Pucker Up Monday

It's not what you think. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I'd start the week off right for ya.

Thursday Book Recommendation

 

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary. 

This week is: Gargoyle Vigilante: An M/M Mpreg Monster Romance (Shadow Slayers Book 1) by M.M. Wilde

Blurb: 

The world’s holiest relics are at risk, and the dawn of evil looms. Only the Shadow Slayers can keep the darkness at bay…

As a Shadow Slayer gargoyle appointed by the Archangel Michael, Dante has fought for centuries to defend the human realm. The rogue gargoyles he hunts are relentless in their quest to maim and destroy, but Dante is one of Heaven’s top warriors. However, Dante prefers eliminating the dark scourge by his own rules.

Amir is a student of Near Eastern studies who carries a secret. When Amir discovers his antique dealer uncle’s mutilated corpse, he flees in terror with the sacred artifact he swore to protect. Yet somewhere in the shadows, a sinister threat exists—one that seeks to steal his life as well as the treasure he guards.

Thrust into a world Amir never knew existed, he struggles to understand what part he must play. For Dante, he learns that only the touch of his Fated One can crack the stone of his cold, lonely heart. Together, they will risk everything to save the life of their unborn child.

This time, the battle is personal…

Note: Gargoyle Vigilante is the first book in the action-packed, edge-of-your-seat Shadow Slayers series that features gargoyle shifters who will do anything to protect their fated mates. In this novella, you can expect a growly, possessive gargoyle, a feisty younger mate, and a knotty good time. Oh, did I mention that gargoyles have forked tongues and talented tails? Grab your copy now to find out just how talented!

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Gargoyle-Reaper-Shifter-Romance-Slayers-ebook/dp/B0C5VX3GMR

Tuesday Teaser

“Where am I? And who are you people?”

Ward advanced slowly, careful to keep his movements non-threatening, but putting himself between the hunter and his healer as she backed away from the bedside. He knew the importance of first impressions. 

“You’re safe here,” Ward said softly, hoping to convey sincerity through his tone and demeanor.

The woman blinked slowly. Her gaze shifted around the room before settling back on him. “Where am I?” 

“You are in my castle,” Ward replied. “My name is Hereward Tywyll. I go by Ward. My clan is Clan Tywyll. I am the king of the San DeLain gargoyles. I brought you here for your protection. Do you remember your name?”

“My protection?” Her eyebrows furrowed in a mixture of skepticism and slight amusement. 

Ward chose his next words carefully, fully aware she hadn’t answered the question of who she was. “There were witches who were here in my woods. They were doing a ritual. One of black magic. They planned to drain you of your powers. I intervened and stopped it.”

The woman appeared to consider this, her gaze never wavering from his face. Then she swung her legs off the bed and stood up. 

“I don’t remember asking for help,” she said quietly.

“That may be,” Ward acknowledged, hearing the underlying thread of steel in her voice. “But it doesn’t change the fact those witches were trying to sacrifice you using black magic in my territory. You may not have asked for help, but you needed it.” He paused, watching her reaction closely. 

“You said you were the one who brought me here?”

“Yes.”

“So is that your human glamor?”

Ward raised an eyebrow but didn’t answer that question. Instead, he asked one of his own. “What do you remember?”

She pressed her lips together, then finally spoke. “Fire. Chants. And then, agony....” Her voice trailed off. “Finally, darkness.”

Something very close to what Ward assumed was pain danced across her expression.

“You were part of a ritual. Remember?”

“The fire and the chanting that I remember were not part of what you stumbled across.”

“What?” That made no sense to Ward. Then again, she was right. When he came upon them, there was no fire.

“I don’t mean to be a burden or a threat,” she continued. 

“We need more than that if you expect me not to consider you a danger,” Ward stated bluntly. “You’re very powerful.”

“Fair enough,” she conceded. “My name is Rihanna Norwood. I was part of a coven in another realm—wizards and witches who bend not just elements but dimensions.” Her gaze flicked up to meet Ward’s again. “And something went very wrong during an experiment.”

“An experiment?” Ward asked. “Wait. Did you say—”

“Oh goddess,” Celine whispered. “Another realm?” 

“Yes. Instead of expanding our reach across dimensions, it tore through them haphazardly—sending me here. Not long after that, some of the vilest smelling beings captured me. They experimented on me.” 

“The hunters found you. And they mutated your DNA,” Ward surmised.

“At first, I didn’t understand what they were doing, but it became frighteningly obvious pretty quickly. With each successful manipulation, they added another paranormals DNA to mine.”

“Until they had mutated your DNA with that of vampire, a were, and a mer. The Power of Three,” Ward mused, trying to hide his horror. “Then, what? You escaped?” 

“In a nutshell. I went to a coven for help. That was something I shouldn’t have done,” Rihanna admitted. “I expected help. Instead, I got betrayal.”

Pucker Up Monday

It's not what you think. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I'd start the week off right for ya.

Thursday Book Recommendation

 

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary. 

This week is: Body Count: A Dark MM Romance (Wayward Sons Book 1) by L Eveland 

Blurb: 

Death is his business. Vengeance is mine. Together, we’re unstoppable.

Theo

I’ve been broken in ways I can’t even explain. Trafficked, tortured, and stripped of everything that made me human, I was just a shell—until River Laskin found me.

