As I continue to help a fellow indie author out, here is another great series by one of my fave authors, Leona Bushman! This series is dark, mysterious, and romantic all at the time same time. Grab the first book or all three! You won't be disappointed! Series link: https://www.amazon.com/Darkest-3-Book-Series/dp/B07WZ9SQ22 Here's a taste: From Book 1: Death and destruction haunts The Dark Duke. Left unchaperoned and stranded, Lady Lillian Lancaster has no choice but to find her way home, and quickly before her reputation is ruined. Betrayed by those closest, she’s forced to trust the daring rogue who rushes to her rescue. When the Dark Duke reveals his identity and proposes a false engagement in exchange for further protection, Lillian is concerned and intrigued—yet enamored by the shadows which haunt his eyes and fuel the horrid whispers behind his back. Clarence, Duke of Canterbury, knows his father’s death was no suicide and will stop at nothing to clear the family’s shame. He can’t believe his good fortune when he stumbles upon the niece of the very man he suspects is responsible. Not only does she hold the connections he needs to uncover explicit proof, but the very means to seeking revenge. However, the more time he spends wooing Lillian’s trust, the more he begins to doubt his ability to enact the plan. Can their fake engagement stand up to dark family secrets? Or will revenge win out and shatter both their lives?
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Things have been a little crazier than usual for me, so I do not have a new free short story for you today. Instead I am putting one of my books up for free now-Friday! I apologize if you already have this book, but hopefully I will have something new up next week! And hey, if you don't own Code Black already, free book! Link: mybook.to/CodeBlack Blurb: Sara lives on Key Largo, a place she knows she should have left after the last hurricane but a place she can’t quite walk away from. When warning sirens go off she fears for the safety of her home more than anything else, that is until she realizes that something much more than severe weather is heading her way. When her own government blows up the only escape to the mainland and her neighbors begin to attack one another, Sara learns she can only depend on herself. With the help of her uncle and Cameron, a National Guard Soldier helping her along the way she is now on the run for her life. Harsh realities that she never thought she would have to face are now part of her life. Will she always be on the run and wondering what might have been? As I try to give back and help others during this crazy time, I have been helping one of my favorite indie authors, Leona Bushman who also writes under the name of LJ Bushman for her non-romance titles, by featuring her here on my blog. Today I am sharing one of her mystery series, The Death Caller Series. Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07P6T6SD9 From Book 1: I'm walking to work when this car hits a bus—except I'm the only one who can see it and the bus and passengers are fine. After I get to work, people start talking about this bus load of people who are dead or dying. A little freaked over the incident, I go to the where they have the bus cordoned off. There, the driver of the car finds me, only it isn't any human. It's Death's assistant. Turns out, I'm more than I knew, and now that I've been discovered, there's a lot of people out to hurt me. However, all is not lost as Death puts me under his protection. Lucky me. This is the first in a series of the chronicles of The Death Caller And here is Leona's Amazon page where you can find all of her books! https://www.amazon.com/Leona-J.-Bushman/e/B0098SML0W It's Monday and that means I have another free short story for you. Just my small way of trying to give back during these crazy times. Enjoy! Who Am I Today?
