Best-selling author Libby Kay’s sweet
fireman romance Flash Point is a bad boy redemption story perfect for
fans of B.K. Borison’s Lovelight series.
Javier “Javi” Ortiz never has trouble finding a date. The confident
fireman enjoys the perks of no-strings hook-ups and his bachelor lifestyle. Yet
when a certain blonde moves to Pinegrove, the idea of casual dating fizzles
out. Javi is finally ready to settle down, but will he be able to charm his way
into her life? Or will his reputation ruin his chance at real love?
Lola Peabody has given up on love. She doesn’t have time for men and
their empty promises, especially with her hands full being a single mom and
running her own photography business. Her plans do not include finding a man,
even a charismatic fireman who treats her and her daughter like queens.
But Pinegrove is a small town, and the pair can’t stay away from each
other. From photoshoots and romance book club to quiet walks in the woods, Lola
and Javi spend more and more time together.
Could this be happily ever after? Or
will their romance burn out faster than a five-alarm fire?
Never before had Javi held a woman in such regard, kept a woman at arm’s length as they got to know each other. While the notion would have chafed before, now it made perfect sense. He’d do whatever it took to make Lola comfortable, happy.
Javi wasn’t certain, but the stars shone brighter as he looked up at the night sky. He liked to pretend his mamá was looking out for him, that the twinkling stars were her way of keeping in touch.
“I love you, Mamá,” he said up into the ether as he leaned back against his deck railing. “And I think I’m falling for someone—you’d love her.”
Well, Javi really didn’t want to lie to his mamá. He wasn’t falling for Lola, he’d already fallen—hard.
Check out the rest of
the series for more smoldering sweet romance!
Libby Kay lives in the city in the heart of the Midwest with
her husband. When she’s not writing, Libby loves reading romance novels of any
kind. Stories of people falling in love nourish her soul. Contemporary or
Regency, sweet or hot, as long as there is a happily ever after—she’s in love!
When not surrounded by books, Libby can be found baking in
her kitchen, binging true crime shows, or on the road with her husband,
traveling as far as their bank account will allow.
Libby cohosts the Romance Roundup podcast with Liz Donatelli
where they recommend romance books and interview authors, influencers, and
publishers. Check it out for your weekly dose of romance!
First
of all, congratulations to all of the 2026 Grads! You did an amazing job, and
all the best to you and your future endeavors!
Unveiling: New
Author Logo!
Happy
Canada Day to my fellow Canadians. Canada turns 159 this year, meaning we’re
about 91 years behind our American counterparts. Happy Fourth of July to our
American pals, if you are celebrating this year that is.
Anyway…
Since
it is my nation’s birthday, I thought it would be the perfect day to unveil the
new, updated author logo with my new author tagline. If you know me, and know
my signature colors (as well as my sexuality), you’ll get the color scheme. If
not, well, I hope you like the colors!
I
drew the rose myself, on canvas paper and painted it using acrylic markers.
This is not generative AI. If you know me, you know I hate that slop and would rather
never draw again than go near it. So please, anyone who thinks I can’t draw or
I suck at it, can go shove their heads up their wazoos, because I can draw,
whether they like it or not.
I
went with purple because it’s my favorite color. Purple roses have become my
signature as an author and as an artist. Silver, black and white are the other
three of my main colors but I’m adding greens to it too, notably two specific
shades. Ironically the color scheme is for the asexual flag but I didn’t get
that until 2 years ago when I clued in I was ace. I’ve had that color scheme
for a few years now and it’s odd how things lined up. The green represents my
status as aromantic, demi-romantic to be exact. I don’t have romantic feelings
for anyone without a strong bond of friendship first… And well, we all know
that asexual means I don’t find anyone sexually attractive. Big “meh” on that
too. I know, it’s weird considering I write steamy romance books.
Here’s
a couple of photos of the actual process of me drawing the rose and the
template I used for it, as well as the final drawing.
