Spotlight: My Heart’s Desire by Heather Alexander

(The Kincaid Brothers Series, #2)

Publication date: January 13th 2025

Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

Synopsis:

When her best friend’s name appears on a tombstone dated 1883, the only way for Amber Harrison to save her is to travel through a mysterious time portal to the Old West—

Destiny drops her in 1883 Montana at the feet of Josh Kincaid—a sexy, time-traveling deputy with plans of his own. Attraction stirs between Amber and Josh, and soon their flirtatious friendship blossoms into a fiery romance. Teaming up, they devise a rescue, but time isn’t their only enemy. An escaped convict, seeking his revenge on the Kincaids, interferes with their plans. In order to keep their future on its true course, they must stop their adversary’s plan from coming to fruition. Can they beat time and return to their rightful place, or will they be stranded in 1883 forever?

Excerpt

“Don’t move,” a deep, masculine voice commanded. 

Amber froze. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Waves of fear poured down her  spine. 

“Hands where I can see them,” the voice continued. 

Amber thrust her hands straight up into the air. Her stomach burned, fear roiling in its  depths. If she didn’t have an ulcer when this over, it would be a miracle. She closed her eyes for  a second, hoping the voice belonged to Wyatt. Because if it wasn’t him, or she was in the wrong  year, surely, she was dead. Trespassing was against the law even in this backward time. Great,  and she didn’t think it was possible for her anxiety level to climb any higher. “Turn around…slowly.”

The initial signs of an oncoming panic attack banged at the door to her senses. Her heart  pounded, her chest tightened, and her head spun like she’d just come off the tilt-a-whirl at the  amusement park. But she did as she was told and inched herself around, one baby step at a time. 

If anything confirmed her trip back in time one hundred and forty years, this was it. The  cowboy standing before her was tall, over six feet, and clad in what she expected to see a man  from the 1880s to be dressed in. He wore an unbuttoned vest over a linen shirt with the sleeves  rolled up to his elbows. His pants were super snug, and his dusty cowboy boots covered his legs  from the knees down. The empty holster sat low over his right hip, and the silver spurs at his  heels clanked as he moved toward her. 

“W-Wyatt?” She swallowed nervously, lowering her hands. “D-don’t shoot!” Dark blond brows shot up when she said his name, but he waved the gun and took another  step toward her. 

“I didn’t say you could lower your hands.” 

Oh, shit! 

She thrust her hands up again. “You…you are Wyatt, aren’t you? Wyatt Kincaid. Please tell  me you are. Otherwise, I’m seriously screwed…in more ways than you could possibly imagine.” Mesmerizing green eyes widened, and then his gaze swept over her from head to toe but  remained on her feet. “I’d recognize twenty-first century sneakers anywhere.” He tipped his chin toward her footwear, but his gun remained aimed at her. Relief surged through her, and she sagged a little. This must be Emma’s husband. Now she  understood what compelled her best friend to return to a previous century. Emma, you got  yourself one fine husband. Out of all the details Emma revealed about Wyatt last year, Amber  didn’t recall anything about him having such compelling green eyes. It was difficult to look  away, not that she wanted to, she had to. This was her best friend’s husband. Chalk it up to her  time-travel muddled mind. 

He took a step toward her and tilted his head to study her. “I’m guessing you’re…Amber?” “Uh-huh. That’s right.” She nodded, still a little stunned. “Where’s Emma? I need to see  her.” 

His scowl quickly turned into a smile, and he holstered his gun. “Wow, the famous Amber  Harrison in the flesh.” 

He recognized her! Inside, she jumped up and down with excitement. “You know me? Wait,  I don’t know how that’s possible. We’ve never met.” 

“I recognize you from a photo Emma brought back with her last year…but you’re mistaken  about who I am.” 

She retreated a step. “If…if you’re not Wyatt Kincaid, then who are you?” His smile widened, and he extended his hand. “Hi, I’m Josh. Wyatt and James’s brother.” 

