Happy Birthday, and Anniversary, and Holidays, Oh my!
Wow, what a year 2020 has been, right?!?
I hope y’all are doing as good as can be expected ❤ I’m sending wishes to everyone for a healthy, peaceful, easy December, and beyond.
If you need an ear, or a shoulder, I’m always available. It may take me a few hours, or so, to get back to you, depending on time of day, but I’ll respond.
Email: AmberKallyn@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AmberKallynAu…
Sending blessings to all ❤ ❤ ❤
Over here has been… long. #sigh LOL
I’m hoping the stress part eases up soon. Due to the distraction of everything, I just recently realized I missed my 10 year publishing anniversary, October 2020.
So, with my birthday coming up soon, plus all the many holidays recently and upcoming, I wanted to say thanks to all of you for being here and following me, by having a Super Sale ❤ ❤
My bundles are at least 1/2 off, now through January 13, 2021.
(Note: Kobo Only: sale begins 12/18, sorry! But, Heart of a Vampire #1-3 will be only $0.99 from Dec 18, through Jan 4, for a Boxing Day Promo Sale, then will be bumped up to half off)
Wow, has it really been 10 years?
Burned, book 1, was published October 2010 by Changeling Press (Use the link to check them out), a lovely publisher who was the first to take a chance on my writing.
The bundle, Books 1-4, including the short story, #1.5, is on sale for only $4.99 (USD)
AMAZON B&N/NOOK iBOOKS KOBO GOOGLE PLAY
***
Heart of a Vampire
Bloodstorm, Book 1, was first published Spring of 2012
HoaV, bundle #1, Books 1-3
On Sale now for only $2.99(USD)
AMAZON B&N/NOOK iBOOKS KOBO GOOGLE PLAY
More Heart of a Vampire, on Sale 🙂
The second HoaV bundle is only $3.99 (USD)
Books 4-6
AMAZON B&N/NOOK iBOOKS KOBO GOOGLE PLAY
***
Have Amazon Kindle Unlimited?
Planning to read Red’s Wolf?
The Red’s Wolf series is currently FREE to read in KU, however, it will be pulled out and republished to ALL RETAILERS after Dec 18, 2020.
Read it now for FREE
Best,
Amber Kallyn ❤
Spread the Word
Freedom to Read Giveaway!
Wishing all the best month possible 🙂
I know things are uncertain and stressful right now, but hopefully you have time for the escape of reading. I’ve got some goodies for you, below.
Get a ton of Free e-Books, and sign up to win one of two Kindles, along the way!!
From LitRing:
Reading is a wonderful privilege. It offers not only a wealth of knowledge but also a much-needed escape from the stress of everyday life. LitRing understands how important this is, and that’s the inspiration for the Freedom to Read Giveaway.
Head over now to get your FREE e-books, and while you’re there be sure to enter the giveaway, too. Two lucky bookworms will each win a Kindle Fire. How awesome is that?
Happy reading, and good luck!
~ Best wishes, Amber Kallyn
Spread the Word
Paranormal & Fantasy Romance Freebies
A bunch of authors have gotten together a made a list of their currently FREE Paranormal and Fantasy romance books.
Check them out HERE
Kindle Unlimited
Amazon is still running their special, you can get 2 months FREE of Kindle Unlimited.
This allows you unlimited reading of any and all books currently in KU (Kindle Unlimited), for FREE!
***
You Don’t need a Kindle to use Unlimited, you can download the free App on any device – I read on my phone 🙂
***
I’ve moved two of my series into KU, so feel free to check them out if you’re interested.
Red’s Wolf
My entire Red’s Wolf, volumes 1-8
(Including both bundles, 1-5, & 6-8)
Menage Me (MMF)
.
Also, you can check out and read my MMF Menage Me series
Spread the Word
Amber Kallyn’s New Release
Bladestorm
Release: May 4, 2020
Only $2.99
Buy From 
She’s running scared, afraid to open her heart. He won’t give up until he proves to her that love can heal.
As an empath, Shana Wilder keeps most people at a distance. Last year, when she learned the paranormal actually exists, she lost friends, and nearly her own life. Now, more vampires and other creatures are wreaking havoc on Phoenix’s city streets. More of Shana’s friends are dying. And the only person she can turn to is a man who makes her yearn for things she long ago decided could never be for her.
Sebastian Lucerne never wanted to be a vampire Master, with all the headaches that come with the job. But when Phoenix needed to band together, to stop evil’s spread, he took control. Unfortunately, dark magics are spreading through his city, once again. Nor can he deny that one of his top concerns remains the stubborn, sexy, and far too distant Shana, who refuses to let him further into her heart.
Sebastian swears to keep her safe, along with the rest of his city. He’ll stamp out the murderous Rogues, and then, will somehow find a way to reach Shana. Assuming their enemies don’t take them down first.
EXCERPT
CHAPTER ONE
Shana Wilder usually loved nightclubs.
The glitzy glimmer.
The loud music thumping through the air.
Not necessarily the overwhelming emotions—primarily joy, but also hints of love, or lust—that always sank into her, when she was around large crowds like this.
But with this many people surrounding her, Shana could, mostly, block the rush of others’ feelings and emotions. Stop the overwhelming flood, and change it into nothing more than a small trickle.
Tonight, however, she enjoyed nothing about Black Dawn.
Shana shoved through the huge, converted warehouse. Past the numerous tables, staggered around the edges of the large, wooden dance floor.
She ignored the pounding rock music. Refused the urge to tap her foot.
Continued to stride towards the bar.
Halfway there, some guy slung an arm around her waist. Jerked Shana to his side. “Heya, baby doll. Dance with me.”
Alcohol, heavy on his breath, made her nose wrinkle.
Shana despised the fact that her body’s first instinct was to freeze. A near silent, pitiful cry of panic escaped, from a dark corner deep inside of her.
Then, the split-second passed.
She found the control she’d worked hard to gain this past year.
The man’s emotions flooded her, but were nothing more than a blur of drunkenness. He couldn’t overwhelm her.
More importantly, his touch didn’t set off anything else inside of her, either.
“No, thanks,” she replied, and tried to pull away.
His grip tightened. “Aw, baby. Don’t be like that.” He swept his gaze over her outfit—a paint-stained tank top, and equally used, ratty and stained, jeans. Her long, white-streaked, black hair was pulled up into a messy knot.
Then the drunkard shrugged. “Let’s dance.” He again jerked her arm, trying to pull her out onto the dance floor.
“Let me go,” Shana demanded.
He weaved around people, ignoring her except to yank her a few more feet further.
She informed him, “Last chance, asshole.”
He merely jerked on her arm again.
Done with it all, she slammed a boot on his instep. Threw an elbow into his gut.
Doubling over, and breathing heavily, the guy shouted, “What the fuck was that for, you bitch?”
“Your refusal to understand the word No.”
He reached to grab her again, his expression reddening in anger.
So Shana shot a knee into his groin.
He doubled over again, this time nearly falling to his knees. Wheezed, “Fucking bitch. You’ll pay for that.”
Before Shana could respond, they were both surrounded by tall, muscled bouncers, all demanding to know what had happened.
In short order, the bouncers assessed the situation.
Then they hauled the guy out—probably to have a long chat with him regarding appropriate behavior while inside of Black Dawn.
The owner of this club didn’t allow assholes like that in here, for long.
Shana finally reached the bar. Slapping one hand on the carved wood, she caught the nearest bartender’s attention. “Is he here?”
Grace, tall and thin, nodded. Her blonde hair, pulled back in a ponytail, bounced happily, when her gaze flicked to the wall, on the far right of the warehouse, that split the club area from where the back offices and storage rooms lay.
The bartender replied softly, “He’ll be out in a minute. Anything you want to drink? It’s on him, like usual.”
After the confrontation with the drunken guy, and her adrenaline starting to fade, what Shana really wanted was a nice, stiff, double-shot of something hard.
But she needed a clear mind for what was coming.
One of the other big changes in her life this past year.
Shana no longer used the mind-numbing relief of alcohol and drunkenness as a crutch, a way to ignore the emotions she always got from others.
And, the rest of what she sometimes felt.
Saw.
Their deaths.
Shaking those thoughts from her head, Shana only told Grace, “No, thank you,”
Then she sat down on one of the stools, her back to the bar. She watched the large place, unsurprised at how many people were here. A glance down at her paint splotched clothes, and she sighed.
It wasn’t exactly the type of outfit for a packed club on a Saturday night.