I
chose the new tagline “Romancing Nova Scotia” because I’m
sick of having a longer one – “Sexy Romance, Nova Scotia Style” doesn’t suit me
now, like it did a few years ago, so it was past time to change it. Many thanks
to my pal Dawn W. on her input and critique of the art, as well as the final
logo itself!
Any
books I release as an indie author will have my personal logo on or in them
somewhere. This will show it is an official story released by my production
company, and that logo will be in the book too.
Now
I have to draw a logo for a series I will be writing after His Reasons to Fight is in the final stages of getting ready for
publication. I’m unsure if that series will be an indie one or sent to a
publishing house. I have to see how things go with everything else first,
including Thorns of the Rose.
Upcoming Events:
Pride Week, 2026
I
am walking in the Lunenburg County Pride Parade on July 5, 2026 as an independent
walker with the Lunenburg County Pride organization. As of today, I’m unsure
where we’ll be in the parade itself, but if you are going as a spectator, and
want to wave to me, check the Pride site on Instagram or on Facebook for the
route. Start time is 3 PM local! I’ll be there wearing my asexual colors and
wearing the flag as a cape!
Romancing the
Harbour, 2027:
It
looks like I may be going to my first author convention as an author next year,
if things pan out. Things are just taking off with this new convention, and it
is still in the planning stages. Once we get things finalized with it, and if I
wind up being a participating author (my
first public signing, EEK!), I will gladly share the details once I’m
allowed to do so. I’m excited yet nervous. I’m just glad this is over a year
away, so far we’re looking at October 2027. I have to get copies of all of my
books that are in print, get swag like bags, pens, stickers and more, and
figure out how I’m getting there, as well as what to wear and so on. Eek??????
*head desk* Yeah. This is going to be weird. I’m so shy in real life that I
hate making eye contact (or is that the
autism talking??) and where I have a naturally loud voice I tend to over
compensate and whisper instead of talking for fear of being too damn loud.
Yeah. This should be ultra “interesting” to say the least… I hope I can get a
few pieces of art done too for sale, and show off some of the premades and make
a few sales that way too. Plus networking with other local authors is going to
be fun. I just hope everyone likes me.
Writing and Other
News:
Not
much is going on. I had a second iron infusion in June at the local hospital
and I don’t know if it took or not. I have to get my blood checked to see if it
did improve my ferritin levels or not. When my internal medicine specialist saw
the 6 weeks results of my first iron infusion, I was at 45 (April). Still low,
normal is around 100. So I was sent for a second round. At the start of June,
that number dropped to 16. So it’s a good thing I had another one. I’m now “taking
bets” on how low it will be in about 3 weeks, when I get it checked again. I
have a bad feeling I’m going to be going for an infusion every few months
because my stupid body refuses to keep iron. I am just glad I’m not anemic. The
damn brain fog is bad enough as it is. Anemia would only compound things. Yuck!
So
far, things are slowly progressing with His Reasons to Fight. I did a face
plant into a speed bump with Thorns of the Rose, so I switched back to His
Reasons. It’s not moving fast, due to me being on the go so damn much and Hubby’s
schedule changing in a split second the last while but it’s slowly picking up
momentum. Remember that one word, one sentence, one paragraph is all progress.
At least I’m
writing, and trying to get another book out as soon as I can, despite being so
sick sometimes… Just saying.
Anyway,
that’s it for now. I’ll update as things move along. Hopefully a lot faster now
that I am getting back to my crazy version of normal.
Happy
Canada Day, and I hope all of my fellow LGBT+ community members had a great
Pride Month in June… Thank you again Marsha and Storme for making it possible
for us to have rights now. This “daughter” honors both of you with love.
Since
I’ve been on a Def Leppard kick lately, I’m leaving you with the official video
for their song “When Love and Hate Collide”. I didn’t know this at the time,
but bassist Rick Savage was recovering from Bell’s Palsy at the time of
recording, which affects the muscular nerves in your face, and one side of his
face is at least partially paralyzed from the condition. He’s one hell of a
trooper and one of my favorite musicians of all time. Thanks for the amazing
music, Rick!