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About the Author

Heather Alexander writes time-travel, contemporary, and historical romance.

Heather began writing as a child, inspired by her mom who loved to write fiction and poetry. Putting pen to paper—or rather fingers to keyboard—she began writing in the genres she loves. When she’s not writing, Heather enjoys spending time with her family, sipping Earl Grey tea while cozying up with a great book, and traveling. She is currently working on her next book.

Follow Heather on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads @booksbyha. Join her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Connect:

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https://www.booksbyha.com/

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Spotlight: Where the Road Ends by Kathryn Beck

Publication date: January 13th 2025

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Synopsis:

Bartender Mara Sawyer has sixty days to turn her life around. If she can’t, Mara will lose the chance to regain custody of her daughter. Never having envisioned her life as a living, breathing, public service announcement for the Wyoming judicial system, Mara embraces the judge’s harsh rebuke. Finding a steady job will be easy, finishing school will be easy. Eluding the distraction of the new swaggering Texan, Luke Whitten, will be anything but easy. 

With all her cards on the table, Luke and Mara build a strong friendship and along the way, she gives herself permission to fall in love again. When Mara’s ex offers up full custody in exchange for betraying Luke, Mara must choose — her daughter’s happiness, or her own.

Excerpt

The location pin on his phone showed he was in Rock Springs, Wyoming. He smirked. Kind of made sense now, the bar name. The phone faded to black, waiting for him to punch in an address, something. 

A horn honked in front of him, and the driver left the driveway with a wave to someone. 

Luke glanced around. “Not too shabby for a hick town.” 

A chipper, informative voice on his phone began spouting off a dissertation about hick towns in general and a song of the same name. 

“Shut up.”

The phone went quiet.

Those new beginning adventures reemerged today. After last night, every shot of tequila loosened his pitiful tongue. What could he say? He felt like wallowing, and the bartender girl was a good wallower listener. 

He looked at his phone again. “Go west, young man.”

Making a hard right, he went west.

Ten minutes down Interstate 80, the highway became a traffic jam of semis. His little pickup, overshadowed by diesel mammoths. It gave him a chance to look around at the beauty of the mountains, their whitecap tips touching the sky. Last night, nothing had been beautiful, but in the heated cab of his truck, Wyoming was quite gorgeous. All white and green. Mountains, not hills. When things began moving again, the highway patrol motioned drivers off the road and into a rest stop. 

The bright sunshine made the cold tolerable. The expensive lightweight jacket he picked up mid trip in Durango did its job, keeping him warm and comfortable.

He walked the on-ramp from the rest stop to the highway, curious to see what the problem was. There were several truck drivers on the side of the road, arms crossed over their down vests. 

“Any clue what’s going on?” he asked an older man in a beanie, making a note he needed to pony up for a beanie to go with his fancy warm jacket.

The man pointed down the highway. “Hell of a storm. I’m going to miss my delivery in Salt Lake.”

“They should have rerouted you if the dispatchers had any sense,” one of the other men said. 

They all laughed about the stupid-ass dispatchers, safe in their terminals somewhere.

“Might as well get some sleep. Going to be awhile,” the older man said, nodding at Luke. “Only seen this happen once before, and that was a helluva long time ago. We’re going nowhere fast today.”

Luke thanked him and walked farther down the ramp, feeling fortunate there was nowhere to be anytime soon. He kicked at a sheet of ice on the road and maneuvered to the dead grass, so he didn’t slide on his ass and make a fool of himself. He peered in the direction the other gentlemen had looked, holding his hand over his eyes as the sun blasted up and over a mountain top. 

He said it to the bartender last night, to himself plenty of times in the last couple of weeks, but in the valley before him, his new reality stared him in the face.  

Rushing, as if it had somewhere to be in a hurry instead of considering all the people inconvenienced, the Green River raced up and over the asphalt of the interstate in the distance. 

The End of the Road. 

Luke pivoted on the dirt, taking in the white mountains, the pine trees snaking up the incline into the bluest, widest sky he’d ever seen. All the air a man could hope to breathe. 