Not that she’d planned on coming here.
An hour ago, Shana had been in the middle of a new painting, when her apartment’s doorbell rang. Dragged from her art, she’d opened the door.
Only to find a special delivery courier with a few very large packages.
Five minutes later, she’d stared down into the open boxes—all full of expensive oil paints, stacks of sketchpads, brand new, top-of-the-line brushes, and other costly accessories, always in short supply for her.
Shana hadn’t needed to look at the note to know who’d sent them.
Sure enough, the card had read only, Sebastian.
Before she knew it, her temper had spiked beyond control. She’d left her apartment. Had driven, hell-bent, to his nightclub.
If the security guys at the door didn’t know her, she’d never have gotten inside—especially not bypassing the entire wait line while she was at it.
A humming frission itched along the back of her neck. Shana’s gaze swept the crowd.
And landed on one guy, sitting on a nearby bar stool, staring at her with a fierce, dark, scowl.
Shana looked him over uninterestedly.
He wasn’t why she’d come here.
Still, if he lost the anger tightening his expression, he’d probably be handsome, with his sandy blond hair and blue-green eyes. He could stand to lose some of the cowboy look, too.
The t-shirt and boots were fine, but the western hat was over the top.
Not that she had a lot of room to talk, while wearing her paint-stained work clothes.
He continued to stare at her intensely.
Shana scowled back. “Got a problem, buddy?”
His voice was gravel, harsh and deep. “You look… well… you look like someone really familiar.”
“Bad pickup line. Heard it before.” Her sarcasm flowed, heavy and thick. “I’m not here to find a date. And even though Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy might be a catchy song, I’m not about to saddle up.”
The cowboy’s eyes widened.
His tumultuous, overpowered emotions blasted her.
Unprepared, Shana clenched the edges of her barstool, feeling the full effect of his shock—swiftly followed by a rush of his embarrassment.
Trying to pick her up was the furthest thing from his mind.
Shana finally managed to shove out his emotions. Return to the dimmer echo of the happy clubbers.
The cowboy downed his drink. Scrubbed one hand over his face. He stared down into the empty glass he clenched tight, between his hands.
Her curiosity stirred. She turned sideways on her stool, to face him fully. “So then, who is it that you think I look like?”
For a long moment, he didn’t respond.
Didn’t move.
Finally, he met her gaze once again.
Shana gasped and involuntarily leaned away from the guy.
His eyes had changed. Crimson ringed his pupils. Streaked through blue-green.
Vampire.
His expression hardened even more, etched with nothing but an angry misery. “I don’t know. I can’t remember,” he growled. “And that’s the hell of it.”
He jumped off his stool, and hurried off.
Goosebumps prickled Shana’s neck. She silently watched him disappear into the crowd.
Until his scent—musky male and expensive cologne—hit her. Wrapped tightly around her senses.
Her heartbeat thumped.
Her mouth dried.
Heat rose in her belly. Caressed her veins.
Large, warm hands settled on her bare, upper arms. His tall, muscled body pressed deliciously against her back.
Electric impulses sparked any and everywhere he touched her. Lust zinged straight to her core. Shivers slipped down her spine.
But, along with the usual heat, also came the usual, creeping fear.
Shana hated her own weaknesses.
Any weakness.
She especially hated this one.
Sebastian Lucerne bent closer to whisper at her ear, “Good evening, darling. A welcome surprise to see you here tonight.”
Shana jerked away from his stupidly-enticing touch. His compelling scent. She spun around on her stool.
And glared up at the nightclub’s owner.
Sebastian was a good half-foot taller than her own five-seven. Since she was sitting, Shana was forced to tilt her head back.
It was a struggle to ignore his annoying handsomeness.
“Lucerne,” she replied.
Stiff. Formal.
His dark hair fell soft and loose to brush just past his shoulders. The color was a mix of varied shades, blacks and browns. Even free around his face, it didn’t hide his sharply masculine features.
Or the scar on the right side of his face. Starting between his temple, and the corner of his eye, a wide, jagged line curved down, to his jaw.
It made him appear fierce.
And very, very dangerous.
Sebastian’s usual slickly tailored suit, and tonight’s blue silk tie, couldn’t hide the sense of contained power always emanating from the man.
He leaned back a little, enjoying her attention. A hint of a grin played over his wide, nibbleable mouth.
Shana blinked.
Looked away—before he caught her in his mesmerizing, always changing, always captivating, hazel gaze. Right now, his eyes happened to be more blue than green-brown.
The husky undertones in his deep voice were hard to ignore when he asked, “How are you tonight, darling?”
Shana managed to shove back the rising heat, the sweeping lust, he always, instantly made her feel.
Somehow.
Getting to the reason she’d come—which sure the hell wasn’t seduction—Shana agitatedly replied, “I’m just fine. But what do you think you’re doing?”
His mesmerizing gaze twinkled. “Grace. A white zinfandel, please.”
The bartender handed over a ready, chilled glass of blush wine, already having anticipated the request.
Shana sighed.
It was the same song and dance, every time she came here.
Not that she ended up here all that often. Especially lately. Still, it was far too often for her peace of mind.
“No, thank you,” she only replied.
Both Sebastian and Grace looked crestfallen.
Shana grabbed the damned glass. “Whatever. Fine. Thanks.” Then, she poked a finger at the silken trappings covering Sebastian’s wide, muscled chest. “We need to talk.”
His grin bloomed into a full, warm and welcoming smile. “You’re going to yell at me some more? Well, it’s better than being avoided and ignored, I suppose. I take it my package arrived?”
Sebastian took her free hand, courtly placed it on his forearm, and tucked her close against his side.
She didn’t resist him, leading her along the bar and toward the side door that led to the back offices.
She concentrated on ignoring the heat, rushing in her blood.
Drawing closer, Sebastian whispered near her ear, “Enjoy your wine.”
She hastily took a small sip. Blamed her sudden spike in temperature on the crowded club.
While Sebastian’s touch might affect her—that was hard to completely deny—it didn’t send her reeling away from reality, as most people’s did.
He was one of the few people she’d met who didn’t give off a roar of emotion. One of the few completely silent to her.
A small oasis of calm, in a vast—endless—overwhelming noise.
Unfortunately, that meant everything he stirred within her could only be her own growing feelings for the man.
CHAPTER TWO
Shana remained quiet, unresisting, while Sebastian courtly led her across the club’s main room. Finally, they slipped into the much quieter back hallway.
The moment he shut the door behind them, Shana jumped onto the topic of the business at hand. “You can’t keep paying for things for me, or trying to give me presents, or—”
Sebastian cut her off once again.
This time by pressing his hot mouth to hers.
His tongue caressed, swept between her lips, in a dance of hungry need. He deliciously tasted of brandy, and lust, and male.
Flames rose hotter, higher.
Desire flooded her senses.
She swayed toward him. Nearly lost her wineglass.
Before she could try to think, or to jerk away, Sebastian pulled back.
His eyes were lit with crimson, bleeding over hazel flecks of blues, greens and browns. “I’ve missed you.” This time, the husky undertones in his voice sent Shana’s heartbeat drumming. “Why do you insist on trying to avoid me, lately?”
She stepped further away from him, pretending he didn’t always, near-instantly, make her body hum.
Make her want.
Make her terrified of the hunger, the heat, spreading through her from head to feet.
Worse, were the emotions, growing, throbbing in her chest.
Always feeling so very off-kilter, Shana never knew how to respond when he nudged her about this kind of thing.
So she went with her usual.
Avoided it. “I’m serious. You can’t keep sending me gifts—”
“This one wasn’t a gift, exactly.” Sebastian took her arm again, continuing along the wide hallway.
Confusion streaked through her. Hesitant, she asked, “What do you mean, not a gift?”
He only crooked one dark brow.
Silently led the way.
They passed a few open doorways. One revealed a large, kitchen-type, break room. Another showed a stretching rec room, with sparring mats to one side, weights and other gym equipment scattered through the rest.
Just one small reason all the employees here looked to be in as good of shape as their boss.
When they reached Sebastian’s office, he waved her inside.
A wooden desk, with a couple cushiony visitor chairs, took up the right side of the room. Behind the desk stood cupboards and shelves, overflowing with books, business ledgers, and trays of paperwork.
On the left was a less formal sitting area, with a small coffee table, circled by oversized, plush recliners, and two sofas, all inviting a person to sit.
Get comfortable and relax.