He’s a monster—a cold, narcissistic sociopath with a blood-soaked past—but when he rescued me from hell, he became my lifeline.

I never asked for revenge. I just wanted to survive. But River has a different plan. He’s a man who gets what he wants, no matter the cost. And right now, he wants me... to protect, to break, and to rebuild.

River

The moment I laid eyes on Theo, I knew he was mine. My obsession. My toy.

He doesn’t want vengeance. He just wants to hide from the nightmare that’s his life. But I won’t let him. I’ll burn everything to the ground and tear apart every soul that’s hurt him—whether he likes it or not.

I’ll make them pay.

I’ll make them suffer.

In the end, I’ll put him back together. He’s mine, and I’ll destroy anyone who stands in our way.

Body Count is a blood-soaked tale of vengeance and obsession, where dark secrets and deadly desires collide. While the story is intense and filled with danger, the romance between River and Theo is a stark contrast—sweet, consensual, and built on trust. This is the first book in the Wayward Sons series, a collection of standalone stories about broken men and the complicated love that heals them, even in the most twisted of circumstances.

Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/Body-Count-Dark-Romance-Wayward-ebook/dp/B0CFWP94VK 

Teaser Tuesday

 Seduced by Moonlight 

(Okay yall we're about to meet Rihanna. She's going to be important to this series, but she is just a minor character. I think I'm gonna skip to Kayden's chapter next time so we can meet him.)

Only the hunter remained. Sighing, he returned to the circle and the trapped woman. Unfortunately, she lay in the dirt, unconscious. But at least she was breathing. Maybe she’d have the answers to his questions.

Ward kneeled beside the woman, retracted his claws, and brushed away the debris. Clear bruises encircled her wrists. Someone had restrained her before bringing her here. 

It’d be a simple task to snap her neck too, and maybe, for everyone’s sake, that’d be the best thing to do. But he hesitated because he knew perfectly well that Lennox and Nox had kidnapped many humans and forcibly mutated their DNA. 

His home loomed in the distance, and as he stepped inside, the ancient smell of stone mingled with the faint scent of fireplace smoke.

After laying the woman on a gurney, he summoned his trusted healer with a quick message sent by text. Within moments, Celine entered, bringing with her a refreshing burst of peppermint and eucalyptus. 

“What have you brought me this time, Ward?” Celine asked as she glanced at the at the sleeping woman. 

“A hunter, or so I believe,” Ward replied, his gaze fixed on the unconscious woman. 

“By the goddess, really? A hunter? Here? Ward!”

“I think she was one of the ones forced.” Ward quickly explained how he came to find her.

“Well, hell. That’s not good, not at all,” Celine said, glancing at the bruises. 

“No, it really isn’t. Plus, this hunter has traits I’ve never seen combined before. None of us have.”

“I know. I can smell what she is.”

“Gods.” Ward rubbed his forehead, his tail whipping behind him. “Would you look at her?”

Celine blew out a breath. “If that’s what you wish.”

“If you don’t mind. I’ll be here to make sure you’re safe.” 

Celine approached the gurney where the woman lay. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned a glowing orb of light to hover above the patient, illuminating her features. 

Ward gazed at the hunter’s face, which was pale and drawn, with sharp features and dark hair that cascaded over the gurney. Her body was lean and appeared to be muscular, giving off an air of strength and agility despite her current state. 

“She’s definitely not human,” Celine declared as she checked vital signs and scanned for internal injuries. “I’m picking up a magical presence, so maybe a witch. You’re right about the mixed traits—there’s strong magical resonance from multiple races. It’s... unprecedented.” 

Ward paced, his mind jumping from one through to the next. “As I said, those witches were trying to sacrifice her in a ritual. I stopped them, but not before they mentioned something about her having an ancient power and wanting it for themselves.” 

“Ancient power, huh?” Celine echoed. “Why am I not surprised? Anyway, that suggests she’s not just a mutated experiment, but potentially something much more.” 

Her scanner beeped intermittently as she ran it over the woman’s body. After a moment, Celine looked up, her eyes wide. “Ward, this woman.... There are latent energies here that are unlike anything I’ve seen before. Ever.” 

“Are Lennox and Nox responsible for that?” Ward mumbled, finally coming to a stop in front of Celine. A sense of awe and fear flooded him at the implications.

“Maybe? Who knows with those two. Or maybe they stumbled upon something or someone much older than any of us realize. I don’t know what to make of her.” 

Ward ran a hand through his hair. “We must awaken her safely and find out who she truly is.” 

“First, I should treat her injuries,” Celine said. “Pain can impair judgment, if you know what I mean, and we do not want this being’s judgment impaired.” 

As his healer examined the hunter, Ward stepped back, his gaze lingering on the unconscious figure. She was a puzzle wrapped in an enigma—her scent alone was a tangled web of paranormal entities that should not coexist harmoniously within one being. 

Who was she?

Yet here she was, breathing and very much alive despite the myths and rumors suggesting such a combination should be lethal. 

Celine glanced up from her examination. “Her physical injuries are not fatal—bruises, cuts, minor concussion—but it’s what I can’t see that worries me. There’s magic in her blood... something powerful, Ward.” 

Pucker Up Monday

It's not what you think. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I'd start the week off right for ya.