Sneak Peek at Eternal Oath

by Jewel Quinlan

Hello everyone! I’m very happy to be on the blog today. I have a new release coming soon with Decadent’s Beyond Fairytales line. When I was young we had a copy of Grimm’s Fairytales lying around and I loved reading and re-reading them all. When I saw that that Decadent had a line devoted to putting a spin on this line of tales and others I couldn’t resist offering to write a story for it. The fairytales are assigned by lottery and I was given Fundevogel to work with, which is a more obscure tale, but one I remembered reading. (Click here for the Grimm original version)

Although I do write contemporary and paranormal romance, this tale was a little challenging for me. If you read the original you will pick up that, basically, the hero and heroine are running for their lives from someone who wants to kill them.

Translation – romantic suspense. Something I’d never written before.

But I’m not one to shrink away from a challenge. So I took the bare bones of the Grimm fairytale and fleshed it out into what became Eternal Oath; full-length novel set in modern-day Seattle. But, oh yeah, with a bit of a paranormal twist. Cuz that’s my thing.

My Decadent editor is finishing up putting her polish on it and I should have it back in my hands soon for corrections. However, below is a brief sneak peek from the rough draft for your enjoyment. I’m looking forward to hearing what you think.

Eternal Oath excerpt: 

This time when the colors reformed she saw herself, as though a spotlight shone down on her. She was much younger than she was now, about ten, and wrapped in a woolen blanket. Her hair hung in two long braids which looked frazzled and had loose strands coming out of them. Dirt and twigs clung to her and she was looking into a mirror over a bowl of something from which steam rose. Because of the steam the image wasn’t super clear but Linda could see her younger self’s lips moving…she was saying something.

Even though Linda knew the girl was her, she also knew it was not her. It was as though she were the girl looking into the mirror and at the same time an observer standing in the corner and watching. Instinctively she knew she had to hear what the girl was saying. She stilled and focused her eyes and hearing, harnessing a tranquility that cleared and sharpened her mind. Her breaths came even and deep. And then, as if the volume button had been pressed, she could hear what her dream self was saying.

“You must remember. You must remember. You must remember,” chanted the girl.

But that was all she said with her eyes so large and charcoal-gray as she looked into the mirror. She seemed to be concentrating with all her being on those three words. But those were all she said. After a few more moments Linda became frustrated. Remember what? This girl knew something. She was the key to these horrible dreams she was having, Linda could feel it in her gut. But if she was, why wasn’t she saying more? She waited a few more moments hoping the girl would continue. When she didn’t Linda cried out, “Remember what? Tell me!”

The little girl sucked in a surprised breath and then her dark gaze shifted in the mirror from her own reflection to Linda’s. She seemed amazed to see Linda there but she paused no longer, her words came out in a rush. “You are both in grave danger. Tonight.”

And then the rest of the girl’s words were lost as Linda was pulled to consciousness again, unwillingly this time. As she was swept away she could see the girl’s lips moving but the sound had been turned off again. The image shattered like glass and she woke to Falk gently shaking her by the shoulders.

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Trapped by a Song

By  Nicole Pouchet

I love the idea behind Decadent’s Beyond Fairytales series. This has been the ultimate writing prompt. So much fun! But, when I signed up to write a modest twist on the Grimm classic, Jorinda and Jorindel, I must admit I had never heard of the tale. Luckily, after reading the story, Jori and Del jumped out at me, their lives full and ready to be heard.

Trapped by a Song is a paranormal romance that happens to feature an interracial couple. It’s a magical realism piece set in modern day Las Vegas. The twist is that a number of the population have “para” capabilities that sometimes get them into trouble…

All about Trapped by a Song:

If Detective Jori Anzoli has to do one more telepathic reading for the Las Vegas Police Department, her para-capabilities may fry out. That doesn’t matter when she’s called in to help find eight men who mysteriously went missing. The case escalates quickly. Clairvoyants in the department are scared to touch it, her brother becomes the ninth missing man, and the Paranormal Investigative Agency (PIA) sends a distractingly handsome agent who hassles her every step of the way.