One day, Shana might actually ask Sebastian if he ever did business on the left side of his office—or if it was merely a front, for naptimes.
Beyond the furniture, nearly every inch of the walls were dominated by flashing blades. From swords that made Shana itch to touch, to arrays of throwing knives, and just about everything in between.
She’d seen Sebastian demonstrate his throwing skills once—and had been blown away.
He could peg a target at over a hundred feet with some of the blades he routinely carried, hidden beneath his expensive suits and colorful, silken ties.
A love of sharp, shiny things was one they shared.
Still confused, and a bit uneasy, Shana perched on the edge of his neat, ordered desk.
Reading her well—like he usually could—Sebastian gave her some distance, and sat on one of the large, fluffy recliners. His suit tightened across his wide shoulders. His thick arms.
Shana took a hefty swallow of her wine.
Ignored the spiking, spearing heat inside of her.
Again trying to return to the reason she’d come, she demanded, “If the painting supplies you sent me aren’t a gift, then, what are they for?”
Sebastian sighed, a low, frustrated sound. The crimson streaks in his eyes brightened. His wide mouth tightened.
Tension rose. Prickled the hairs at the back of Shana’s neck.
He closed his eyes, then straightened. His tone turned business-like. “Black Dawn would like to commission you.”
She stared at him for a long minute in shock and surprise.
Along with growing confusion.
The man was certainly good at making her feel unbalanced and unsettled. Voice low, she demanded, “You’d like to do what?”
“Commission you. You’re an artist of great talent. I sent the supplies as a down payment, if you take the job.”
For a long moment, all sorts of things raced through her mind, but none of the thoughts would actually click together. “What job?”
“I wish you to design, and paint, four murals. One for each of the main walls of the nightclub.”
The club was huge.
All four walls?
She slowly moved to one of the chairs in front of his desk.
Sank onto it, with her back to him. “Commission me? But I’m not that well known. And no one’s hired me for such a large job, before. Certainly not commercial—”
“I don’t care about well-known or extensive experience. I care about talent, which you have in spades.” Sebastian strode around and behind his desk.
He sat in his chair, and stared at her, with a collected, almost disinterested, expression.
His usual calm coolness pricked at her temper.
Despite the grinding in her gut, over too many warring thoughts—the exposure something like this would bring, the experience, the pay would be nice, too—the loudest was the idea that her talent must surely still be a far cry from what would be needed, and for such large pieces of art.
Finally, Shana quietly replied, “But… I just barely started apprenticing under a master painter. A measly handful of months ago—”
“You take your work to the local art shows, and such, every couple of weeks. Tell me the last time you didn’t completely sell out?”
Shana’s wild speculation, of possibly taking on such a job, ground to a loud, screeching halt.
She eyed him warily. Suspicious. “And just how do you know that?”
“I pay attention to that which I deem important.” Sebastian’s gaze burned with intensity. Crimson bled further over his irises.
A warm shiver traced down Shana’s back.
He continued, a bit gruff, “There’s also the added bonus that you know me. You understand my style—because it meshes so well with your own.”
She ignored the flutters in her belly that he kept causing.
Hurriedly asked, “What type of murals, exactly?”
With a wicked, too-enticing grin, Sebastian leaned forward. Settled his elbows on the desk, steepling his hands. “Four walls. Four elements.”
“Earth, air, water, fire.”
“Exactly. I want each wall to represent one of the elements.”
“Represent?”
“That’s up to you. But I want mystical. Paranormal. This is Black Dawn, after all, darling.” His words held such an assured, and aristocratic, tone, Shana barely caught herself from grinning back at him.
The club was widely rumored to be owned by someone…
More than human.
Not that people actually believed it.
But, just like a haunted house near Halloween, they enjoyed the thrills and chills and spirit of it all.
The fact that the club stayed open from dusk ’til dawn, as their slogan put it, only enhanced the image.
And the revenue.
Which meant the murals would be seen by so many people, Shana could hardly even imagine it.
But…
The artist inside her waffled back and forth, between worry, and confidence.
Sebastian softly stated, “Of course, I’ll pay you handsomely. I spoke with a few people, master painters and such. They all agreed on what a fair commission would be for such a large undertaking.”
He slid a file folder out of one of his desk drawers. Passed it over.
Shana absently flipped open the cover. Found a list with names, and numbers, that didn’t quite make sense.
He added, “I’ll also, of course, provide all the supplies you need.”
She kept reading until she reached the bottom of the first page, and a number circled in blue pen.
So many zeros couldn’t be right.
Shana looked up.
Met Sebastian’s gaze.
He didn’t blink.
She stared at the paper again. It was more than she made in a couple years, with her current jobs.
Constantly picking up other people’s emotions made it a little hard to find work outside the house. Luckily for her, technology let her work full time from her apartment.
And she seemed to be good at it.
Between that, and selling her artwork, she made ends meet.
But…
With this much money from a commission, she could devote more time to painting than she’d ever been able to before.
Her thoughts swung back to the many reasons she should say no.
Mainly, her mind focused on the biggest reason of all. Which happened to be the man sitting across from her, dangling this golden carrot.
She’d been avoiding Sebastian for nearly a month.
Successfully.
Kind of.
She’d barely even thought of him.
Sometimes.
Taking this job would mean no more hiding. A nervous tingle raced along her nerves. Her stomach quivered.
Doubts about the whole idea tumbled faster.
Sebastian tensed, his gaze flaring bright crimson. He hastily told her, “Don’t answer now. Take a few days. Think about it. Whatever you need. Talk it over with your teacher, if you wish.”
Shana’s mentor, a master painter from Europe, would be a great person to talk to, she figured.
Even if waiting left the possibility—of her agreeing to this—open.
She looked Sebastian over for a long moment. “Fine. I’ll think about it. But no promises.”
His eyes lit with a near glow.
Crimson faded back to greens and blues and browns. “Bring me any of your ideas, whenever you’re ready.”
“If I decide to take the job.” She had to fight back a sudden giddiness. Her imagination was already exploding with fantastical ideas for the project.
“Of course, darling. If you take it.” Sebastian smiled, slow and easy, his tension fading. He returned to the calm peacefulness that radiated from him when he was relaxed.
Sometimes, Shana enjoyed it.
Usually, with the turmoil he always stirred inside of her, it was irritating.
She stood up abruptly. Set her mostly untouched wine glass on the top of his desk. “I’ll be in touch. Either way.”
Sebastian, he of old-fashioned manners, immediately stood up along with her. “Allow me to see you out.”
Waving him off, Shana headed to his office door. “It’s a straight shot down the hallway. I’ll be just fine.”
She closed his door softly behind her. Then leaned against the wall, taking deep gulping breaths.
Was she seriously considering saying yes?
It would stretch her abilities to the limits.
While part of her continued to shout that she was ready for this, another part kept insisting she was not. But, it wasn’t the art that scared her the most.
She shoved away from the wall.
Hurried down the hall.
Tomorrow was her usual Sunday afternoon tea with her mentor. Lady Diana would let Shana talk everything through, pointing out both sides of the issue. Help her come to a decision.
And if she did decide to take the job?
Well, she’d just keep ignoring and avoiding Sebastian Lucerne.
She’d been doing fine so far.
Mostly.
Buy From
Hope you enjoy,
~Amber
Spread the Word
Looking for Free Reads?
| How to read a TON of books for free! |
| Amazon is running a special right now, you can sign up for 2 months FREE of Kindle Unlimited.
This allows you unlimited reading of any and all books currently in KU (Kindle Unlimited), for FREE!
LOOKING FOR NEW READS? Here’s a list of promotions of free KU Reads–Romance and Paranormal, plus Sci-fi and Fantasy books.
Also: Red’s Wolf I’ve moved two of my series into KU, so feel free to check them out if you’re interested. Menage Me (MMF) My entire Red’s Wolf, volumes 1-8 (Including both bundles, 1-5, & 6-8)
Also, you can check out and read my MMF Menage Me series
|
Spread the Word
Happy Valentines and Free books
Happy Valentines, Lovelies!
Sign up to get 45+ free Fairy Tale stories!
Multi-Author Giveaway Event
Click to get your free Fairy Tale books and stories from 45+ authors!
Feb 15-Mar 15, 2020
Get a Free copy of Red’s Wolf, Volumes 1-3
Who said Red’s afraid of the big, bad wolf?
Once upon a time…
Samantha Grant never believed in monsters roaming about the dark, forbidding forest just outside her village. Until the night she and her love are attacked beneath the full moon. Then, Sami learns just how true Gran’s old tales really were.