Rock Springs would be a tough town if bartender girl were any sign. A tough town built with tough people who weathered tough times with grit and tenacity. 

He cocked his head and smiled. He’d fit right in.

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About the Author

Kathryn is a transplanted Canadian who now calls Texas home. She loves writing strong, morally gray women tackling complex relationships and their messy lives. Kathryn enjoys road trips, spa weekend getaways, and spending time with family and friends. 

Connect:

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Spotlight: Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon

Publisher: Chelshire Publishing

Publication Date: November 28, 2024

Genre: Action Adventure/Monsters

Logan Osborne has spent his life chasing the shadows of the past.

As a child, he watched helplessly as his father was snatched from a fishing boat by what he swore was a mermaid. No one believed him then. No one believes him now.

Determined to prove that mythical creatures exist, Logan is drawn back to the small coastal town where his nightmares began after another mysterious disappearance stirs the waters.

Teaming up with his pragmatic colleague Elliot Sheppard and his fiercely loyal friend Penny Swanson, Logan dives headfirst into an adventure packed with danger and deception. As they dig deeper, the trio faces resistance at every turn—a secretive agency with its own agenda, a suspiciously unhelpful police force, and Logan’s old flame, who may know more than she’s letting on.

What they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than Logan ever imagined: the truth about his father, the secrets of Minatuck, and the horrifying reality of the Mermaid of the Hamptons.

Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?

Excerpt

The creature was indistinct in the dark night. A howl split the air, the noise somewhere between the lolling of a cow and with the shrillness of a siren. It traveled through Logan, making the fillings in his teeth hurt. If an elephant and a Tasmanian devil had a baby, it would have sounded like this, Logan thought inanely.

     It began to move purposely toward them, its arms outstretched. Its eyes shone like blazing yellow neon, mesmerizing them. There was no place to hide in the tidal pool. Logan spun, pushing Elliot toward the parking lot. 

     “That was no turtle,” Elliot gasped. 

     Logan ran, his heart pumping feeling like it would jump from his chest. “Run!” he yelled.

     They splashed heavily in the shallows; their feet weighted with water. Clamoring through the tide, Logan slipped, Elliot pulled him under the armpit propelling him forward. Their clothes were drenched, glued to their perspiring bodies, their feet heavy with trapped fronds and weeds. They made it onto the beach.

     Logan was afraid to look behind them. “Move this way!” Logan pointed to a perimeter of shrubs lining the sand.

     They took off, their arms slashed by the tall grasses. Elliot clutched his phone. He turned for a second, but Logan grabbed the back of his shirt to drag him through the reeds. “Not now, you idiot!” Logan screamed.

     They could hear the heavy splashes of the creature following them. They burst out of the grasses, running at full speed onto the sandy area toward the car. The reassuring outline of the jeep greeted them at the same time a club grazed Logan’s shoulder. 

     Logan heard Elliot grunt with pain, the distinct sound of a fist meeting flesh echoing in the still night. Ham-sized hands gripped Logan’s shoulder, spinning him to plant a fist that landed under his right eye. The night went silent but for the sound of the roaring of the blood in his head. He felt the trickle of blood leak onto his lips after his nose connected with what felt like a brick wall. He was on his knees, looking down at two sets of biker boots, silver skulls dangling over the insteps right in front of him. 

     Logan caught sight of another pair of footwear, polished traditional lace-ups. He pushed himself up on all fours, reaching out and grabbing the legs connected to those shoes. He clutched a handful of beige trousers, the gabardine material slipping in his hand. He recognized the uniform. He felt rock-hard muscles underneath the pants leg. His assaulter kicked, Logan’s head snapping back to see a field of spinning stars. Their attackers were laughing. Logan was outraged. 

     They wouldn’t be laughing when the mermaid from hell pounced on them, he thought grogilly. He opened his mouth to let them know they were about to be surprised by the alleged wild dog or imaginary alligator but decided he’d have more satisfaction watching them wrestle with whatever was following them from the marsh. 