The only freedom of man is the freedom of thought.
That is
how human evolution is possible.
Evolution of a man is the development of power
and possibilities
which never develop by themselves.
The Hera-Zeta
Chronicles:
As Above So Below
by Zsa Zsa Tudos
Genre: SciFi Fantasy, Extraterrestrial Time Travel
Somewhere between galaxies, soul contracts, and the quiet
chaos of human emotion, the book casually decided to rearrange your entire
understanding of reality. Rude. Brilliant. Slightly illegal.
The Hera-Zeta Chronicles: As Above So Below doesn’t just tell
a story, it initiates the reader. There’s something deeply
precise about the way Zeta’s earthly path intertwines with Hera’s galactic
mission, like it is not just a fiction, but it is decoding something ancient
and quietly slipping it into the reader’s consciousness. The dynamic between
dimensions, the Alpha & Omega Council, the 12 Magi… it all feels expansive
without losing emotional gravity. And then it is anchored in something so
human: behaviour, struggle, longing, connection.
The story embraces millions of Earthly years in cosmic interrelations
emphasising the roles of earthlings in the Great Matrix and the cycle of
nature. It is not only a book but an initiation of the readers, that can truly
highjack their mind and clear misconceptions chiselled in by hundreds of years
of conscious brainwashing.
The 87 chapters introduce events of the multidimensional life of the heroes,
like the 1st generation Hera, a member of the Alpha&Omega Council, Hades's
wife, and her earthly counterpart Zeta, whose mission is to push the knowledge
and help the Haya Sophia, the Magnum Opus, the Sefer Jezeera. Their steamy love
affair with Hades serves as a good example of passion and deep emotional
attachment.
There are no sharp divisions in the book. The story unfolds naturally, through
which a clear vision of the origin and the true nature of mankind is drawn,
providing allowance for the supernatural capabilities they all
possess and the responsibilities they all bear.
Touching upon the creation and the arrival of people on the planet, the book
introduces the effects of prominent astronomical events, migration, purpose,
the knowledge and the lack of it, through the picture that unfolds after
removing the man-made gap fillers, the stories and false events invented by the
groups in power.
With the help of astral travelling, souls go through star gateways, visit
far-away planets, learn and experience to support the one objective of life: to
raise their own vibration. With the interrelations of energies, it creates a
healthier environment below and adds to the frequency required by the above to
fit into the cycle.
However, as it was clearly stated by Antoine Saint-Exupery in his most
prominent book, The Little Prince, WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS HIDDEN. This concealed
treasure is always Knowledge. Nevertheless, there is a catch. One needs to have
enough to understand the lack of it.
Life is a jigsaw puzzle. However, the board is empty and there is no image to
help you with the design. The only certainty is the interrelations between the
pieces.
My strong desire is to help people understand their lives,
events and become knowledgeable enough to take responsibility for their words,
thoughts and deeds. It is a necessary step towards the Nirvana, called
Happiness.
All the wonders!
With
the chip in her hand, Zeta walked to the round table on the terrace. It was
already cleaned and the black ritual cover was laid out. There were few candles
to choose from and some frankincense was lit on the burner. There was a small,
washed and ironed white cotton cloth for the chip that Zoltan brought back from
his trip.
Zeta
decided upon 3 candles. One small white for the altar, one thick red for energy
and fire and the help of Hades and one thick blue for Uranus. She lit them and
invited the brothers to contribute to the ceremony.
The
small, turquoise, pebble-like recording device was lying there, waiting for the
expert touch.
“Wow,
I have no idea how to handle this one,” pondered Zeta. “Let’s be
logical. Looking at the aura it is organic. If organic, it behaves like one,
therefore cracking it open is not an option. The full moon would help,”
entered Zeta’s mind. “But it is still a week away. There is no time to wait.