With new adventures Beginning, and Changes on the way, Sami and her love, Jonah, are forced to face true evil. One willing to do anything it takes to fulfill his Obsessions, and get his Revenge.
A paranormal romance retelling of the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood. Each volume is like an episode of your favorite TV show. This bundle includes the first five volumes. Settle in and enjoy the ride!
Best ~ Amber Kallyn
Spread the Word
Now Available! Heart of a Vampire, bundle 2 (Books 4-6)
AVAILABLE at All E-tailers: Buy From Amazon B&N Kobo Apple Google Play
This is a book bundle of the Heart of a Vampire series, Books 4-6
Magicstorm, Book 4
When a mortal cop is forced to delve into the paranormal, only a Viking vampire can save her soul.
Detective Celeste Wilder knows who she is—a damn fine cop. But when the recently dubbed Cult Killings start back up, this time targeting the city prostitutes she’s sworn to protect, Celeste is thrown into a world of paranormal creatures she never believed existed. Murderous monsters out to stop her from uncovering more of their secrets.
Brandon Wulfgar knows something is off the moment he sees Celeste, valiantly fighting for her life against a group of rogue vampires. When he’s asked to work with her—stop the local murders, while keeping the woman safe—he figures no problem.
As the undeniable connection between them grows, and danger appears from every side, Celeste and Brandon will have to trust one another for more than just their lives.
Firestorm, Book 5
A Viking vampire must face his tortuous past to save the woman who holds the key to his future.
Eric Wulfgar escaped from twisted dreams, only to find insanity following him into reality. Feeling like a shell of the man he once was, his King’s orders to help a New Orleans vampire clan might require more than he can give. Duty offers him no choice but to leave the shadows, and return to the living.
Cat Bienville is frantic. Someone, or something, is stalking the vampires of New Orleans. When the missing turn up dead, with no explanation why, and her Sire disappears, she runs out of options. Left in charge of her vampire coven, Cat knows her duty is to keep her people safe. Only, she’s not prepared for help to come in the form of a chauvinistic male, with such a tattered soul.
When friends may be foes, Cat and Eric must find balance with one another, in order to unveil the evil in their midst, even as a bigger threat darkens the horizon. Yet, Cat’s past may fracture their growing bonds. How can she give Eric her heart, when her deepest secret may be more than he can ever accept?
Demonstorm, Book 6
A vampire half-breed must save the only woman who can help him heal both sides of his tattered soul.
Half-demon, half-vampire, Sean MacDougal is an outcast, considered an abomination and unwelcome by most—simply for the blood that runs in his veins. But when the Arcaine world finds out a war is brewing that will affect all paranormal creatures, Sean may be the only one able to rescue a demoness who holds desperately needed answers.
Used for centuries as the pet Seer and Prophetess of the demon who destroyed her family and home, Mayah is rescued by an intriguing half-breed who asks, rather than demands, her assistance. Unable to trust anyone, she pretends to agree, but only if he first helps rescue her brother, held prisoner deep in the frozen wilds of Alaska—even as they both know their actions will lead to a showdown with a terrifying monster, and all his dangerous creatures.
Becoming a protector fulfills an emptiness within Sean he never knew existed. Being protected makes Mayah feel safe for the first time in forever. Hunted by an entire demon army, led by the one who will do anything to get her back, Mayah and Sean must learn to trust in themselves, in one another, and in the emotions sparking between them, no matter how hard they try to resist.
~Enjoy 😀
Amber
Spread the Word
Amber Kallyn’s New Newsletter
Sadly, my newsletter list was deleted by the service I used to use, and I’m unable to get those emails back.
If you were previously signed up to receive my book news, you may not be any more.
#SoVerySorry
I’ll be sending out lots of book news in the upcoming months, so if you want my book news to come straight to your inbox, make sure you’re still signed up 😀
Click HERE to sign up!
~ Amber
Spread the Word
Maggie Tideswell and A Convenient Marriage
Please help me welcome author Maggie Tideswell to the blog today. She’s got some goodies to tell us about.
A Convenient Marriage, releasing October 13, 2016!
The idea of two complete strangers getting hitched has always intrigued me, for one simple reason—why would they do such a thing? Could such a relationship succeed? By successful relationship, I understand not only the longevity of the marriage…but is it possible for the participants to actually fall in love with each other in such a strange arrangement? Love is found in the most unexpected places.
A Convenient Marriage grew over a number of years. The basic story was simple—a divorcee with two children, an ex-husband being difficult over visitation, as well as a fiancée unable to commit. Holly’s friends suggested that she needed a new husband, placing an advert in the paper for one behind her back. Joshua was struck by a simple plan when he saw the ad and responded to it.
Why would Holly marry a man she’d never met, and why would Joshua respond to an ad for a husband, then actually propose to a woman he had never clapped eyes on? So, in came the dawdling fiancée, Nicole. Both Holly and Joshua were justified in not planning the marriage to be a real one, because they each had an agenda of their own, but Nicole was the injured party. For their plan to succeed, they had to marry—the real kind, down to that all-important piece of paper married—and they had to seem to be totally in love with each other. That it is all a scam, only they would know.
And here comes the ‘but’. Holly and Joshua’s plans go awry from the moment they meet on the steps of the chapel where their fake marriage is to take place, when both recognize the immediate attraction. Back at Joshua’s wine estate—yes, he is a rich landowner where Holly expected him to be a pauper—Holly meets Joshua’s mother, his brother and sister-in-law, and Nicole, the fiancée, who found out about Joshua’s duplicity in a room full of people. No one can blame Nicole for being a tad upset. Or can they? To add to Holly’s woes, she seems to have acquired a ‘ghost’ demanding she tell a story.
Amidst Nicole’s shenanigans, Joshua’s mother’s disapproval, Holly’s ex’s aggression, and the ghost following Holly around, will these two accomplish what they set out to do? Or will life get in the way?
Joshua’s and Holly’s journey through the uncharted seas of a blind marriage, where no rules apply, is a stormy one. Place your order here:
About the Author
Maggie Tideswell lives in Johannesburg—South Africa, with her husband, Gareth. She began writing when her kids were still very young,
squeezing a few paragraphs at a time between the hectic schedule of raising three children, and working full time in the catering industry. She wrote many books before considering having them published. Now that the children have all made lives for themselves, there is more time for writing.
After much experimentation, Maggie writes passionate paranormal romance, of varying levels of heat. The paranormal, things that happen for which there are no logical explanations and ghosts are of particular interest to Maggie. What events in a person’s life would prevent that person from ‘resting’ after death? The ‘Old Religion’ is another special interest. And love, of course. Why do people fall in love? What keeps them together for a lifetime when so many relationships fail?
Maggie’s advice to aspirant novelists is two-fold. Never give up, and write every day. Writing is a craft that has to be honed with practice. And the only way to practice writing is by doing it. And a bonus, never stop reading your favorite genre. Reading it and writing it is the only training for a writer.
“Maggie Tideswell’s latest novel, A Convenient Marriage, will have you turning pages as her characters cope with a marriage of convenience, well-meaning but nosy friends, a meddling ghost, jealous exes, and more. My advice: Make room on your Keepers shelf for this story!”(Loree Lough, best-selling author of 107 award-winning books, including Harlequin Heartwarming’s “Those Marshall Boys” series.)
Spread the Word
A new Heart of a Vampire ~ Coldstorm *New Release*
Coldstorm
Heart of a Vampire, book 7 by Amber Kallyn
Release: April 26, 2016
Only $2.99
Buy From 
After centuries alone, can two vampires accept that sometimes love is worth the risk?
As a Judge, Anca Fieraru’s duty is to eliminate problems for the Magic Council. Her current assignment–find those responsible for the recent slaughters in Moss Creek, Arizona. To track a local vampire traitor and continue the hunt for the supernatural killers she must utilize the one thing guaranteed to give her a necessary edge–her Romani magic. Unfortunately her use of magic and lethal judgment sets her at odds with her new partner, a sexy, stubborn clan vampire. Their fiery clashes remind Anca there’s more to life than holding others at a cold distance.
Doctor Matt Dixon has spent centuries healing others in atonement for his own heinous crimes. Never mind they were committed while fighting the Arcaine monsters that lurk in the dark. After killing those responsible for destroying everything he ever loved, he’s finally found a place of peace in the Moss Creek clan. Until death once more found its way into his life. Ordered to work with the Magic Council’s deadly assassin, he soon realizes there’s an intriguing woman beneath Anca’s icy façade.