Agent Del Moore is on a mission to find the PIA’s missing biomedical weapons engineer. A retro-cognizant, Del is used to avoiding human contact unless the job demands it. The less intrusive knowledge he has about others, the better. But a brush with the aloof Detective Jori may change his mind. He can’t ignore her warm essence, especially when she impossibly summons him into her dream.

As mounting clues lead Jori and Del to go deep undercover into a Nevada brothel, an ancient succubus preys on every living soul within, placing Jori and Del on separate hallucinogenic paths of destruction. Will they learn the truth behind the brothel and their mission before succumbing to an ulterior plan neither of them wishes to see?

Buy Links: Amazon || iTunes || Kobo || GooglePlay 

Excerpt:

She applauded her dream version of Agent Del. If she had to have lucid dreams, this was a great one to have. She met his gaze, and he ogled her body as openly as she did his.

“This is a welcome surprise.” His voice sounded even sexier in the dream. “Y’know, Jori, you’d better be careful with this dream manipulation,” he teased before stepping into her space. “People will think you’re a lucid.”

“Who’ll tell? You’re just my fantasy.”

“And you’re my every desire come to life. I wonder….” He leaned down and pressed his mouth against hers, pulling her closer as they both ceased speech.

Standing on her toes, she let her hands roam the contours of his back. He pulled her in tightly, lifting her higher until she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hard length pressed against her center.

He tasted her mouth, delving with the kind of abandon only found in fantasy, and pushed them both onto a bed that materialized as soon as she wished for it.

“Del….” she moaned when her head hit the pillows.

He reached under her and palmed her bottom then pulled her closer while grinding down into her. “You’re wearing too many clothes. I want to touch all of you.” He reached up and then pulled her T-shirt off over her head.

With a laugh, she let her head bounce back to the pillow. His chest loomed above her, the tattoo of an eagle over his right nipple.

The giggle died on her lips. She didn’t know he had a tattoo and wouldn’t have placed it there in her dream. He was real. She was about to have sex with the real Agent Del Moore. Dream or not, that was not bright.

Her lucidity was wreaking havoc again. This time, she’d pulled a PIA agent into her dream. Her brother and the rest of the Para Resistance believed the PIA performed illicit experiments on paras, especially lucids. The PIA did force paras—those not in law enforcement—to medically suppress their special abilities. And no matter what, they distrusted and medically suppressed lucids, who could manipulate anyone’s dreams.

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I’m Liking Shifters!

By Eva Lefoy

Ever since writing Darkest Magic for the Decadent Beyond Fairtytales line, I’m really liking reading and writing shifters even more. I used to think, well, that they were all the same, but really they’re not. A lot of variation exists in the genre.

When I first started reading them, I ran across a lot of douchbag alphas. I mean take the usual Harlequin Presents guys and times them by three. They came across as, “I’m mating you and that’s that. Get over it. You’re mine.” Being a modern girl, this line of reasoning made me say, “Whaaaa? No. Uh-unh.” And to tell the truth, it really put me off them for a while.

But the genre has evolved. There are alpha males and beta male; mates and ménages; women and men in mixed roles; and even, I’ve found a bit of humor. I tend to think the change has come about due to the Urban Fantasy genre. Those books definitely have their own take on vampires, werewolves, zombies, demons, and it isn’t always pretty or glamorous. But sometimes, it’s simply funny as heck. It was as though it gave the whole paranormal genre a shot in the arm – and opened up the flood gates to anything goes.

I like anything goes and I like shifters because you can truly make up your own story. In Darkest Magic, I was (loosely) following a storyline written a long time ago. By giving it a more contemporary feel, I created a unique slant, and a shifter tale that fits in nicely to the anything goes genre.