I will try the frequencies.”
As she
said that few musical instruments were fetched and placed on the table.
“Logic
dictates that I should use the opposite frequency to irritate the mass to open
up. It is a high frequency energy. I will use deep sounds. The starting point
should be the A sound. For lower vibration, I need to go down by either 5 or 7
pitches to follow the structure of the universe. I go down an octave. This name
is confusing. There are 7 sounds between the two pitches, why is it called
octave then?
They
represent the 7 colours of the rainbow as the 7 natural colours, the 28 days
moon cycle, 7 days of the week and so on. On musical terms they count the
frame. Starts with A and finishes with A. So, the finishing A is the beginning
of another octave. It shows infinity just like the number 8. It could be. But
it is still confusing,”
ran a train of thought Zeta. “This African drum would do the trick,” she
said and hit the leather.
The
pebble moved and its colour started changing however, stopped a minute later.
“All
right. I might need to hit it 7 times in a certain rhythm, like the heartbeat
of the universe.”
After
the last beat the recording device started to show significant changes in its
energy field. A rainbow emerged slowly growing until it covered the table. “I
have to get ready to take notes,” ran Zeta for a notepad and pen.
When
the energy covered the whole terrace, it began to concentrate at a point few
steps away from her, until it formed an almost human-like being, who started to
talk in a warm and deep voice.
“Greetings
Hera. I am the messenger. My function is to deliver the message from the
Pleiadeans. Listen very carefully. You cannot rewind me, I am not capable of
answering questions that form in your mind while listening, and I cannot argue.
I exist
until I speak. After, I become the organic part of the device yet again. The
message is quite lengthy therefore you should make yourself comfortable,” it announced and paused for a minute.
Although Keta is an old planet, human life here is relatively young. In
all of our 5 planets we count humanoid times in the millions, while you are in
the early thousands. That is why souls coming down here still store memories of
our existence, our schools, some of them might have even lived among us.
The
structures of the planet and our physical appearance are almost identical.
However, there is a big difference in our ways of living, and consequently our
way of thinking. From now on, when I say: us, I mean the 3 planets living in
unity. These are: Mekhranat, Muskhat and Mughat. The other 2, Quilwan and
Nowtey walk different paths.
Following that thought, our planets are not visible from Keta. The
stars’ cluster you call Pleiades received its name from people who cherished
the Knowledge and noted everything within the interrelations of energies. These
people you refer to as the Greeks. Unfortunately, they succumbed to the blind
force of ignorance, similarly to the great majority of the planet, at one
stage. I will talk about it later.
Coming
back to the stars, as far as you are concerned, they are named after the
daughters of Atlas and Pleione. The 9 of them together show a close unity.
However, like other stars, these are not equipped to support humanoid life on
their surface. Here, you live in a solar system with a sun at the core, from
where you gain your energy, knowledge and fire. In our case it all comes from
the sisters, notably from Maia and Marope.
The
Haudi solar system, where Keta lives, is an old and wise organic energy mass.
The planets ooze wisdom, especially that of Keta. Knowledge was the main
objective when the decision for establishing a human life form here, was made.
Knowledge shouldn’t be wasted. Without Knowledge the Great Matrix falls apart.
The more the Knowledge the higher the resonance and stronger the Matrix. This
should be an important clue for Keteans. To understand the Matrix of the Universe
and their place within it.
Life is an extraordinary journey. It is full of challenges
and unsolved tasks that are put in front of us on the constantly moving and
changing road towards Nirvana, the place that today we refer to as Happiness.
In my journey, I visited 103 countries, lived in 7, on 4
continents. I learned about the interrelated micro- and macrocosm. I became a
REIKI Master-Healer, an Initiated Witch, an Orixa Shamanic Master, and a
Phoenix Initiated Educator to teach the ancient wisdom of Khem, the Royal Art
of Al Khemi.