After spending centuries unable to trust, both vampires gave up hope long ago. But when Matt and Anca are together, whispers of love intertwine with fate. They must overcome the horrors of the past and learn to trust one another, before the present danger consumes them and all they care for.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
A dark stench lay heavy on the forest air. A gray pall discolored normally vivid earth magics. Death had visited this place recently. Quite a lot of it.
And more would likely soon arrive. By her hand.
Anca Fieraru–vampire, and Judge for the Magic Council–slipped silently through the trees. Surrounded by mountains, sunset came extra early here. Evening shadows shifted through branches to camouflage the ground in black and gray patches. The immense forest welcomed Anca as one of its own, bound to nature and the earth’s spirits as she was.
Less than an hour earlier, she’d taken the highway leading out of the nearby sleepy town of Moss Creek. Parked at one of the few scenic overlooks, she snuck into the territory of the local vampire clan. Bypassing massive gates and guard stations along the only road leading to their fortress, Anca instead headed the back way.
The excessive number of guards hiding in the trees didn’t surprise her.
The warriors she silently slipped past radiated age, and power. Like Anca, the weakness brought on by the day was most likely ignorable, especially as the sun sank further toward the jagged peaks on the horizon.
Just one of the many vampire myths she remained glad–even after a handful of centuries–that fact didn’t always follow fiction. How limiting to only prowl at night.
More obstacles attempted to stop her. An inner block fence topped with spikes running through the forest, perhaps their entire property. Two ensnaring protective wards created by a very powerful witch.
The wards would stop most people.
Anca wasn’t most.
She snuck around another hidden sentry. Her senses–and the magics of the forest and the earth–pinpointed his location. A bit later, a glint of metal caught her eye. Another camera. Even a clan as old as this one used electronic security nowadays.
Anca skirted its line of sight and continued on, closer to the stone castle towering less than a mile away now. The fortress was right out of the middle ages. Quite incongruous in these Arizona mountains, but right at home in clan lands.
She stepped lightly, soundlessly.
Lines of earth magic radiated out like glittering threads of an endless spider web. The spirits of the earth danced around Anca, constant companions since her youth long, long ago.
Childlike forms of magic and light, the spirits embodied the powers of the earth. Yet, in this place, they were restless. Like the forest’s magics, a dull, almost filmy sheen of grayness darkened the spirits’ normally colorful hues–the jeweled green of spring leaves, the ruby of fall, the pure glowing white of snow, the golds and purples of a warm sunset.
The spirits brushed against Anca, their touch just a bit heavier than the air, like a warm breeze. They fluttered her dark peasant blouse, rubbed against her jeans, played with the cherished sword at her hip.
The saif, a short curved scimitar, pulsed with power. Her tată’s magic, imbued in the sword he’d forged. The power hummed along Anca’s senses. Attracted the spirit’s curiosity.
She hurried on toward her destination, her passage disturbing nothing, just as her tată had taught her long ago. Her father’s kind eyes–once always laughing before the time of trouble decimated their Romani people–came to mind.
“Romani can flit anywhere without notice.” His booming laugh was a sound she could barely remember. He’d always add with a sly wink, “The patient thief is as a tree whose root runs deep as he waits for the sweet fruit.”
Though she was no thief, Anca continued on, patient and steady until the forest thinned. The castle loomed just ahead.
Her senses tingled at the presence of so many vampires inside the place. Anca moved even more patiently, holding her tată’s words close to her heart.
With flashes in her path, the spirits guided her to a stop near a long row of hedges lining a sprawling garden. Few vampires wandered the twisted, twining flowers, and those remained distant from her path.
The spirits whirled around her and filled the air with blossoming scents from the gardens. A hint of memory tantalized her, a familiar perfume she couldn’t quite place.
A flowery scent from her childhood.
Romanian peonies? Flowers known to grow only around the mountains from her childhood home. Why would they have such rare blooms here in this place?
With light nudges on her shoulders and tugs on her hands, the spirits drew her along the hedges, closer still to the castle.
Until a calloused grip fell on her shoulder.
She stopped, slipping a hand to the hilt of her curved short sword. How had she not sensed someone’s approach?
“Hey, there. Don’t think I’ve seen you around. You part of the clan?” A youthful crack in his voice broke the last word.
Instead of drawing her saif, Anca fixed a friendly smile on her face and slowly turned.
Then had to look up, and up.
He was a least a foot taller than her own five-two. Fourteen perhaps when he’d been turned. And only a few years since that event, judging by the small flickers of vampiric crimson in his gray aura. Confirming his youthfulness, the boy’s aura also held brilliant threads of pure white. At his mortal age, he’d been damn lucky to survive the change at all.
Anca’s muscles tightened, vibrating with anger. Her thoughts spun.
She’d been assured the local vampire King was a man of fairness and decency, one who upheld the Laws of the Magic Council.
Including the ancient decree to never turn a child.
So why did he have this vampire?
The kid’s eyes flickered with hints of suspicious worry at her too-long silence. His grip on her shoulder was certainly strong. But nowhere near a threat. Not to her.
Anca widened her smile and struck an innocent pose, even going so far as to pull her long dark braid over her shoulder and twirl it around her fingers as she’d seen mortal teenage girls do.
The kid’s tension fled. He grinned back easily.
“Hello,” Anca said. “I’m here to see Jordan MacDougal.” Believe the innocent look, kid. She didn’t want to have to rough up a child. But she couldn’t risk him spreading the alarm about an intruder on clan grounds.
He let go and stepped back. “A visitor? That’s rare lately with all the extra security Jordan’s been ordering.” He glanced around, a scowl teasing his features. “Why didn’t the guards show you to the castle?”
Still playing with her hair, Anca waved at the trees. “I asked to be allowed to see your beautiful grounds.”
“Oh. I can take you to Jordan then.” He stuck out a hand and stepped closer. “I’m Robby.”
“Hello, Robby.” She ignored his outstretched hand and kept her tone soothing. “If you don’t mind, I’d really prefer to enjoy the forest a bit longer.”
“All right.” He grinned cheerily, as if he had no plans to leave.
Repressing a sigh of aggravation, she watched him watch her. Maybe her innocent act wasn’t working with this one.
“Alone,” she added.
Shadows flashed in his guileless eyes. “You afraid of the King?”
“Should I be?”
Robby shook his head. “Jordan can be scary, but he’s a good guy. Just don’t let his yelling fool you.”
Anca laughed lightly at his attempt at a joke.
He continued to grin. Still didn’t budge.
After a moment of silence, she nodded politely before walking away. Robby’s gaze burned the back of her neck for a long minute, until the trees hid her from his view.
Shaking her head, she turned her attention back to the earth spirits. They pushed her faster toward the castle.
Why hadn’t she sensed the kid’s presence? The spirits hadn’t warned her, either.
She’d slipped past all of this place’s powerful defenses. Yet this young teen had managed to not only spot her, but sneak up on her, all without triggering any of her usual warnings.
How?
She followed the flickering spirits, her thoughts worrying over Robby, unsure what exactly to make of the boy.
Minutes later, the hedges ended at the castle walls. The last rays of the lingering sun disappeared behind the mountains, drenching everything with the dark of twilight. Between the trees and bushes crowding alongside the stone, the spirits led her to an open window on the ground floor.
A voice drifted out. “…been months, damn it.” The man’s words rang with despondence, and beneath it, anger.
Cautiously, Anca glanced inside, staying mostly hidden by shadows and the thick, old-fashioned wooden window frame.
On the other side of a very large room, a vampire paced in front of an old wooden sideboard, covered in what appeared to be dozens of miniature paintings. He was thin, almost to the point of emaciation. Sandy blonde hair and cold blue eyes enhanced narrow, Nordic features.
He spoke again. “How much longer must I bear this? Five months. Luci’s still gone.” His aura shone with bright vampire red in a smoky gray, glinting with flashes of emotion.
Someone else sighed.
In a pair of antique chairs all the way to the right, in front of a large fireplace. One of the chairs had been turned to face out at the room. And in it sat a second vampire. Blond, with a regal bearing and strong features, his elegant suit and casual pose gave off the appearance of a relaxed man. The tic in his jaw, the dark light in his blue eyes, told a different story.