By Sheri Velarde Once I had a name, a purpose, a life. No more. Now I am just the man of many faces. People come and tell me who I am to be today, no one comes for the real me anymore. Does a real me even exist? I doubt it. There is a knock at my door. I answer, faceless and without purpose yet and ask, “Who as I today?” “His majesty is in need of wise council. Please proceed to the throne room immediately.” The squire turned and left and I felt my face forming for the day. I took on the guise of a knowledgeable wizard, at least I knew who I was now. I walked down the halls of the castle and entered the throne room to find the King pacing back and forth. “There you are! I need council. The Elordians are threatening to invade unless I meet their demands.” “What are they asking of you?” “The hand of my daughter in marriage so peace can reign between the kingdoms. A very large dowry. Two thousand mounted men for their army.” The King said, still pacing. “That does not seem like such a high price to avoid war and all but assure peace. Do you have objections to the marriage? Is the prince undesirable in some way?” “Well I don’t know the boy, but he should be a suitable match.” The King conceded. “Then what are your objections?” I asked out of what was expected of me, not out of any real curiosity. “I don’t like the Elordians forcing my hand! I am a King! How dare they threaten me into submission!” “So pride is what is the matter here.” I said, this was not the first time pride had been the issue with this King. He and his father before him had shed much blood due to their pride. Now I feared if I could talk reason to him, though the princess might be an ally here. “Why shouldn’t I be prideful? I am a king!” “As king you must think what is best for your kingdom. Have you talked to your daughter about this? You seem to keep her counsel.” The King seemed to calm a bit. “Yes, go fetch my daughter. She should decide if she wants to marry or not.” “As you wish.” I bowed and exited the room, my face going blank once more as I thought about how to best approach the princess. Who would be most likely to get her to talk sense to her father? What face should I wear to convince her? Who should I be for her? At last outside her chambers I knocked. “Princess, your father wants to speak with you. It’s important.” Before she opened the door I rearranged my face into that of a handsome and kindly gentleman, one a bit too old for her to fancy, but charming enough to keep her interested in his words. The princess threw her door open. “What does he want now? Last night he was going on and on about war. I don’t care for war talk. If he would just keep his temper in check we would never have to talk of it.” She complained. “Well preventing war is what I think you can do. The Elordians have made a proposal, one that includes your hand in marriage, which will all but ensure peace in our lifetime and for many after. However your father’s pride is threatening to ruin this treaty and bring war and destruction upon all of us.” “The Elordians want me to marry their prince? And father is refusing? The Elordian prince is supposed to be the handsomest, wisest, and kindest man that their kingdom has ever seen. Why would my father object? It would make both kingdoms more powerful.” I could see the princess already dreaming of being queen of two kingdoms. “Ah, but it was not his idea, it was theirs. His pride is hurting and he is not thinking about his kingdom, or his daughter’s future. Imagine being queen of not one, but two kingdoms. You and this mythical prince could make them prosper like no others, if only you can make your father see sense.” Squaring her shoulders, fantasy life in her eyes, the princess said, “Don’t worry. I will make my father take this treaty. Thank you for your good counsel.” “I live to serve Your Majesty.” With the princess dealing with the king, I returned to my room, faceless once more. Now to wait to see whom I would be called to be next. Someone once asked me who I was when all alone. Did I think? Did I feel? Not really, I just sit and wonder who I will be called to be next. Later that day another knock, another call through the door, “Your presence is requested in the throne room for a celebration.” Putting on my happy face, wide smile, dimples and all, I opened the door. “Then we shall not keep them waiting.” How easy it is to laugh and tell jokes, to pump up the moods of others while feeling no joy myself. People want to feel good themselves, they rarely think of the enjoyment of other. If I have my smile on, well then I must be happy too right? Ah human nature, only seeing what they want to see. The treaty went through. The princess married and eventually became queen of two kingdoms, though I didn’t see her often after her departure for Eldoria. The years passed and I continued to be whomever the King wanted me to be. Some days I was a jester, others days a wizard, still others a confidant and friend. Never was I ever really me. Then one day the King died and the new Queen and her husband were coming to claim their kingdom. I waited in my room, same as I did every day, for someone to come and tell me who I would be today. A soft knock came, not the usual loud and formal knock of a guard. No call came telling me what face to put on, I didn’t know what to do. Who would break my protocol like this and leave me with no identity to answer the door? That soft knock came again. “Who is it?” I called but there was no answer. Perplexed I did the only thing that I could, I opened the door with my face blank. I was a no one until I knew what I was supposed to