excellent at his job. Martin takes Jules under his wings and tries to toughen him up a bit with hunting and boxing lessons, but what Martin doesn't know is that Jules is actually Lady Julia St. Vincent. Julia's father has racked up significant debts and the only way she can pay them off is to pose as a man. What she doesn't anticipate, however, is falling for the big Scottish duke. What will happen when Martin finds out about her deception?

I really enjoyed the premise of this book and many of Martin's antics as he tries to toughen up Jules were very funny. Ms. Jarecki does a good job of teasing out all the details of Julia's father's overwhelming debt to a gaming hell owner and what that man demands of Julia as repayment. Some of the book dragged a bit, but picked up again toward the end. I was happy to see these two finally got their HEA. I'm looking forward to reading Charity's story next.

I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy and all opinions are my own.

#Excerpt: FROZEN AGENDA by Maureen A. Miller

Frozen Agenda
Maureen A. Miller
(High-Risk Agenda, #3)
Publication date: September 30th 2021
Genres: Adult, Romance, Suspense

A mysterious coin leads two strangers on a daring journey to an uncharted island.

I am being followed…

That was the cryptic note that accompanied the ancient coin Zachary Selmon examined in his campus office. An archeology professor by day and a numismatist, or collector of coins by night, Zach was puzzled by this piece of silver and concerned about the old friend who sent it.

Art grad student, Gretchen Rice, was too engrossed in studies to worry about the snowstorm that shut down Summerlin University. But when an armed man appears in the library, demanding to know, “Where is the coin?” she did what she had to…screamed and ran.

Zach and Gretchen collide in the hallway, an encounter that pits them together in a race to determine the origin of the coin. They are being followed. They are being hunted. They are falling in love. And their only recourse is to rely on each other and embark on a daring journey to an arctic island that is not supposed to exist.

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—

EXCERPT:

A scream reverberated in the hallway.

Zach dropped the coin and vaulted towards the door. Swinging his head in each direction, he found both ends of the corridor locked in shadows.

“Hello?”

It had sounded like the shriek of a female—not the wind.

Zach stepped out into the hall, listening. This wing was an isolated offshoot of the main artery running through the Department of Art and Archeology. Only because everyone was gone could he hear the distant squeak of shoe against linoleum. That scuffing sound picked up its pace and burgeoned into a full-out sprint as a figure blasted out of the shadows at the far end of the corridor.

“Help!” a female voice cried out.

Long raincoat lapels wafted at her sides like dragon wings as she raced towards him. Zach tried to look past her for who or what might be in pursuit, but the hall was empty.

Lurching to a halt, the woman stooped over, her hands on her knees as she angled her head to look behind her.

“Is there somewhere we can hide?” she whispered.

Anywhere in the university. It’s empty.

Her back rose and fell under rapid breaths. A pointed chin angled as she gazed up at him from beneath unruly brown waves. In that brief second, he tried to assess whether she was a student or teacher. He would have recognized faculty, so that left student, but she looked older. Grad student, most likely.

“Hurry,” she urged.

Zach snapped out of his stupor and extended his arm towards the open door of his office. The woman wasted no time and darted inside.

One last glance down the corridor revealed no demons. No sound of pursuit.

Shaking his head, Zach followed her into his office.

“What happened?”

The waif of a woman stood in the corner trying to minimize her presence. Shrewd brown eyes snapped from the door—to the window—to his face, and then landed on his desk. Those eyes widened as she shrank back even further.

“The coin—” she gasped.

Zach frowned, snatching the coin and lodging it into the pocket of his blazer, out of the view of her horrified gaze.

“What about it?”

“The—the man who attacked me—” she eyed his door and added in a tight voice, “he asked—where is the coin?”

“Attacked?” Zach jolted.

“Yes!” The woman’s hands quivered until her fingers delved deep into her coat pocket, extracting her phone. “He had a gun. I have to call the Police.”

“A gun?”

Just as he uttered the words, the sound of breaking glass shattered his poise. The woman winced in the corner and eyed up the gap under his desk. Another pane of glass shattered, this one closer than the previous.

“He’s breaking in the windows of all the office doors,” she whispered, dropping down onto her knees and crawling towards the desk. “That’s how he found me. He said he was looking for a coin.”

Zach stared at the pane of glass on his door. The light was out on this end of the hallway. Darkness loomed outside that small frame.

Crash.

That was room 213. He recognized the proximity from the thousand times students slammed that door on their way out.

His was room 217.

Zach thumped his palm on the desktop lamp, switching it off. A hand reached up from the shadows, startling him as the woman tugged him under the desk.

This was absurd. He reached for his phone but hesitated, afraid the glow would carry into the hall.

Crash.

215.

Harrowing images from the news darkened his mind. School shooter.

Beside him, the woman bent her legs, tucking her knees up under her chin. Folding his tall frame as tight as he could, he reached out and wheeled the desk chair up against them.

Crash.

Tiny shards of glass spattered across the floor near his boots.

The woman next to him quaked as Zach reached for her.

To keep her still?

To protect her?

To touch another human in these last moments of life?

The doorknob rattled. Another trickle of broken glass and then he heard the snap of the bolt.

Author Bio:

USA TODAY bestselling author, Maureen A. Miller worked in the software industry for fifteen years. She crawled around plant floors in a hard hat and safety glasses hooking up computers to behemoth manufacturing machines. The job required extensive travel. The best form of escapism during those lengthy airport layovers became writing.

Maureen's first novel, WIDOW'S TALE, earned her a Golden Heart nomination in Romantic Suspense. After that she became hooked to the genre. In fact, she was so hooked she is the founder of the JUST ROMANTIC SUSPENSE website.

Recently, Maureen branched out into the Young Adult Science Fiction market with the popular BEYOND Series. To her it was still Romantic Suspense...just on another planet!

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