The power of his aura was nearly blinding. Flecks of crimson, and a silvery-green she’d never seen before swirled in a light gray. A wash of his magic swept the room. Over her. An itchy pressure over her skin like thousands of marching ants.
This could only be the King of the castle, and Master of the local clan. Jordan MacDougal.
His reply held a strong assurance. “Leo, we will get your sister back. I swear it.”
A sister? It was rare enough for a turned vampire to rise, even more so for blood relatives to survive the change. She was finding all sorts of oddities here.
“When?” The younger vampire slowly turned, as if ancient and every movement brought agony. He looked at the King with so much despair, Anca felt his pain from where she crouched.
MacDougal stood up and crossed the room to lay a hand on Leo’s shoulder. “Soon as we can.” His voice thickened with a Scottish brogue. “I swear it, lad. No one is giving up.”
Leo started to speak, didn’t manage a sound. He cleared his throat. “One of these days, Luci’s going to be…” He choked, then mumbled, “Find her dead… Tortured. Gotta get her out,” he ended on a strained whisper.
Anca swallowed past her tight, heating throat. She knew all too well the excruciation that came when forced to face having a loved one, family, being captured by the enemy. Worse was finding them brutally tortured to death. Knowing you hadn’t been able to stop it, to save those you loved.
It was enough to crush one’s soul.
MacDougal replied, “We are searching everywhere.”
Leo started to shake his head, a flash of something in his eyes Anca couldn’t quite see. His shoulders slumped and he slowly nodded. “I can’t… I just… It’s killing me.”
“Aye. I understand. You’ll continue to be kept informed of everything we find.”
Leo nodded again, a bit more hopeful. He bowed before turning and leaving the room.
The King turned and strode back to the unlit fireplace, staring at the soot-blackened stones in deep thought. With a weary sigh, he turned his chair toward the wall like its’ match, and sat down.
His gaze never left the fireplace.
Anca continued to study him. This vampire, both a Master and clan King, seemed reasonable. Decent. Caring. All that she’d been told.
But she’d not be able to trust him at all without an answer to the question burning inside of her. She leapt up, landing catlike and quiet on the wide windowsill. Soundlessly, she stepped down to the floor, and crossed the room.
She stopped a good ten feet behind the King.
Letting a small taste of her power seep from the cloak she constantly hid it beneath, Anca pushed the magic of her position into her words. “Why do you have a child vampire?”
With a bellow, the King jerked to his feet and rushed her.
“Halt, Warrior. I was sent by Endulpias.”
The name of one of the Magic Council’s Elder vampires stopped his very large, grasping hands only inches from her throat. He straightened, looking her up and down. “You are a Judge from the Council?” he asked softly.
“I am.” Keeping her expression coldly neutral, she stated just as deceptively soft, “This will be the final time I ask. Why do you have a child vampire?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “The boy came to me that way.”
“From who?” she demanded.
Rubbing his jaw, he assessed her. “It doesn’t matter now. His old Master is dead.” His face, his eyes and voice all projected truth. More importantly, so did his strange aura. Anca relaxed the slightest bit.
As if he’d read her carefully hidden anger, and now its cooling, the tension billowing from him eased as well. He looked her up and down with a critical eye, and then laughed heartily. “The Magic Council sent me a babe. How old were you when you became a vampire?”
She’d been nearly twenty and in her time, very much an adult. Anca stood to her full height, ignoring the fact that he towered over her.
Used to being taken lightly due to her small stature and appearance, she replied, “The Council ordered a Judge sent to assist with your recent problems. Do you wish to question my abilities?” For the briefest of moments, she opened the cloak hiding her magic a little wider. Let him feel more of her power.
The King’s eyes flared crimson for an instant. Then, like a patient predator, he stepped back. A hint of a smile played at his lips as he bowed his head regally. “My apologies. I am Jordan MacDougal, local Master and clan King. Welcome to my territory. We graciously accept your assistance.” He sounded sincere but his words dripped with sarcasm.
Anca understood. Was used to it.
He needed help, but didn’t necessarily like being forced to take it. Like all the Masters she’d worked with over the centuries, he’d either accept her, or force her to prove her strength. Anca would deal with his choice when it came. And if his decision was to fight, well, she’d yet been the one to lose.
MacDougal waved her to the chairs in front of the fireplace, wordlessly offering her a seat. Tipping her head politely, she settled lightly in the one beside his.
After a long moment, he reclaimed his seat. “May I ask how you got in?” The too-casual question hung in the air.
Anca raised a brow. “I’m a Judge. I have been for quite some time. Though I may look young, my power isn’t to be trifled with.” She continued, gently but without the slightest waver. “The Magic Council has heard disturbing rumors from Arizona. Out of control problems, both here in Moss Creek, and down in Phoenix. I’m here to solve what the Council considers the larger, and more immediate threat. That would be your town. I’ve read the reports from the last year or so, but I’d prefer first hand details if you’d fill me in?”
He spoke of an unraveling truce and growing problems with the local pack of wolf shifters. An endless influx of dark Rogues. “A master vampire who utilized black magics came to Moss Creek a while back.” MacDougal’s fists clenched. The wooden arms of his chair creaked threateningly. “Best I can figure, Thomas Montgomery thought to overthrow me and take control here. While he and many of his creatures were quickly dealt with, a few remaining followers have managed to stay stubbornly hidden while continuing his work.” His expression flushed with shadows of regret and self-castigation.
Once he’d brought her up to date on the most recent murders, MacDougal fell silent, staring at the banked fireplace. Long moments passed before he met her gaze. “All the recent problems have thrown the local Arcaine into a chaos we’re still climbing out of.”
Anca calculated a few things. “So you’ve been battling on two fronts, the pack and this dark vampire’s leftovers?”
“Aye. And something tells me that there are more secrets waiting to surprise us. You know most of mine after reading the council reports.” He studied her. “I do wonder what your exact orders are?”
She hesitated, but everything so far said she could trust this man. MacDougal was a Master, true. But he didn’t seem to be one of those who’d become corrupted by power.
Instead of answering, she said, “Connor Gregory has spoken much of you and your clan. He told me you are trustworthy.” A fellow Judge, Connor was also related to the king. A cousin or something.
“Why didn’t you tell me you came with a recommendation from that old bastard?” MacDougal barked a laugh as he sat back, this time truly relaxing. He waved a hand. “Go on.”
“The Council ordered me to eliminate the remaining members of Montgomery’s clan. Connor added a secondary request.”
MacDougal stiffened.
Anca pushed on. “He spoke of your sister’s betrayal, and how, even after she was turned over to the Council, the security here is not what it should be.”
His face could have been etched from the same granite as his home. “Does the Council know about the traitor within my clan?”
Having done as Connor asked and kept it quiet, she replied, “No.”
MacDougal breathed a sigh of relief.
Searching for additional answers, she said, “Tell me of Leo and his sister.”
“I won’t bother to ask how long you were eavesdropping.” He pinned her with a powerful look.
Though she didn’t blush easily, for some reason, heat crawled up her cheeks. She’d only been doing her job. So why did his stern stare make her feel like she had long ago, caught by her tată while trying to be sneaky?
The King replied, “Leo and Luci are rare blood relations. They’ve been with me nearly a hundred and fifty years. The Rogues took Luci late last fall, while Montgomery was still alive. She’s one of the few captured back then that we weren’t able to find, to rescue.” His shoulders slumped, the heaviness of responsibility he felt suddenly tripling in weight.
“How many of your people do they still have?”
“That we believe are alive? Three.” His tone was low, weary. “Even one is too many.”
“Why do you think they’re still alive?”
“Because they haven’t been dropped off in town, with signs of being killed in dark rituals, like the others.”
The answer chilled her to the core. Hopefully, she’d be able to ease the burden for him. For his clan and all the other local Arcaine affected by the dark magics permeating this place. She was going to find these Rogues. Put an end to their depravities.
And there was the other matter. The personal favor for Connor Gregory. She’d try her best. But in order to do that, she’d need MacDougal’s complete cooperation.
Would she get it?
Without looking away from him, she told him matter-of-factly. “If I cannot find your traitor before I leave, I will be required to report the breech to the Council.” Laws were what they were, and they had to be followed. Even if it meant the Council would be forced to interfere fully.
MacDougal shot her a calculating look. “Of course.”
Thoughts racing, she started a mental list of the many things she’d need to figure out how and where the Rogues were hiding.
And, there was one more person in town she had to speak with, sooner rather than later. “I need the statements from the recent killings. Your Keeper of the Peace should have them?”