be. “Yes?” The Queen stood there a smile upon her face. “Hello there my old friend, it’s been too long.” I smiled. I actually felt my lips form a smile. I had a face. From the way the Queen responded apparently I was her old confidant, her friend. A kind man with a sharp mind who only wanted the best for the kingdom. I remembered now, that was who I have always been, it was an enchantment of the King that kept me locked in my room and faceless without an identity, now that the Queen ruled I was free to be me at last. During these trying times not only am I trying to entertain you with free books and short stories here on this blog, but I am also trying to help out one of my fellow indie authors, the lovely Leona Bushman! So this week I am featuring one of my favorite series from her, her War of the Weres series! If you love paranormal romance like I do, then this one is for you! Series link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075VG2TVT From Book 1: Nolan and Alexandria fight their sexual attraction, but can't deny the pull of being mates, despite a serial murder investigation. Nolan Littlebull is the alpha of the Wahpawhat pack of werewolves, and lead detective on a series of murders of pregnant women from his pack. Torn between human justice and were justice, he travels deep onto the Yakama Resevation, tracking the killers. He is attacked by the rival pack, only to be defended by another from that pack. Alexandria George is the healer for the Lupins. Though trying to hide her ability to shift, she defends the mysterious wolf in their territory from the pack's bully and escapes with Nolan. As if it wasn't enough to be an outcast amongst her own, she now has the complication of having the rival pack being her mate. Together they must find the killer while facing an uncertain future. Can they fight their attraction for the good of the packs, or is it too late to prevent war? I am so happy to announce that the latest horror anthology that I am a part of, Beyond the Grave, is available for preorder now! US: https://amzn.to/2PELlL4 UK: https://amzn.to/2XIGGfq It will be out on August 17th! My story is one of my darkest ones yet, which made it scary to write but I am glad that I did. No one knows what lies beyond the grave, but everyone wants to find out. Dare you dive into these stories to see if you can handle what comes next? The Blood Rat by Daniel Comnenus Bloody Creek by Thomas M. Malafarina Sparśa-vyādhi, Disease by Touch by Shashi Kadapa The Irritant by Danny Campbell Risen by C.L. Williams Captive by Erin Louis Fertility Spell by Harper Raine Six by Armand Rosamilia The Spectral Skeptic by Greg Bennett The Change by Katie Jaarsveld Family is Forever by Sheri Velarde Myopia by Samie Sands It's Monday and the pandemic is still affecting most of us, so here is another free short story! This one will be at least a two parter, so stayed tuned. As always enjoy! A Green Girl on Planet Earth Part One
By Sheri Velarde As I sat in the meeting for all new employees, I realized how out of place that I truly was. Their young and bored faces shined a light on how much older I am, as if the color of my skin in the sea of whiteness wasn’t enough. Add to that only one other woman sat in the meeting and I stuck out like a giant green thumb. No, I did not belong here, but where else did I have to go? This sector was the only one hiring. I had no other prospects and desperately needed money, so here I am. Still, no matter how many complaints ran through my head, I knew that coming to Earth 2 had been the right decision. At least on this planet I could find a job, a safe place to sleep, and I had food to eat. Though I had to admit that my digestive system still needed some adjusting to the rich human food. Halfway through orientation we broke for lunch. With no other Venitians to congregate with, I tried to make small talk with the other lone female in the group. “Hello, I’m Koh. Would you like to sit together?” The woman rolled her eyes, making a disgusted face. “I don’t sit with green scum!” She stalked away, heading towards a large group of humans who stared and laughed at me. Sighing, I went through the cafeteria line, got the blandest food I could find for my stomach issues and found an empty seat. I barely noticed the glares coming from the humans at the table, they hated me for being different and there was nothing I could do about that. Hell I had been an outsider back on my own planet, at least here I knew why people didn’t like me and I could live with that. During the entire training process the only people who would talk to me were the trainers themselves. I sat up front, learned all that I could, answered most of the questions, showed that I was indeed as capable as any human to work in the robotics development program on Earth 2. I had held quite the prestigious position in the field back on my home planet, back before Venit had destroyed itself. Those Venitians that had survived had scattered across the universe, seeking someplace to live and begin again. I had thought that the humans would understand my plight, after all their kind had destroyed the original Earth centuries ago. Apparently not, these people had forgotten what their ancestors had went through and had once again grown arrogant. Once training was over I received orders to report to the highest level of security, I would be working on the robots that would guard the world from the rogue planets in the universe. No one may want to be seen with me, but at least the higher ups recognized my talent. While my new coworkers actually spoke to me and acknowledged my presence, they were