Eva

Here’s more about Darkest Magic:

Nik Epperstein’s alpha lost his mate two years ago and took an evil witch as his new bride. Ever since then, Eli’s leadership has become violent, bordering on insane. When Eli attacks him, Nik’s healing powers mysteriously vanish. He can’t defend himself, nor protect the wolf he secretly loves. Only through the help of a foul-mouthed witch and an overly-dramatic dwarf will he save her – but their assistance comes at a price.

Caroline has tried for two years to lure Nik into her bed and can’t understand his hesitation.  After all, she senses their mating bond loud and clear. Then Nik disappears. She confronts her father who tells her Nik is dead, and she’s next on his chopping block.  Without Nik to protect her, she flees the pack and is kidnapped by a man half her size.

Reunited at last, the young wolves have one last chance to ignite their bond. But love must wait when battle looms. Eli and his wife attack, and aren’t above using dirty tricks to win. If Nik and Caroline survive the battle, the dwarf and his wife will require them to make a promise that will change their lives forever…

Excerpt:

 “You’re done, Nikko. I don’t need you anymore.”

He flinched at the hand clapped on his shoulder. Though they’d been close as brothers while the alpha’s first mate was alive, things had deteriorated steadily since her death. This was probably the first time he had simply touched him and not hit him in over two years. It struck him as weirdly unreal.

“You’re out of the pack. Get your things and go.”

His brain went into freefall. This makes no sense. “But…I’m your beta.”

“Were. I don’t need a second anymore, Nikko. Petrina’s child will be my successor. He will rule by my side.”

A pack without a beta? Who had heard of such a thing? Or did Eli fear he’d one day try and take control, if things got bad enough with the Eli and Petrina circus? Oh hell, that’s it. He’s worried about maintaining his power. He knew in his heart the alpha was right. If he had the balls, he’d challenge the alpha and get it done and over with. An even more insane Eli was the biggest threat the pack faced. They’d unravel bit by bit from the inside, not be done in by an attack from a neighboring pack. Still, he found himself shaking his head, his loyalty as a beta too ingrained to simply let go, his allegiance to the pack too solid to let him up and walk away. Besides, he was a born follower, not a leader. He had no ambition to run the pack himself. Eli had to listen to reason. “He’s not even born yet. Without a full-grown second, the pack will be vulnerable, unstable. You need me—now more than ever.”

“Untrue. Petrina has assured me we will be safe, and these men have already sworn allegiance to my son. I’ve got it covered, bro.”

A slippery feeling crept up his spine as he risked a glance at her malachite wolf eyes. The change in their leader had started when he’d mated her two years ago, bringing her into the pack suddenly and unannounced. An outsider, no one knew of her or the pack she claimed to hail from. Though her unknown origins weren’t a serious problem, her demeanor had always made him wary. He trusted her about as much as a knife at his throat. But his allegiance continued unbroken, for better or for worse. “Look, if you want me to swear a pledge as well…?”

“Not necessary. You’re gone, Nikko. Time for you to get on your way.” The wolves padded forward silently to hover at the alpha’s side.

He wasn’t scared by the obvious act of showmanship. He’d faced off against most of these wolves before, knew their strengths and weaknesses. But the fact his own Alpha thought he needed them here caught his attention. Eli was the biggest wolf in the pack. He didn’t require the other wolves’ protection. Therefore, they were there to convince him to go peacefully. Why?

Nik sniffed the air and caught a hint of scent, one he’d kill to protect. Caroline. From the faraway quality of her smell, Caroline was currently at the compound. With her father acting strangely, was she safe there any longer? Worry skittered through him. If Eli was crazy enough to make his as-yet-unborn child beta, what would he do to his daughter by his former mate? He raised his eyes to his alpha, his protective instincts for Caroline surging to the surface so fast and hard he could barely contain them. He’d touched her, damn near held her in his arms and kissed her, a few hours ago. The memory burned through him with a new intensity that wrenched his heart.