      A strong hand picked him up by the hair and another pounded his ribcage. He winced, his vision blurred, trying to see when the creature from the Black Lagoon would arrive like the cavalry.

     Except that pursuer never arrived. It appeared that the monster had more brains than he and Elliot put together. 

     Logan listened vainly for whatever was following them to break through the marsh, but it must have been scared off. He chose that time to swing wildly, his fist finding a face that must have been hewn of stone. The impact stunned him more than the beating his ribs were taking. His arm went numb from knuckles to elbow. 

     His cheek landed in the dirt while Elliot was thrown against the car wheel. A baseball bat made contact with the windshield, showering them with shards of glass. The bat sailed through the air to smash the side mirror. More glass rained down on them.

Logan lay on his face, every bone in his body aching, his head heavy. He heard new footfalls, lighter one, followed by the sound of a plank of wood connecting with a body.

“Ow!” one of his attackers howled. 

Next he heard several grunts, and the hard slam of bodies falling. 

Logan picked up his head, his vision fuzzy to see two figures in wetsuits beating the crap out of his assailants. Tilting his head, he squeezed his eyes, discerning one was decidedly curvy and feminine. “Penny?” he asked, the word garbled by his swelling lips.

Running feet penetrated the fog that was swallowing his brain. Everything sounded muffled, as if he could barely hear it. There was a loud ringing in his ears.

“Done,” a woman’s voice came to him from far away. “Cowards,” she spat. 

“What do you want to do with these too?” a male voice asked. 

“Leave them. They’re harmless.”

“The boss isn’t going to be happy.”

“I said leave them,” the voice commanded. 

Logan tried to rise, groaned and fell down into the wet sand. “Elliot?” his voice a thread.

“He’s coming around. We have to go!” a man’s barked.

The cold touch of a wetsuit made his skin goosebump as a person knelt next to him. He tried to roll over. Logan felt a soft hand brush back his hair. “Stop tilting at windmills, you silly man. Go back to school.” He caught sight of a smile with a mole on the upper lip.

Logan felt the blood drain from his head as it fell onto a cushion of grass. 

     “Did you see them?” Logan spit out a mouthful of dirt. He was sprawled on a small mound and couldn’t move.

     “My eye is swollen shut,” Elliot’s voice was gravelly. “I feel like I got hit by a train. Am I imagining it, or were we rescued by the creature?”

      “It wasn’t the creature.” Logan was breathless with the effort, wondering if he should share what he thought. “I think it was Aimee.”

“Aimee!” Elliot coughed. “What’s she doing here?”

Logan ignored the question; he was wondering the same thing. 

     Rising painfully to his knees he crawled over to where Elliot was propped against the wheel of the jeep. “Anything broken?”

     “Only my pride. I feel like I’m trapped in an eighties crime drama. What are you doing?” he asked Logan, who was pulling his phone from his pocket with a battered hand.

     “I’m calling the police.”

     “I think that was the police,” Elliot retorted weakly. “What happened to your mermaid?”

     Logan growled, “She’s not my mermaid.” 

     “Did you get any pictures?” Logan asked.

     “Let me see with my good eye.” Elliot squinted as he looked at his screen. “Nothing good. Maybe it was one of those goons setting us up.”

     Logan shrugged. “I couldn’t see much, but I know it was that monster, Mitch and his playmates,” he paused and continued, “And Aimee and some other guy.”

      “You think she was working with them?”

      Logan shook his head. “No, they beat the crap out of them. Mitch practically crawled out of here.”

      “Are you sure it was Aimee? This is a major complication.”

      Logan didn’t answer. He spoke into his phone. “Pen? Can you swing by the marsh, and Penny… don’t say anything to anyone.”

– Excerpted from Dragged Down Deep by Michael Okon, Chelshire Publishing, 2024. Reprinted with permission.