still anything but friendly. I took breaks and ate lunch alone. After work I never received an invite from anyone to do anything. I went to my small living quarters and spent my nights reading and dreaming. Within months I had been promoted based on my exemplary work. At least one area of my life saw some form of success. My life continued in the same vein for the next few years. I excelled at work, yet no one talked to me unless absolutely necessary. Every once in a while I would see another non-human, but they never seemed to last long in the harsh and lonely environment for aliens that Earth 2 presented. “At least I have more time to study.” I would always say to myself. If I had friends I would have never made some of the advances in my career. I also would have never discovered the threat to Earth 2 until it was too late. After what had happened on her my planet, I felt the need to keep an eye on threats from the universe as well as the political environment of my new adopted home. Just as had happened on Venit, the threat came from within the populace of Earth 2. It all started with the election of 3416. The planet was divided, no one seemed to hold the old politics, so new candidates came to the forefront. Candidates that did not have the knowledge to run a planet, some did not even have the concern of Earth 2 governing at heart, people who wanted to better themselves and not their homeland. That is how Alan Frode came to be declared Governor of Earth 2 and that was the beginning of the end. Just thought that I would highlight one of my favorite fellow indie authors, Leona Bushman! Here is one of my favorite series by her, The Lost Witch series! Grab all three books now, you won't regret it! Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TJXPR96 From Book 1: After a lifetime of ignoring her magic, Melissa is now in danger from those who would like to steal it. Melissa discovers her magic is very real while hiking with her friend, Rachel. She sells everything and gives up her life as a stockbroker to live in solitude to practice and learn her magic. But real life keeps intruding. Then, one stormy night a month before Beltane, John arrives. Someone sends John to find her. He's a private investigator and very good at his job. But when he finds her, literal sparks fly. Next thing he knows, he's talking to cats and other animals, and they're talking back. If that isn't enough to believe in the magic, the spell she wove over him sure is. The heat between them is hotter than the Dismal Swamp in the Summer. They make plans for celebrating Beltane together, and he can't wait. However, as the time nears, he has to choose between his business and Melissa as the one who sent him to find her threatens him and the woman he's come to love. Whatever he does, he is afraid Melissa will die. How can he save her and their growing love? It's Monday and that means another free short story this week! Here is one of my favorite sci-fi short stories that I have written. I hope you enjoy and that it distracts you just a little during these still crazy times. Everything Went Red
I closed my eyes hoping for darkness, instead the orange-red glow that now permeated our world still managed to seep in. Did true darkness even exist anymore? I wondered if any of us would ever know. Our world was dying and I doubted we could find a way to stop it. Deciding that sleep would elude me again, I got up and went to what we called a library. We were in a large bunker deep underground, you would think I’d have to turn on lights to walk around, but no the glow from above somehow had sunk down and embedded itself in the very walls. The radiation was spreading, it seeped into us right now even as most of us slept. The end was near and we would go out with a whimper instead of a roar. I went into the quiet room that housed our books and meager computers. I had read the history books about the world before the red, before the war, at least a dozen times. They sounded more like fairytales, for we did have a copy of those as well, than history. Yet I knew it all to be true. I had been born in those times even if I didn’t remember them. My father and I had survived the initial blasts and fights, though we had lost my mother. My father was been ex-military and had helped us set this base up, helped us survive. Then he went on a mission one day and never came back. I was ten. That’s when the library, the books that told of my father’s time, became my solace. Over time I had become our little colony’s historian, our record keeper, our researcher. Alana the Wise was my nickname. I didn’t feel wise. My research meant nothing. The past could not help us. I could not help us. Seeking the comfort of my books I started reading about life before the war. Everyone else except for our lookouts slept, so the only sound to keep me company was the rhythmic beeping of the computers. We kept them on even though we had not heard from other human beings in almost a year. For all we knew we were the last humans left. I doubted that, but we were at least the last with access to communication and that was close to being the same thing. The isolation had started to get to all of us, not to mention that our food supply had started to dwindle. Our attempts to grow food underground had proven fruitless and nothing could be grown on the red earth now, all we could do was continue to scavenge for old tinned foods and Twinkies. Try as I might, I could not concentrate on reading. So I switched to my passion project, the need to write down my own story. I had been secretly working on a history of our time, of the Red