Eli’s nostrils flared, his pupils glinting with the golden hue of his wolf’s rising ire. He wasn’t one to stand for even an iota of defiance.

He gritted his teeth and all but thrust the unspoken claim to her resting in his heart into the open. “What about Caroline?”

A flash of cold, dark ice went through Eli’s eyes and Nik’s concern for her welfare ratcheted to stark fear. He instantly knew her fate would be death. The alpha would kill his unborn son’s only rival to ensure his complete, everlasting rule. His stomach twisted into a knot as a strong hit of adrenaline flushed him hot.

“She won’t be needed either.”

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Marriage/Relationship Tips from Armina and Ian from Once Upon a Marriage

By Sara Daniel

Who would you turn to for relationship advice? A couple headed for divorce? At first glance, of course not. But who better to discuss the major pitfalls than people who have gone so far wrong they’re at the point of losing it all? Without further ado, I’d like to introduce you to Ian and Armina Keer.

Before Armina Keer can have the baby she dreams of, she needs her estranged husband Ian to sign their divorce papers. Putting everything on the line for a second chance, Ian must convince her their love is worth saving, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

Excerpt:

“You hate me,” Ian whispered, feeling more nauseous than if he’d ingested a prosthetic eyeball. How could she not hate him when she believed their personal relationship had meant less to him than an employment issue?

Armina gazed beyond his left shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. When we got married, I understood you had a strong work ethic combined with an unusual drive to succeed and a consuming passion for the Inn. I knew I’d come in second to this place.”

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but couldn’t. If she’d made him choose, he wouldn’t have picked her.

“I thought I was okay with it,” she continued. “After all, I loved the Inn, too, and wanted you to realize your vision for it. Turns out I wasn’t okay. I didn’t realize how distant second place actually was.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Live and learn, right?”

Not right. He wanted to take back the lesson and teach her about real love instead. “You never should have had to settle for second place. With me or with anyone else. No one has the right to ask that of you.”

“Agreed.” Her voice came out stronger, her shoulders squared, and she looked him directly in the eye. “Now you understand why I want a divorce.”

Acknowledge the past can’t be changed. You can apologize and vow to do things differently going forward and talk through what happen and your mistakes. But you can’t change your past actions, and tearing down the other person for the choices they made won’t help either. Sometimes you just have to accept what was and move forward.

He turned in front of her and stopped walking, forcing her to stop, too. “I know we can’t go back to how things were. I’m not asking you to give up the life you’ve created. I’m just trying to understand who you are now and how you’ve changed since we were together.”

Armina opened her mouth, but found she had no words. She had no intention of sharing the goal that had driven her every decision over the past year. To have a baby before time ran out, she needed his cooperation to ensure a quick divorce.

“I’ve moved on,” she finally said, not sure she spoke the truth but hoping she did or at least that the words would soon come true. She needed to move on. The next chapter of her life couldn’t be put on hold.

“I’m not asking you to stop moving on. I just need you to give me a moment to sprint to catch up to you.”

COMMUNICATE – This is all in caps because it’s so important. Not every problem starts with lack of communication but almost every problem is made worse by lack of communication. Armina first left Ian because her uncle’s medical emergency, but it was the lack of communication afterwards that led to her not returning.

Make the other person a priority. – If your work is more important than your relationship or if your actions show that it is, your partner will begin to resent you and the time you spend on the thing that always takes priority over her/him.

Spend time together. There are no shortcuts to making a person a priority than constantly doing so. Ian was such a workaholic that he consistently chose work over Armina until she came to believe that she meant nothing to him.

So, you’re on the brink of losing someone, like Ian is about to lose Armina, and you need a Hail Mary to win the person back. What do you do? Maybe it’s time to make a deal.

“Our wedding night in Vegas….” He began.

“Was amazing,” she agreed. “I’m not saying we didn’t have good moments, but real life seemed to intrude every time we tried to hook up. Either we didn’t have sex because you were flat-out too busy to come to bed, or when we did have sex, you rushed to the finish so you could take a call or run out to accommodate a guest.”