Today, I have an established philosophy - I call AKIA - that
explores the interrelations between earthlings and nature, and Earth and the
universe. I have 12 books published and many faithful students. I am an
Intimacy & Family coach and help people to find their purpose. The joy of
seeing them succeed gives me the strength to find new adventures and learn from
new experiences.
I believe that learning is the only way to understand life
and the self within. This unique knowledge makes us or breaks us in the end.
The Mayor is a dog, B&B guests are fugitives, and the pancakes
are burnt.
Recipe For Murder
A Pine Cove Mystery Book 2
by Marla A. White
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Mel O'Rourke traded her LAPD badge for the quiet life,
running a bed-and-breakfast in tiny, quirky Pine Cove.
But when Jackson Thibodeaux, the charming café owner who broke her heart,
stumbles back into town, her tranquil second act is toast. While attending a
culinary academy in New Orleans, Jackson found the body of a classmate. The
police rule it a suicide, but Mel’s instincts—and Jackson’s near miss with a
bullet—scream murder.
Between a cooking school full of shady suspects, a reformed cat burglar for a
sidekick, and a complicated love triangle involving the deputy sheriff, Mel has
her hands full.
Perfect for fans of the sweetness of Jenn McKinlay and the snark of Elle
Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan.
“Dang, woman. You want to take my
certification test for me?” She noticed with no small amount of satisfaction
that, although he’d done a decent job, she’d bested him. Again.
“You’ll do fine,” she teased as she
ejected the clip, put the gun down, and began to reload. Even with the EZ
loader she’d gotten as a birthday gift from her parents a few years ago, she
struggled to get the bullets in. Her father, an ex-cop himself, thought her
lack of dexterity was hilarious.
“Here, let me help you.” Gregg
closed the distance between them, standing so close she felt the heat of his
body. The tang of cordite, pine trees, and the summer blooms scattered around
the outdoor firing range tickled her nose, conspiring to make the moment sort
of romantic as his rough, calloused hands met hers. The thought sent a zing of
electricity through her that she couldn’t quite explain. Before this got any
weirder, she stepped away.
“Gah, I could hear the ‘little
lady’ part of that statement even without you saying it. I’ve got this, thanks
anyway.”
Rather than be offended, he
laughed. They continued practicing their firearm skills for another twenty
minutes until Gregg complained the sound of Mel’s stomach rumbling was loud
enough to be heard even through his protective ear gear. “It’s throwing off my
aim. Are you ready to call it a day?” She felt the heat rise to her cheeks in
embarrassment. “Pizza?”
“You haven’t by chance changed your
stance on the sushi spaghetti combo restaurant, have you?”
He laughed. “No way. You’re welcome
to a sausage caterpillar roll. It’s a hard pass for me. Besides, the pizza
joint carries Redrum beer.”
As they headed to his car, she
teased him. “You can’t fool me, you’re a secret wine lover. And you “know the
name for a type of sushi? I’m impressed.”
She slammed into him when he
suddenly stopped walking. He turned and glanced down at her, standing a good
six inches taller. There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes as he put one
hand out to steady her, the other to her lips. “Shh, I have a reputation to
protect.”
For a moment, it looked like he was
going to move in to kiss her. For a moment, Mel wanted him to. But whatever
spark had been in his eyes wavered to uncertainty, and he ushered her to his
car without another word.
****
“You’d better hope your boss never
finds out you know all the words to that musical or he’ll insist on drug
testing you.” Mel laughed as Gregg opened the lobby door for her, still
murmuring away in a surprisingly pleasant singing voice. She didn’t normally
wait for any man to open a door, but her hands were full, holding the box of
pizza they’d gotten to bring back for the vultures she knew would be waiting
for her at the inn. He held the door with one hand, a bottle of wine they
planned on sharing while binging episodes of a British cop series they loved
gripped in the other.