time after the war. After the others had come and for all intensive purposed killed humanity and everything else on Earth. I went to the bookcase and pulled it away from the wall. I had constructed a hidey-hole out of sight but easy enough for me to get to store my writings. Why I hid them I don’t know. I had already filled several notebooks with what had happened after the attack that changed the world, but I had no idea if anyone would ever read them. My father told me that before the attack people who believed in aliens were called crazy. The governments of the world had known different though, but kept everything top secret. Some world leaders had tried to communicate with the aliens. Others had built space defense systems. The attack came fast and hard. The space defense systems that were out there were completely ineffective, we never had a chance. Most people were caught off guard and many were dead before they ever knew what hit them. Those who survived had to live in a post-apocalyptic world worse than if thousands of nuclear weapons had been detonated. Whatever they nuked us with didn’t dissipate, it kept growing and soaking into what was left. If we dug down, it eventually caught us. Soon the very core of the earth would be dead and the rest of us survivors with it. “Why?” That is all everyone could ask. Why would they come and do this to us, to our planet? They were making it uninhabitable, so why destroy all the races on Earth if they couldn’t even use the planet afterwards. “I think that they did this before, to Mars at least and probably more planets out there. They come and destroy and then move on. Maybe the radiated planets can somehow give them a power source? It’s the only thing I can think of.” Her father had once confided in her. She didn’t think he had been wrong. The Reds destroyed as if for fun and then they just left us to die. As I came back to present, I started to write about the dwindling food situation. The lack of communication. The fact that the red continually spread and now it was never dark anywhere. Lost in my writing I jumped when I heard a random beep come from the computer station. “What the hell?” I quickly got up and went over to the screen that had blinked to life for the first time in forever. Message after message began coming across the monitor. They were coming in to the address that we had been broadcasting on every network that we could find. Apparently we were not as alone as we had thought. I immediately started to open the messages, eager to see who else still existed out there and contacting us. Bunker 117, we have heard your broadcast. Are you still there? Are there still survivors? Dependent on the number of survivors we might be able to pick you up immediately. Please reply. Time is short. The Earth will not last much longer, we have a plan. Please contact. Bunker 117, we have a ship. We have a means of escape, please contact so we can evacuate your location. I sat there blinking. Could any of this be true? Could there not only be other people out there, but could they have a ship? A means of escape? Why hadn’t we heard from them until now? Who were these people? So many things ran through my head. I didn’t even know where to begin my reply. “This is Bunker 117. We are still here. As of last count we have 31 survivors, but some scouts have not returned and they were due back yesterday, so we may be down to 27. Do you have enough room for that many survivors? Who is this? Why have you not contacted us before? I do not recognize the address from which your transmissions came from. We were once one of the largest outposts, we have heard from most colonies in the past. And what do you mean that the Earth won’t last much longer? How can you know that? Please send more information.” I sat there not knowing what else to do. There were probably tons of other things that I should be asking, but my mind went blank. I should go wake the others. The acting commander would want to know. Hopefully she would know what to do as well. Before I could move though, the screen started scrolling once more. We had no means of commination before. We are just now able to find survivor colonies. The message kept coming faster, I barely had time to think, let alone go get the others. The very core of the earth is heating up. The environment above ground is becoming more toxic by the moment. Several outposts have already succumbed to the even harsher climate. We are trying to save the precious few survivors that we can. We repeat, please send us your coordinates. So I did. Out of fear. Out of hope. Out of nativity. I ran back towards the sleeping quarters, yelling for everyone to get ready, we were being rescued at last. Just as people began to come out to see what I was yelling about, the sirens went off. The lookouts above ground came over the loud speakers in a panic. “Unknown flying objects have entered our airspace. Take cover. We repeat take cover.” Panic took over, even as I tried to yell over the chaos. “It’s got to be the people coming to rescue us! Everything is going to be okay!” Before anyone calmed down enough to listen, a rumble could be heard from above. Then the loudest noise that I had ever experienced shot through the bunker. Immediately I knew that I had been lied to and I had doomed us all. I wanted to apologize, but the noise grew louder and then everything went red. |
AuthorAuthor, artist, jewelry maker and all around creative person. I write in many genres and have a lot of fun doing so. Please take a look around and enjoy! Archives
January 2022
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