“Shane Spencer. Also town sheriff. I’ll have someone get the reports.”
“Thank you.”
He stood. “I’ll have a room readied for your stay.”
“I won’t be staying here.” Though it was protocol to be offered, in over four centuries, she’d never once accepted.
“As you prefer,” he replied. “The town’s inn then?”
“No.”
Curiosity flickered over his face. “There’s no other place to stay in town.”
“I’m not staying in town.” Whether she told him or not, he’d figure it out. He had a stubborn, must-know-everything type of vibe. “I’m camping in the forest.”
On top of the uncomfortableness being around large numbers of people brought, towns weren’t safe. Anyone could find out your location. In the forest, all Anca had to do was make certain no one followed her to the hidden camp she’d set up, complete with her own unbreakable protective wards, and she’d be quite safe.
MacDougal seemed put out with her reply, but only asked, “Do you need supplies?”
Knowing he was referring to a steady supply of fresh blood, she said, “I do.”
“Our only blood bank is located in the hospital, first floor. It’s on the south side of town. Just tell them I sent you, though as a Judge, you won’t have any problems.”
That wouldn’t work with the slowly forming plan she had in mind. “I don’t want to announce I’m a Judge.”
He paused, assessing her once more. “What?”
“It would be better if I appear as a Rogue, unaffiliated with your clan. And I’d prefer that you tell as few of your vampires–and only those you trust explicitly.”
“You’re not used to small towns, are you?”
“Excuse me?”
“People gossip, is all. But I’ll do my best.”
“If there’s anything else, you can contact me at–”
MacDougal cut her off with a laugh. “If I need to contact you, I’ll find you. This is my territory, after all, lass.” His power flared.
Anca tensed, but this wasn’t the test of power she worried might come–a waste of everyone’s time and strength. Instead, it was more a friendly warning that she was here at his allowance.
She donned a neutral expression and tipped her head the slightest bit.
Acknowledging his rule here.
Just not over her.
***
Matt Dixon sat in his chilly office, finishing paperwork for the surgery he’d recently performed. He ignored the crowd in the room, knowing that if he didn’t pay them heed, they might go away.
Not likely. But might.
He slid another completed form neatly on the small stack at the edge of his desk. A second later, someone tapped on the wood. Matt glanced over. The papers were askew. He realigned the edges perfectly square before continuing to write up his notes.
The top sheet of paper flipped up into the air, tumbling over itself until it landed on the floor across the room, near the door.
Guess this uninvited guest refused to be ignored.
Matt looked over the handful of ghosts lounging around his office. His glare landed on the one messing with his paperwork and demanding attention. “George, your wife survived the operation. You saw her.”
The old man, dead three months from a werewolf attack, stared mournfully. His wife of forty years had been Matt’s most recent patient. Implanting her pacemaker had gone well, but now, the mortal woman needed to rest and recover.
At least with his wife in the hospital, George seemed to have decided to mostly appear as he had in life–a hearty, redheaded lumberjack of a man–rather than the usual lately, as he’d looked in death after the attack.
Most Arcaine believed seeing the dead was a powerful ability. One only a small percentage of vampires acquired.
Matt considered it a burden.
Though he could see and speak to them, there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to help. He didn’t even know why they remained. Only that he’d only ever seen a concentration of ghosts in the same area where they’d died. Like George and the others wandering the hospital.
And like all spirits, ever voiceless, George picked up the paper and slapped it against the door.
Matt shook his head. “She needs rest. She’ll wake in the morning and not beforehand. Be patient.”
George shook his head jerkily, not caring for Matt’s reasoning. The ghost flung the paper at the ceiling. It fluttered a moment before floating to the floor. George picked it up and threw it higher, again and again.
With a quiet sigh, Matt turned back to his notes. When he finished, he carefully slid the paperwork into the appropriate folder, crossed his office, and snagged the last sheet from the air in front of George.
Even though the ghosts couldn’t be felt, at least not by anyone mundane like him, Matt stepped around George out of politeness as he left his office. In the hall, he slipped the paper in its proper place, then tapped the folder to exactly align the edges.
George followed, passing through the door to join the few ghosts in the bright, sterile hospital hall. The spirits eerily floated above the floor, wandering ever aimlessly.
Matt ignored them and headed down the corridor, George at his side, staring mournfully.
Moss Creek was fairly small, but with all the Arcaine living nearby, the hospital stayed busier than it should. With the wounded, and far too many deaths.
The handful of doctors who worked in town shared two secretaries. Inside their office, Matt dropped his folder neatly into the in basket on the first desk. Back in the hallway, he found George had left. Most likely off to look after his wife while she slept.
Matt returned to his office, but when he reached for the doorknob, a growing lethargy stopped him, leaving him blankly staring at his nameplate. Exhaustion rolled through him. He rubbed his face wearily. The letters of his name blurred and doubled, then cleared, before blurring again.
He should go home.
Get some sleep.
With all the recent butchery, thanks to the Arcaine Rogues trying to hijack Moss Creek, he’d spent far too much time working, and too little time sleeping. He checked his watch, startled it was almost eight p.m.
He’d been on shift nearly sixty hours between scheduled patients and emergencies. While he didn’t need much sleep, he required at least some. He’d be no good without rest. In fact, he could be dangerous to a patient right now.
Unacceptable.
Decision made, he turned and headed for the blood bank that serviced the local vampires. He needed to stock up at home.
A few corridors from the always open bank, a sweep of power washed over Matt.
Unfamiliar vampire power.
The few ghosts in view stopped moving as if they too felt it. Almost as one, they turned in the direction of the blood bank.
He’d never seen such a reaction before.
Matt walked faster until he was nearly running.
He knew all the clan vampires.
This wasn’t one of them. And if there were visitors for his King, he’d have been told. Which meant this might be one of the Rogues. His entire clan was hunting those damned Arcaine.
The luck to have one walk in here.
He careened down the last hall and around the final corner.
Magic crashed against him like a brick wall, freezing him in midstep.
Across the wide lobby, by the blood bank’s glass doors, stood a tiny woman. Long raven hair, so black it had a glossy nearly blue shimmer, fell in a thick braid down her back. Dusty skin spoke of exotic blood.
The thick magic tightened like a noose around Matt’s throat, his chest, his limbs. Magic that he couldn’t place, other than the hint of a stranger. And vampire.
As if sensing him, the woman glanced back over her shoulder. Above a pert nose and bow-shaped lips twisted in a scowl, her eyes were a smoky blue.
Something inside Matt stirred when he met her gaze.
Desire. And…
A hint of fear?
Perhaps, though it made no sense.
She was just a tiny thing.
In an instant the overpowering magic fled.
Straining as he had been, Matt stumbled forward a few steps.
With a soft gasp, the woman turned to face him fully. The magic must not have been coming from her. She didn’t seem all that strong. If he’d have to guess, she was maybe a decade old as a vampire, and that would be stretching it.
Exactly like reports about some of the Rogues hanging around.
Instinct rose. Matt growled harshly.
Stranger or Rogue, it didn’t matter. She had no right to be in his clan’s territory. But he’d solve that. An interrogation by his King would ferret out any secrets.
In less than a breath, he flashed across the wide lobby.
Her eyes widened imperceptibly, a ring of red bleeding around gray-blue irises.
Matt grabbed her shoulders. Slammed her back against the nearest wall. Before she could react, he shoved his power over her, a special type of sedative-like magic he’d perfected during long centuries.
The woman’s eyes slid closed. She slumped forward against his hold.
Hefting her over his shoulder, Matt spun on his heel and left the hospital.
Buy From
iBooks link is now live, though they errored on my cover art. Getting that fixed now 😀
Enjoy! 😀
~ Amber
Spread the Word
New Releases: Meet Sunny Branigan (Ménage Me Trilogy~Out Now)
Happy Holidays from my house to yours!
This year will only be my second time cooking the turkey for Thanksgiving, we’ll see how it turns out LOL.
I’d like to introduce you to my newest Trilogy, all three parts are Out Now 😀
***
Meet Sundance Branigan…
Will she choose the safety of logic, or follow her shattered heart to unquenchable desire?
***
Ménage Me Once
(Part One)
Until recently my life was nearly perfect. I had a well-respected boyfriend who didn’t tangle me up in any messy emotions. A shot at showing my bosses I’m perfectly capable of handling every aspect of the job I’d worked a decade to earn.