As she expected, Gemma, Grandma,
and Poppy materialized from the great room at a speed that suggested they’d
been sitting near the window watching for their return. Their grim expressions,
however, made her stop short. “All right, out with it. Why are you three acting
so weird? We’re twenty feet inside the door, and there hasn’t been one smart
ass remark yet. Who died?” When no one answered, a cold dread bloomed in the
pit of her stomach. She might have dropped the pizza if Poppy hadn’t snatched
it out of her numb hands. “Seriously, is everyone okay? Did something happen?
Is it Liam?”
“No, Mel, it’s me,” a voice said
with a distinctly more pronounced Southern drawl than he’d had the last time
they spoke. An exhausted, pale, but determined Jackson emerged from the
shadows, rubbing at his temple as if to ease an ache. “I really need your
help.”
Relief, anger, hope, and about a
dozen other emotions Mel couldn’t identify came crashing down all at once. “I’m
going to need you to open that wine,” she told Gregg.
He twisted the top off with his
bare hand since their favorite brand of chardonnay didn’t use a “cork. “Done,”
he said as he handed her the chilled bottle, the outside damp with sweat.
She took a healthy gulp straight
out of the bottle before addressing Jackson. “All right, out with it. What do
you want, and it better be good after the bullshit you pulled on me.”
“There’s been a murder.”
Framed For Murder
A Pine Cove Mystery Book 1
After a life-changing injury, Mel O’Rourke trades in her
badge for bed sheets, running a B & B in the quirky mountain town of Pine
Cove. Her peaceful life is interrupted when an old frenemy, the notorious and
charismatic cat burglar, Poppy Phillips, shows up on her doorstep, claiming
she’s been framed for murder. While she’s broken plenty of laws, Mel knows
she’d never kill anyone. Good thing she’s a better detective than she is a cook
as she sets out to prove Poppy's innocence.
The situation gets complicated, however, when the ruggedly handsome Deputy
Sheriff Gregg Marks flirts with Mel, bringing him dangerously close to the
criminal she’s hiding. And just when her friendship with café owner Jackson
Thibodeaux blossoms into something more, he’s offered the opportunity of a
lifetime in New Orleans. Should she encourage him to go, or ask him to stay?
Who knew romance could be just as hard to solve as murder?
Mel
gaped slack-jawed at her brother, whose palm covered his face. “Why did you
kidnap Grandma?”
“I
did not—ugh!” He answered from behind his hand before shaking off his
frustration and moving to the back seat of the truck to grab their bags. “Mom
forced me to bring her. That’s what the delay was all about. She’s been driving
her crazy, and then this morning she lit the kitchen on fire.”
“She
what?!”
“I
wasn’t there, so I don’t know exactly, something about the toaster and a
curtain. Anyway, Mom convinced her she should come help you out and halfway up
the mountain she wove this kidnapping story.”
“Help
me? How, by greeting guests with her charming personality?” She loved her
grandmother, but her salutation and scathing condemnation of the inn with just
one glance were pretty mild for the old woman. When she really got on a tear,
the best thing was to go to a movie until she wore herself out.
“Beats
me but pro tip, do not let her in the kitchen.” Balancing the bags in one hand,
Liam enveloped her with his free arm. “At least, not until we make sure the
insurance covers curtain fires.”
“No
need to worry, I just hired someone today who is great in the kitchen.”
He
looked at her askance. “Great as in better than you or someone who is actually
a good cook?”
“Shut
up.” She laughed in response to the insult. “The guests this morning raved
about the food. For however long she stays, I think she’ll be a plus in the
breakfast department, anyway.”
“Where
did you find this culinary genius? Did you put out an ad already?” He held the
door open for Mel and they entered the lobby.
“We
didn’t, she found me.” She looked around. “Where’s Grandma?”
The
echoes of laughter led the siblings into the Great Room where their grandmother
sat in front of the fireplace chatting away with Poppy. They turned toward Mel
and Liam as they entered.
“Mel,
your mother is a hoot,” she gushed.