As much as he wanted to deny her criticism, he couldn’t. He’d let the Inn take priority in the bedroom. The only wonder about her leaving him was that she hadn’t walked away sooner. “I was an idiot and a complete ass to let my work come before our marriage. Believe me, I’ve had two long years to think about it.”

She stepped away from his embrace. “If I’m supposed to be impressed you’re man enough to admit it, sorry, but I’m not. If you’d cared about fixing our relationship, you would have made some sort of effort to seek me out.”

“I should have. You’re right. I needed to make changes to my life, and those changes didn’t happen overnight. All the time I kept hoping you would return and see my transformation and give me another chance. By the time I adjusted my thinking to consider coming after you, you’d served me with divorce papers.”

“Speaking of which—”

No. He couldn’t believe he’d brought up the topic he most wanted her to forget. Panic slithered up his spine at how close he was to losing her. He needed to truly connect with her to have a chance. “Sleep with me, Armina, one more time. I know you want me, and you can feel how much I want you too.”

“Simply wanting each other isn’t enough to keep us together.”

“If you’re not completely satisfied,” he barreled on, his heart breaking. He’d have to keep his word, even if it killed him. “I’ll sign the papers, no questions asked.”

Put the other person’s pleasure first. Be generous. Love without holding back. Your relationship will have chance, and maybe, just maybe, so will Ian and Armina’s.

Once Upon a Marriage - Amazon  Decadent

Author Bio: Sara Daniel writes what she loves to read—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She battles a serious NASCAR addiction, was once a landlord of two uninvited squirrels, and loses her keys at least three times a day. Subscribe to Sara’s newsletter: http://eepurl.com/rx_AL

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Re-telling a Grimm Tale with Hot Manlove

When Decadent Publishing announced the Beyond Fairytales open call, I was super excited. I love fairytales! Old ones, twisted ones, new ones – I love them all. I’m one of those people who can quote The Princess Bride, line for line.

I was assigned the Grimm tale The Skillful Huntsman. While not familiar with this particular tale, I found it on-line and was quickly inspired to write my own version.  The story features a huntsman who has a gun that never misses. I transformed the huntsman into Hunter, a wolf shifter and master assassin. While street wise, he’s not an everyday thug. Hunterfollows two rules. He doesn’t kill innocents and he doesn’t kill shifters. These rules come into play when Hunter gets his latest assignment.

“The princess” in my story is a Casey Smith, a wolf shifter who was raised by his adopted human mother. Grief from her death triggered him to shift in a public place. When his identity is exposed to a dangerous enemy, Casey’s life is on the line.

I had a blast writing Hunter and Casey as well as the supporting characters Priss (Casey’s dog) and Rex, Hunter’s handler and smartass best friend. It was very cool to have free rein on this story, which weaves in a number of symbolic components of the original tale yet making all my own.

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Blurb:

Artist Casey Smith lives a quiet life, under the radar of his enemies, until one fateful night he loses control and the astonishing image of a wolf racing down a suburban street splashes all over social media.

Hunter’s bullet never misses its target. The assassin seeks out and kills his prey with a clear conscience by following two simple rules: 1) Don’t kill innocents 2) Don’t kill shifters.

Realizing his latest assignment violates those rules, the hunter activates Princess Protocol and the assassin becomes the protector. Red hot attraction flares between the hit man and his former target. Can Hunter resist the sweet shifter in his care?

Excerpt:

He stepped closer to Casey’s stall but stumbled over something small and furry. The toe of one Birkenstock caught on a clump of grass as he attempted not to trample the little beast, and he ass-planted with said beast jumping onto his chest to give him a broad doggie smile.

His buddy laughed piss-your-pants-hard in his ear. Fuck a duck.

“Miss Priscilla!”

The target he’d worked so hard to observe remotely sank to the ground between his sprawled-out legs, peeling the tiny hairball off his chest and setting it on the ground.