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About the Author

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres, including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure, and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Connect:

Website ➜ www.michaelokon.com

Twitter ➜ https://www.x.com/IAmMichaelOkon 

Instagram ➜ https://www.instagram.com/IAmMichaelOkon 

Spotlight: The Northern Pacific Railroad by Tim Piper

In 1872, six hundred miles between Bismarck and Bozeman were to be surveyed for the Northern Pacific Railroad. But Sitting Bull is gathering strength to resist this incursion into the tribes’ hunting grounds. Citizens and politicians question the need for the rail line and doubt that it can ever be guaranteed safe from Indian raids. But financier Jay Cooke is willing to risk his financial empire to build it.

When Cooke summons Jubilee Walker to his mansion and presents a proposition for completing the survey, Jubil finds it impossible to resist. But the stakes are high, both financially and personally. How much will Jubil risk to turn his adventure travel tours into a major business? Can he do it without losing the respect of the people he loves? And will he even survive the attempt to complete the survey?

Book 3 in the Jubilee Walker series is based on actual events of the 1872 and 1873 railroad surveys, and the ensuing financial turmoil as investors lose faith in Cooke’s vision.

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About the Author

TIM PIPER is retired from a long career in Information Technology and has been a lifelong hobbyist musician. In his earlier days he was an avid hiker and backcountry camper, but his adventures these days are less strenuous and more comfortable. He began his education at Illinois State University as an English major, but life circumstances put him on a more pragmatic path, and he graduated with a BS in Business Admin, a degree he finds appropriately named. He lives in Bloomington, Illinois. 

Learn more at www.timpiper-author.com or follow him on Facebook.

Spotlight: Shadow by Aubree Valentine

Ten years away has taught Lindsey Addington to go after what she wants and her sights are set on Garrett Everleigh. Lindsey will do whatever it takes to break down Garrett’s walls and convince him to take a chance on love. Fans of Yellowstone and Heartland will fall in love with this best friend's little sister/forbidden romance that sets the tone for this new, exciting, and highly anticipated series from Aubree Valentine. 

Blurb

Welcome to Addington Ranch… where the cowboys steal hearts and the women tame wild stallions. 

Garrett Everleigh has been waiting (and half heartedly dreading) the day that Lindsey Addington, an heir to the Addington Ranch, returned home from chasing her horse show dreams. 

Lindsey is everything the rugged, determined ranch hand has ever wanted—and everything he can't have. Especially if he wants to keep his job and the ‘family’ that chose him. The only family Garrett has. 

Ten years away has taught equestrian royalty, Lindsey Addington, exactly what - and who - she wants. Far more stubborn than Garrett ever gave her credit for, Lindsey won't let his reservations - or his secrets - keep them from having the relationship they deserve.

Putting a decade of training with thousand pound animals to good use, Lindsey turns her insight and training on Garrett and breaks down every ounce of his resolve until he breaks. 

Fans of Yellowstone and Heartland will fall in love with this best friend's little sister/forbidden romance that sets the tone for this new, exciting, and highly anticipated series from Aubree Valentine.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Author Aubree Valentine

“What are you doing out here, Linds? You’ve got a party going on, you know?”

“I know. I came out here to see you,” she gently elbowed him. 

“You should get back to your party.”

“Maybe later,” she turned up the dial on what little of sex appeal she thought she had and moved so that she was kneeling on the ground beneath his open thighs. “Right now, I came out here because I wanted to tell you something.” 

“Don’t,” Garrett grunted and stood, trying to put space between them. 

Lindsey stood just as quickly and grabbed ahold of his biceps. “Garrett, will you atleast look at me, please?”

Garrett squeezed his eyes closed. “I can’t, Linds. I can’t look at you because if I do, all of my resolve will break.” 

That confession was a tiny reassurance that at least Garrett had some kind of feelings for her too. It was all the encouragement she needed to keep trying.

“Then let it,” she begged. She wanted to see his resolve break. She wanted him to give into whatever it was that he was fighting and give in to her.