Now I’ve been dumped, my job’s being sabotaged, and to top it all off, my sister has once again decided to set me up. This time, she gives me what she believes my heart craves, a ménage à trois. Bain Croften and Josh Jonstone are two undeniably sexy hunks. Their flirting not only reignites my hidden desires, it threatens to wake my emotions kept under lock and key.
Logic rules my waking life. These two men bring a dangerous passion to my dreams.
But love can only lead to agony, a lesson I’ve learned well. And taking a chance on Josh and Bain means ruining everything I’ve worked so hard to build.
Caught in the midst of confusion, I must choose.
Do I listen to my head, or my yearning heart?
AVAILABLE at the following e-tailers:
***
Ménage Me Again
(Part Two)
…Turmoil and confusion have taken over my life. The problems at work are getting worse, and my bosses hold me responsible. With each new catastrophe, keeping my job is becoming less and less of a sure thing.
My personal life isn’t doing much better.
Josh and Bain are two provocative men I can’t get off my mind, and like an addiction, I crave more. Hot yearnings fill my dreams with intense sexual fantasies. They’ve breached my emotional walls, and refuse to let go. I’m not used to the way they force me to feel. To need.
When my safe and predictable ex-boyfriend sweeps in with a proposal that would not only solve my problems at work, but help me secure my lifelong goals, the right choice is no longer clear. Torn between a solid, secure life without troubling emotion or the sudden demands of my heart, do I turn my back on what I’ve spent a decade creating?
It’s too much to accept, knowing how love always turns into crippling, torturous pain. So why can’t I ignore my inner desires and choose my perfect ex-boyfriend?
Suddenly, logic doesn’t seem so enticing anymore…
AVAILABLE at the following e-tailers:
***
Ménage Me Forever
(Part Three)
…My problems at work are a tsunami threatening to lay waste to the rest of my life. Shadows seem to watch my every move, as if someone is out to get me.
The only calm in the storm are Bain and Josh. The tenderness and passion they’ve brought into my soul. Making a choice between their offer of intense depthless love, or running fast and far before it can break me, is becoming more impossible every day.
But nothing permanent can last between us. Not just because of my strict and structured, logic-driven life. Icy terror fills me at the idea of accepting their love. Intense emotions are mere illusions, hiding a lurking devastation. I can’t survive such a fall again.
I should ignore the nightly dreams that bring indulgent fantasies of Josh and Bain. I must ignore the blossoming hope in my heart. No matter how much it leaves me aching, I will figure out a way to follow my head, and walk away from the two men who’ve managed to become my whole world.
Because if I don’t, the life I’ve worked so hard to claim will crumble, taking us all down in a tangle of broken hearts and shattered souls.
AVAILABLE at the following e-tailers:
***
I hope you enjoy spending time with Sunny, Josh and Bain as much as I did 😀
~ Amber Kallyn
Spread the Word
Labor of Love bloghop with Amber Kallyn ~ win a #kindle #ebooks
From sweet to dark, divas of romance work their fingers to the bone for your reading pleasure in the Labor of Love Bloghop from 9/4-9/6. Come join us and enter to win a Kindle with new, heart-pounding titles just for you!
Happily ever afters only come after heart-breaking work.
This Labor Day weekend, we are celebrating our written labors of love by giving our readers a chance to win a brand-spankin’ new Kindle loaded with ebooks!
So here’s your chance, just click the link below to enter our giveaway:
Don’t forget to checkout my own personal giveaway below 😀
I will draw (3) winners to claim your choice of (1) of my single title eBooks
The world of Vampires can be a dark one, but even the monsters of the night can be lonely and need love. Join them on their journeys if you dare…
****NOW FREE****
Buy from Amazon B&N/Nook Smashwords Kobo Apple
When duty forces a shaman to stop a vampire from her revenge, love doesn’t just burn… it bites.
For two hundred years, Niki DeVeraux has been tracking the monster who murdered her family and made her a vampire. She finally catches up to him only to face more than she bargained for in a too-sexy sheriff who makes her remember she’s still a woman. With duties as Keeper of the peace and Sheriff, Shane Spencer must protect humanity and stop the friction between the local Arcaine races before it turns into an all out blood war.
When wolves start turning up dead, the tension between the races grows and suspicion falls on Niki. Shane knows she’s not to blame, and it has nothing to do with the primal urges she stirs within him. Working together, they must stop the hostilities from going over the edge. Trouble is, the desires raging between them might prove more dangerous than the surrounding threats.
Reviews
“If you like kick ass females, and magical males, then you will definately enjoy this” ~The Book Diaries
“Kallyn does a great job of building suspense and undeniable attraction and leaves you dying to know what’s next for these characters.” ~ParaYourNormal
“This book was jam packed with action and sexual tension.” ~Bibliophile
And because I don’t want your To Be Read pile to wither away over the holiday weekend, THREE lucky commenters will win a copy of YOUR CHOICE of any one of my ebooks!
Let’s celebrate your greatest accomplishment! Just post your favorite accomplishment in the comments below and I’ll announce the winners on 9/7. Please make sure you leave your email address so I can contact you 😀
Thank you for join joining our Labors of Love Blog Hop. To see who’s participating, click the link below and work your way through our participating authors:
Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…
Spread the Word
Nab Jami Gray’s SHADOW’S EDGE Free for a Limited Time! #freeread #uf #pnr
Nab Jami Gray’s SHADOW’S EDGE Free for a Limited Time! #freeread #uf #pnr
“This fantastic paranormal action novel is quite possibly the best book I’ve read this year. I could not put it down, and had to exercise serious self-control to keep from staying up all night to finish it.“ – The Romance Reviews, 5/5 stars
“This book has everything in it, you have your Fey, Demons, Witches/Wizards, and Shifters. What more could you ask for?! Plus you have a great story to follow. The story and characters flowed so well together, it was like watching a movie in my head! Book 2 here I come!!” – Paranormal Romance & Authors That Rock, 5/5 Fangs
SHADOW’S EDGE: BOOK 1 OF THE KYN KRONICLES
Everyone fears what hunts in the shadows—especially the monsters…
When the supernatural lurks in the shadows of the mundane, hunting monsters requires unique skills, like those of Raine McCord. A series of deaths threatens to reveal the Kyn community and forces her to partner with the sexy Gavin Durand.
As the trail leads to the foundation haunting Raine’s childhood, she and Gavin must unravel lies and betrayals to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.
Now available Free in eBook format at: AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / BLACK OPAL BOOKS / ARe / SMASHWORDS / iBOOKS / KOBO / SCRIBD
READ AN EXCERPT
Ryder stepped in front of her, stopping her short. “Damn, Natasha is never wrong,” he teased, running an appraising look over her.
(Raine) didn’t have the patience to deal with cocky little demon frat boys and cursed herself for asking, “About what?”
He gave a low, evil laugh. “You, of course.” He stepped closer, deliberately invading her personal space. She froze, while her muscles vibrated slightly as if ready to strike. Unaware of how close danger stood, Ryder continued, “You like to live dangerously.”
She gave him a sardonic look. “I hate to be bored.”
“She didn’t mention you’re another prime example of why you don’t have to be male to have stone cold balls.” He pushed, testing her, like some naughty child. But she wasn’t anyone’s mother.
Raising her gaze, she met his smirk. From the up close and personal view she currently held, she saw the signs of latent handsomeness. His ability to grow into that promise was currently up for debate. Only a breath separated them and in her right hand, she held her wrist blade a hair’s breath away from his groin area. Her voice dropped a notch, “If you don’t want to lose yours, you’ll step back, little boy.”
His eyes flamed red for a second as he looked down to see her blade perilously close to his own set. He stepped back, but not before flashing a taunting grin and raising his hands to indicate his was unarmed. The tension between them broke when Xander called her over to see what she discovered.
Heading to the tracker, Raine shook her head. She hated dealing with demons. They were such a pain in the ass, always pushing the limits until someone bled. Frat boy from Hell better have some serious skills or when this was over, she and the demon queen were going to go a few rounds.
Now available Free in eBook format at: AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / BLACK OPAL BOOKS / ARe / SMASHWORDS / iBOOKS / KOBO / SCRIBD
If you want to play in the shadows, continue the adventure with Jami Gray’s Kyn Kronicles:
Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams. She can be soothed with coffee and chocolate. Surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and two female labs moonlighting as the Fur Minxes, she escapes by playing with the voices in her head.
Come stalk Jami at any of these fine locations:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Google+ / Amazon
Amber Kallyn 