“I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”

Big blue eyes fringed with long, pale lashes scanned his body while strong yet gentle hands moved over his ankles and legs, searching for an injury. Oh, a toucher. His wolf basked in the tactile attention. His breath hitched as those hands glided past his knees and skimmed his thighs.

Damn, he needed to get laid after this assignment.

“Oh, my, what a li’l sweetie. Look at those freckles! I wonder if he’s got them everywhere. I’d like to lick them,” Rex crowed in his ear.

He growled.

The other man chortled. “Possessive, much?”

He inhaled deeply, only to be slammed with the force of a Mack truck. Strawberries on a warm summer’s day and fresh-cut grass—shit, his target smelled delicious. He took another breath, and his brain reeled. He’s a wolf shifter, too? Fuck.

Casey’s brows furrowed. “Where are you hurt?”

He forced a smile. “I’m fine. No worries.”

Casey returned the smile, his wide and high beam combined with sparkling eyes. Hunter stared as warmth wrapped around him like a blanket. He had no ammo against such a happy, open expression. The guy freaking glowed.

Magic and Fairy Tales in Darkest Magic

Available HERE

From Decadent’s new Beyond Fairytales line….

Magic and fairy tales go together like vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. It’s a natural combination that’s been tried and true for so long everybody accepts it as fact. Just like good and evil. That’s definitely a big fairy tale staple. I decided to shake and stir, and combine them both in DarkestMagic.

In Darkest Magic, there is a good witch named Estrella, married to a dwarf named Otis. Dwarves are another fairy tale character we often see and quite handy to have around most of the time! Unlike trolls, who generally are no fun at all. But there are no trolls in this story! There is also an evil witch named Petrina. She’s married to the alpha male of the werewolf pack.

The what? Yes, I blended the modern day concept of werewolves with magic for this tale and here’s why. Some say that it’s magic that makes a werewolf. Others say it’s a virus, something you can catch. Which one is true? I don’t really know. Do you?

There are lots of werewolf romance books out there, but how many of them boast a dwarf sidekick and a battle to keep the forest safe from evil? If it sounds like I’m a bit of an environmentalist at heart, you’re right. I’m currently making hiking plans for the weekend! In regards the dwarf, I simply had to include one since there was one in the original Grimm fairy tale my story is based on, and I am totally head over heels for Tyrion in Game of Thrones. (Who can blame me, really? He’s so awesome!) More on dwarves later…

I look forward to readers’ comments on how well my wolves and witches interact. It was difficult at first to re-frame the story in modern terms, but once I got going it all came together quite well. Remember, magic and fairy tales CAN include werewolves. Like that one peeking over your shoulder right now…

Oops!

Just kidding!

Eva

Darkest Magic:

Nik Epperstein’s alpha lost his mate two years ago and took an evil witch as his new bride. Ever since then, Eli’s leadership has become violent, bordering on insane. When Eli attacks him, Nik’s healing powers mysteriously vanish. He can’t defend himself, nor protect the wolf he secretly loves. Only through the help of a foul-mouthed witch and an overly-dramatic dwarf will he save her – but their assistance comes at a price.

Caroline has tried for two years to lure Nik into her bed and can’t understand his hesitation.  After all, she senses their mating bond loud and clear. Then Nik disappears. She confronts her father who tells her Nik is dead, and she’s next on his chopping block.  Without Nik to protect her, she flees the pack and is kidnapped by a man half her size.

Reunited at last, the young wolves have one last chance to ignite their bond. But love must wait when battle looms. Eli and his wife attack, and aren’t above using dirty tricks to win. If Nik and Caroline survive the battle, the dwarf and his wife will require them to make a promise that will change their lives forever…

EXCERPT:

A cool wind whispered along her bare arms and she hugged herself, suddenly chilled. No good would come of this night, her senses screamed. That, and run. But to where? From whom?

Another snap of a twig and she spun, only to come face to face with her father. “Dad? What are you doing out here?”