She
narrowed her eyes at the alleged ex-thief, who had to know perfectly well the
woman in front of her was too old to be her mother. Grandma O, however, took
the compliment to heart and patted Poppy’s hand, gracing her with one of her
rare beaming smiles.
To
Mel’s surprise, Liam skidded to a dead halt. She turned back to see why and
received the icy blast of the unmistakable storm in his eyes. She’d seen the
same dark expression in the mirror when she was furious. What did he have to be
so angry about? Before she could ask, he dropped their bags and launched into
full hissy fit mode.
“You!”
he bellowed at Poppy.
The
brunette seemed sincerely surprised at his response. Swiveling her head to see
who else was in the room and finding no one, she met his gaze and pointed to
herself with an exaggerated, “Who, me?” expression.
Her
brother spun, targeting his rage at her. “Don’t tell me this is who you hired?”
“You’re
only being a grump because you haven’t tried her bacon,” she joked, hoping to
deflate the situation. Years of trying to nail her for any number of jobs she’d
pulled off had frustrated Mel, but she had to admit she always liked her style.
Despite her suspicions when she found Poppy in the lobby this morning, so far
she’d been nothing but charming and kind of fun, so what had she done to piss
off easy-going Liam in the two minutes since they met?
Her
brother crossed his arms, stubbornly jutting out his square jaw. “There’s no
way that woman is working here. She nearly killed you once, I’m not giving her
a second chance.”
“You
two have met?” The information surprised her, so she let the macho b.s. slide
for now. She didn’t need anyone to protect her, but his anger rolled off him so
calling him on his chauvinism skittered close to throwing gasoline on a fire.
“We
had to watch her on the news sound bites, taking her bows for saving your life,
while you lay in that hospital bed, broken and in agony.” Mel had never seen
his eyes blaze with such fury before. She’d been so focused on her own
suffering she’d never thought about what her family had gone through. Liam
clearly had been carrying steamer-trunk sized baggage. “Nobody bothered to
mention she’s the one who put you in danger in the first place. Or that you’re
crippled for life, thanks to her.”
“Crippled?”
Poppy’s brows furrowed, her eyes darkening.
“Easy,
drama queen,” Mel snarled, “nobody’s crippled.”
“We
used to go rock climbing and now you can’t even mount a set of stairs without
getting dizzy.” His exasperation exploded as he paced to the far end of the
Great Room to stare out the floor-to-ceiling glass door at the patio and brook
beyond. What really hurt was he sounded more bummed out for himself losing a
climbing partner than concerned about her.
“Is
that true?” Poppy sprang up.
“I’m
working on it.” Embarrassed by the whole conversation, she busied herself with
tidying the morning newspapers the guests had left strewn around the sitting
area.
“She
nearly killed you, she’s not working here,” Liam repeated without turning away
from the view outside.
Grandma
O’Rourke rose to her feet with more nobility than agility, stood between her
two grandchildren, and pronounced, “I like her, and I say she stays,” before
tottering off to the kitchen in a self-professed search for the infamous bacon.
Of
course, she liked Poppy, she just paid her a huge compliment. Never mind if she
was guilty of what Liam accused her of doing or not. After putting the last
section of the newspaper back in place, Mel noticed the below the fold story on
the front page and tightened her fist until she almost tore the paper in two.
Scientist Killed in Daring Heist
Marla White is an award-winning novelist who
prefers killing people who annoy her on paper rather than in real life. Her
first full-length mystery novel, “Cause for Elimination,” placed in several
contests including Killer Nashville, The RONE Awards, The Reader’s Favorite,
and finishing second in the Orange County Romance Writers for Romantic
Suspense. Originally from Oklahoma, she lived in a lot of other states before
settling down in Los Angeles to work in the television industry. She currently
teaches at UCLA Extension and gives seminars about the art of script coverage.
When she’s not working on the next book, she’s out in the garden, hiking,
cheering on the LA Kings, or discovering new craft cocktails.
“I’m as crazy as an outhouse rat and just as hard to kill.”