Garrett opened his eyes and put his hands on Lindsey’s shoulders. This time she could see the hunger lingering in his eyes. “Is that really what you want, Linds? Do you really want me to give into temptation?”

That was exactly what she wanted. What she’d been longing for. She was eighteen now after all. Nothing was stopping them from letting the attraction take over. “Of course,” she whispered in return.

“Tell me exactly what you want, Linds,” Garrett brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. 

“Kiss me.”

“I shouldn’t,” he argued. 

Lindsey could think of a million reasons why he should.

“But you will,” she batted her eyes and bit her lip, “won’t you?”

“Damnit,” he cursed under his breath. 

Then his lips were on hers.

She half expected Garrett to be gentle, or to immediately back away again. But he didn’t. Once his lips touched hers, he devoured her like he was a man starved for far too long. And with every ounce of experience that came with kissing a man and not the desperate nervousness of Lindsey’s first kiss and former high school boyfriend. 

Everything about Garrett’s kisses were better than she could have ever imagined. They were all-consuming. Promising. And for a split second, she let herself believe that they really could have it all. That the two of them could be so much more someday soon.

“Shit, Lindsey,” Garrett broke their kiss like she was a flame and she’d just burnt him. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry,” he said as he started pacing around. 

She should have walked away then. Took the victory of winning a kiss and walked away. Forgotten about her feelings and the happily ever after she thought included Garrett. Except she couldn't. 

“Garrett,” she moved toward him, countering every step he took backwards until he bumped into a tree. With his body pinned against the hard bark, she wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head on his shoulder, soaking in as much of Garrett and the moment as she could. 

“Linds, I…we shouldn’t. You’re getting ready to leave for college. You don’t need a man like me holding you back.”

“Garrett,” she looked up into his eyes. “I really need you to kiss me again. Let me have this. Let me have you. All of you. Even if it’s just for tonight.”

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About Aubree Valentine

Aubree Valentine is a masterful storyteller who weaves tales of passion, heartbreak, and happily-ever-afters that leave readers swooning and coming back for more. A hopeless romantic at heart, Aubree channels her boundless imagination and appreciation for the complexities of romance into every book she writes. Her characters are as real as they are irresistible—flawed, relatable, and unforgettable—taking readers on journeys filled with sizzling chemistry, emotional twists, and moments that tug at the heartstrings. Whether it’s a steamy small-town romance or a friends-to-lovers tale, Aubree’s stories always promise: love, laughter and happily ever after. When she’s not penning her next novel, Aubree can be found binge-reading romance novels, borrowing her husband’s power tools for some over the top project, or spending quality time with her family and their fur babies. Connect with Aubree Valentine on social media, through her website, or sign up for her newsletter to stay up-to-date on new releases, exclusive content, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into her writing

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Spotlight: Passions by Sheritta Bitikofer

Publication date: January 10th 2025

Genres: Adult, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Synopsis:

His world was dark until she brought the light…

Chloe Kaspin has two dreams. Find a quiet place to recover from an abusive ex-boyfriend, and to make a living as a writer. The first dream is fulfilled when she inherits her beloved aunt’s cabin in the Georgia mountains. Now the second dream is up to her. Then she finds mysterious notes critiquing her work. Has a dangerous stranger managed to invade her refuge? Or is her cabin as haunted as the townsfolk say it is?

Gavin Caras immigrated from England to Georgia in 1733. While pursuing his dream of being a writer, his entire family is wiped out by a mysterious infection. Only Gavin survives, not only alone, but with a hunger that can only be satisfied by blood. For generations, he’s managed to hide in the basement of the cabin he built. But now his cabin is occupied by a woman who shares at least one of his passions: the world of the written word. Late one night, he finally reveals himself to her, not a ghost, but a man driven by an unholy hunger, a passion he would die to end if he could.

The autumn winds may be chilly but Gavin warms Chloe’s heart. Then children go missing in the nearby town. Has Gavin been lying to Chloe? She’s willing to help him find a way to end his blood-lust, but the cost may be too high. Chloe and Gavin can’t rewrite the past. Can they survive to write a new future together?