“Caroline.” His eyes looked weird, glossy and red.

She took a step back, fighting the urge to flee, which would only entice the wolf in him to give chase. “Are you following me?”

“Yes. As a matter of fact, I am. I have something to discuss with you.”

A far away howl reached her ears. Long and sorrowful, it wrung her heart, heightening her senses. Every nerve on alert, she glanced toward the source of the sound and then focused on her father. “What do you want?”

“I’m afraid since Petrina is pregnant with our son, she sees no further need to have you around.”

Petrina, again. Had her father forgotten all about her mother? He acted as though he lived only to please his new wife these days. The thought he’d forgotten his first mate for love of this creepy one sickened her. She wanted Petrina out of the pack, out of their lives, forever. “What does she have to do with anything?”

Another howl carried on the wind, and her gut churned. It sounded like a wolf in pain, and the pitch and tone triggered her wolf’s anxiety. When it howled in return, the name bubbled up to the surface with shocking surety. Nik. He’s hurt.

Her father closed in, not making any quick moves, but the tension in his body threatening nonetheless. “She’s concerned about your presence here, Caroline. If you’re not mated to a pack member, you need to go. Your bloodline can serve no purpose but to dilute my power.”

She blinked, not certain she’d heard him correctly. Her father’s words made no sense. When had he become so political—and with his own family members? “Papa, you know Nik is my mate. Always has been. There’s no one else in the pack I could ever care for. Where is Nik? Let me go to him. We can settle this all tonight.”

“Nik is gone, honey.”

“Gone?” Her arms trembled, this time not from the cold. “What do you mean? He’s coming back, isn’t he?”

Her father didn’t speak but hell seemed to stir in his eyes as he hovered over her. “No.”

Buy Links:

Decadent Publishing || Amazon || All Romance

Author Bio and Contact: 

Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers.

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#eva_lefoy, #beyondfairytales, #decadentpub, #fairytaleromance, #fairytales

A Riddle for Love

By Lara Nance

I’d like to introduce you to my newest release from Decadent. It’s called A Riddle for Love and it’s a sci-fi novella for the new Beyond Fairytale series.

She’s everything he ever dreamed of…

Dr. Avar Elsier has spent the past ten years developing the ideal human-like android for his company. In his spare time, he’s created the perfect persona for his dream woman that only needs the right body to make her real.

Unfortunately, such a body costs more than he possesses. When an emergency forces him to insert his “woman” into a unit designed for a high-paying customer, he falls in love and cannot bear to let her go.

Will he find a way to make their love last and escape from Mars before his secret is discovered or worse, the woman he loves is lost forever? 

I was in the middle of writing the fourth book in my steampunk adventure series when I received an e-mail from Decadent Publishing about their new Beyond Fairytales line. I was intrigued.

The trailer to introduce it was awesome and engaging. But what really appealed to me is that you would be assigned a Grimm’s fairytale instead of picking one, and you could write it in any genre you wanted.

One of my favorite games is to have someone state the beginning of a sentence and let me make up the rest and reel out a story from the result.  So far, I’ve never been stumped. Stories pop out of my head constantly. I find myself making up stories as I drive, or even as I walk down the dock to my boat.

I’ve made stories from my dreams, stories from magazine articles and urban legends, as well as observing people in a Starbuck’s. I can’t count the times when I’m seeing patients that a story about their life develops in my head from a chance remark they make. (And yes, I have used them in my other books… J)

So, to be given a challenge to write a story based on an assigned Grimm’s fairytale filled me with anticipatory delight. I was so excited to receive my assignment, I kept checking my e-mail every few minutes. I’d already decided whatever I received, I wanted to write in the Sci-fi genre. That upped the ante on the challenge even more.

Then I was assigned, “A Riddling Tale.” Okay, I had a moment of panic I’ll admit. This is more of a riddle than a story and it’s extremely short. How would I pull a novella out of less than a page of fairytale?