Cops in Space
Coletti Warlords Series Book 20
by Gail Koger
Genre: SciFi Romance Action Adventure
Once upon a time, Lexi was a “normal” teenager. Now she’s a
galactic cop with a deadly predator as her boss. She gets to deal with flesh
eating monsters, alien babies, hunky warlords, space battles, and not so bright
bad guys. Plus, the fate of the universe rests in her hands. What could
possibly go wrong? Did we mention the baby? (It’s a boy)
Zarek the Coletti Overlord and Lexi’s uncle gives her the Coletti version of the birds and the bees talk:
“Has your father talked to you about the physical differences between a human male and a Coletti?”
“No.” Where was this going?
Uncle Zarek frowned. “Did he explain to you what happens between a male and a female?”
I stared at him in utter horror. Oh, my, God. He wasn’t going to give me the birds and the bees speech, was he? “Relax I had sex education classes in school.”
“Sex with a Coletti warrior is not the same. I need to educate you on our anatomical differences.”
God, just kill me now. “Do you hafta?”
“Yes, I hafta. Some females find our penis frightening.”
A giggle escaped me. “Seriously? Does it have teeth or something?”
“No.” Uncle Zarek rubbed a hand over his face. “Did you notice the slit in Kaelen’s abdomen?”
I nodded.
“We are a warlike race and to protect our ability to procreate, the Goddess placed our appendages in a shielded pouch inside our abdomens.”
Okay. That kinda made sense. “So, kicking a Coletti warrior in the nuts is only going to piss him off?”
“Exactly.”
What was he being so mysterious about? “Ok, what’s so scary about your man parts?”
Uncle Zarek stared at me for a long moment, and an image formed in my head.
My eyes widened in horror as a snakelike penis with a frill of tentacles around the top slid out of a stomach slit. “Tentacles? Are you freakin’ kidding me? What is it with aliens and tentacles? Ewww.”
“The tentacles increase a female’s pleasure,” Uncle Zarek replied.
The tentacles vibrated wildly like some freaky sex toy. “Oh, hell, no. That is not going inside me. Ever.”
An exasperated frown formed on Uncle Zarek face. “You do not have a choice in the matter.”
“The hell I don’t.”
“Coletti warriors are masters of seduction. Kaelen will simply overcome your reluctance.”
I crossed my arms and said sweetly, “It’s obvious you’ve never dealt with a woman suffering from PMS before. When it’s that time of the month Earth girls are fearless and capable of taking down an armed warrior without breaking a nail. We’re Attila the Hun in a dress.”
“Attila the Hun?
“A conqueror kinda like you.”
Undisciplined
Catalyst
Coletti Warlord Series Book 19
I was sixteen when I found out not only am I an alien
hybrid, but monsters called the Tai-Kok were getting ready to invade our world.
Guess who gets to stop them? Me. How?
My uncle, the mad scientist, created a machine called the portal that
instantaneously sends a test subject from one location to another by converting
them into energy. His idea is to port me onto a Tai-Kok ship. All I have to do
is leave a bomb, hit the retrieval button on my spiffy traveler’s belt and
poof! I’m back on Earth before the Tai-Kok ship goes kaboom. Sounds simple,
right?
Wrong. Uncle Ben doesn’t have a clue where I’ll actually appear on the ship. It
could be the engine room, the crew quarters, or even the bridge. It’s like
playing Russian roulette. The Tai-Kok don’t like surprises or uninvited guests.
To make things even more fun, I have an alien battle commander stuck in my head
and I’m related to a powerful Coletti warlord. Yippee. The chances of me living
to see eighteen aren’t good.
Howdy. My name is Gail Koger and once upon a time I was a
9-1-1 dispatcher. Too many years of wild requests, screwy questions, bizarre
behavior and outrageous demands have left me with a permanent twitch and an
uncontrollable craving for chocolate. I took up writing science fiction romance
to keep from killing people. So far, it has worked.