Excerpt

Her eyes shifted toward her desk on her way to the kitchen, and her heart jumped against her ribcage as she saw more writing on her notepad.

Another letter. This one was longer.

Chloe was jolted awake once more, just as she had been the day before. The disquieting thought rammed through her sleepy head that the locks hadn’t worked. Without taking the time yet to read the letter, she checked the windows and the doors. Again, there was no sign of forced entry.

Chloe’s eyebrows furrowed as she thought it over. With the locks on the two doors, there was no way the intruder could have broken in, written that note, and then returned the locks to their original positions on their way out. The same went for the windows. How were they getting inside?

She sighed heavily and ran a set of long nails through her dark wavy hair, snagging on a few tangles at the back of her head. There was nothing she could do about it now. Perhaps there was nothing she could do to prevent this from happening time and time again. 

Shuffling to her desk, she sat down and read the perfect cursive writing, feeling mixed emotions as her eyes followed the words. 

I thought you would never go to sleep. I do not appreciate waiting. Next time, do us both a favor and get to sleep at an earlier time.

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Had they been watching her the whole night? They knew when she was still up writing? A cold chill ran up her spine at the thought of someone spying on her. Wrapping the robe around her chest a little tighter, she continued. 

As for your manuscript, I noticed you made the changes I suggested. Excellent work. You have a firm grasp of dialogue composition. Their conversations are believable. But, I do suggest that you avoid writing from the male point of view. This is not meant as an offense to you, but you obviously do not understand the inner workings of the male mind. As a writer, if you narrate strictly from the female’s perspective, you will sound more competent in the genre you have chosen. Nonetheless, your story is coming along just fine. I look forward to reading more. Yours sincerely – G

Chloe was stunned. She leaned against the slatted back of the chair and stared dumbly at the wall.

She didn’t know what to think. Whoever this was had noticed the changes as well as read through the additions she made the day before. Not only that, but they commended her for it and exonerated her dialogue style. She took no offense to their comment about writing from the male point of view. It was difficult and uncomfortable to put herself inside the male brain and try to figure out how their thought process worked. It had always been something of an impossible task, and she took no joy in it. 

Deducing from that comment alone, she assumed her mystery correspondent must be a man. Why else would he be so knowledgeable on how the male mind does or does not work?

If she adhered to this instruction, there were many changes she’d have to make to the story. There were several scenes with only her male protagonist present and his thoughts on the female. She’d have to change the whole book to an omnipresent perspective if she wanted to keep those scenes. But wasn’t that pretty much the same thing she was already doing?

Chloe groaned and held her head in her hands, propping her elbows on her closed laptop. She hated herself for taking these notes so seriously. The thought that a complete stranger was somehow breaking into her home, just to write these silly critiques, was far from her mind. All she could think about was obeying the suggestions as if his opinion was valid and worth her consideration. 

Then it occurred to her that she wasn’t writing for this stranger. She was writing for herself. Why did she have to change her entire story just to accommodate him, of all people? A stranger she had never met and was forcing his way into her home somehow without any trace or reason. 

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About the Author

An author of paranormal and urban fantasy fiction, Sheritta Bitikofer lives for the deep, engaging stories that enthrall readers from cover to cover. As a wife and fur-mama of eclectic tastes, she can be found roaming Civil War battlefields, perusing the romance section of the bookstore, or relaxing with a plate of chili cheese fries. 

Take a look at the books she has available and stay tuned for new releases. 

Also visit her official author website at: www.sherittabitikofer.com and her writing blog at www.moonstruckwriting.wordpress.com

Connect:

https://www.sherittabitikofer.com/

https://subscribepage.io/sherittabitikofernewsletter

https://www.facebook.com/sheritta.bitikofer.author

https://www.instagram.com/sherittabitikofer

https://x.com/moonstruckwrite

https://moonstruckwriting.wordpress.com/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13749891.Sheritta_Bitikofer

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