But as I said, I like a challenge. The crux of the original tale is that there are three women who are turned into identical flowers by a spell. One of the women is married so she is allowed to take human form and spend nights with her husband, but every morning must return to the field and become a flower with her sisters.

To break the spell, the husband must choose which flower is his wife and pick it. But the catch is that they are identical, how does he tell? He decided by noting that the two flowers who were in the field all night had dew on them and his wife’s flower didn’t. He picks her flower and she becomes human so they could live happily ever after. Sigh….

Yep, seriously, that’s all there is to the story in those two paragraphs.

First, I had to decide what the three identical items would be, and then let the story develop from there. As this was to be sci-fi, the idea of androids came to mind. Three, beautiful identical androids. Their creator, a nerdy but hunky scientist, would fall in love with one of them and then have to save her by figuring out which one she is among the three when they are all deactivated.

Set on Mars, this futuristic tale turned into a fun, sexy adventure about true love and how it can take many forms.  The Beyond Fairytales official bard, Nicodemus, found the tale intriguing and made it one of his favorites to carry across the galaxy and recite to others.

I hope you like this story as well and enjoy a little space action!

XOXOXO  

Lara Nance   

www.laranance.com

Stop by my website for a visit and let me know how you like this new twist to an old tale.

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Putting the Fun Back in Writing

By Sara Daniel

My favorite school assignment ever was modernizing and retelling a fairy tale (sophomore English – Aced it AND got extra credit – Thanks  Ms. Seckler!), so when Decadent Publishing put out the call for a retelling of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, my hand immediately shot in the air. I was given The Three Army Surgeons, an obscure, somewhat gruesome story that was definitely not a romance. (Read it here.)

At the beginning of the initial brainstorming, I thought, “You have got to be kidding me. What I have I gotten myself into?” But then I plunged in. Before long, I was giggling as I typed because Once Upon a Marriage was SO MUCH FUN to write. Yep, favorite assignment ever!

Once Upon a Marriage

Time is running out for Armina Keer to have the baby she’s always wanted. Before she can move on with her life, she needs her estranged husband to sign their divorce papers. When she can’t get him to respond, her meddling uncles arrange for a trip to his inn. Despite vowing to guard her broken heart, she has to settle the past before she can have a future.

Ian Keer might not deserve a second chance with his wife, but he’s not going to give up one either, not with the immediate flaming attraction still between them. While her uncles’ antics wreak havoc on life at The Inn, he offers her the ultimate gamble: Spend the night with him, and afterwards he’ll sign the papers if she still wants to leave.

With everything riding on one night together, Ian must convince her that their love is strong enough the second time around, and Armina must decide if love is worth sacrificing her dreams.

Excerpt:

“You hate me,” Ian whispered, feeling more nauseous than if he’d ingested a prosthetic eyeball. How could she not hate him when she believed their personal relationship had meant less to him than an employment issue?

Armina gazed beyond his left shoulder. “I don’t hate you. I’ve never hated you. When we got married, I understood you had a strong work ethic combined with an unusual drive to succeed and a consuming passion for the Inn. I knew I’d come in second to this place.”

He opened his mouth, wanting to argue, but couldn’t. If she’d made him choose, he wouldn’t have picked her.

“I thought I was okay with it,” she continued. “After all, I loved the Inn, too, and wanted you to realize your vision for it. Turns out I wasn’t okay. I didn’t realize how distant second place actually was.” She shrugged her slim shoulders. “Live and learn, right?”

Not right. He wanted to take back the lesson and teach her about real love instead. “You never should have had to settle for second place. With me or with anyone else. No one has the right to ask that of you.”

“Agreed.” Her voice came out stronger, her shoulders squared, and she looked him directly in the eye. “Now you understand why I want a divorce.”

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Sara Daniel writes what she loves—irresistible romance, from sweet to erotic and everything in between. She lives her own happily-ever-after romance with her hero husband. Connect with her online at:

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