Mostly Innocent by J.M. Jinks

Mostly Innocent
A Powers That Be Novel

Book One

J.M. Jinks

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of Publication: 10/22/2018

Word Count: 58K

ASIN: B07JMCGNM6

Tagline: If you can’t beat them, seduce them

Book Description:

Meet Layla James, your typical smart and snarky chick—except for the whole succubus thing. After nearly a millennium on Earth, Layla’s settled down in a boring life in Palm Springs, until a smoking-hot hunter comes to arrest her for murder. But Layla knows the rules—she'd never kill someone and incite the wrath of The Powers That Be.

Elijah Daines is a hunter, maintaining the balance of good and evil in the mortal realm, his power stronger than any hunter she’s ever encountered. Plus, he’s a seriously sexy distraction. Too bad he’s accused her of a crime she didn't commit.

As the killer continues a murder spree that not only frames Layla but threatens to expose the existence of supernatural creatures to humans, Layla and Elijah team up to investigate. Hopefully, they can fight off their escalating attraction for each other long enough to exonerate her and stop the murder madness.

Amazon

Excerpt:

He approached the counter. I, or maybe my succubus, decided on a whim I would not be intimidated by his power. I wasn’t sure where my sudden courage came from. He had to have felt my succubus signature. We weren’t a violent race when we controlled our urges. I’m Queen of Control over here. I’m sure he knows I won’t, hurt him. Right?

 But why was he here? Something must have been wrong.

As I walked toward him, I got a better look. His dark hair was in slight disarray and his bright blue eyes scoured my face. He towered over me in every sense of the word.

He and Jolene should go back-to-back so I can get an accurate measure of his height.

I shook away my thoughts of him—it was obvious he came here on a mission. Greek god or not, he was still a hunter, and I—I was a product of evil, aka something he hunts.

“Succubus,” he growled. The one little word was filled with eons of unabashed hatred. The word vibrated through me. All hopes of him wanting a new bathroom paint color vanished. No, this visit wasn’t going to be pleasant, not at all.

Perhaps I could seduce him. Hell, he could do me right on the floor of aisle nine next to the light fixtures, if it kept him from killing me. I bit my lip. But…hunters weren’t typically susceptible to succubi charms. A failed attempt of Aprhodisia could earn more problems.

I released a breath. Some buried deep natural instinct rolled through me again. With that feeling, I decided to stand my ground. I looked him in the eyes, stood up straighter, and replied, “Hunter?”

About the Author:

J.M. Jinks was born and raised in Southern California. She lives with her husband, two dogs, and two cats in her hometown. J.M. has a Bachelor’s in French and a Master’s of Education. She is a teacher by day and a writer by night. J.M. and her husband welcomed a baby boy in May 2018.

J.M. has always had a love of reading that progressed into writing. Mostly Innocent is her first completed manuscript.

Http://www.authorjmjinks.com

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Annalise's Quest by Blair Drake

Annalise's Quest

Finding Magic

Book Ten

Blair Drake

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Magic Quest Books

Number of pages: 225

Word Count: 78,750

Cover Artist: Jennifer Zemanek/Seedlings LLC

Tagline: What would you do to find your magic?

Book Description:

Angry at being forced to attend Gray Cliff Academy, Annalise has struggled to fit in. She sneaks onto the roof to skip a class but gets caught up in a magical event she’s not entitled to attend. Tossed into the ‘between’ for those that have done wrong, she soon realizes she’s not alone…

Only the longer she’s stuck there, the harder it is to find a way out… but for every wrong deed there’s a right one… if she can figure it out in time…

Amazon

Excerpt:

It seemed like the wind just wouldn’t stop. It flew and twisted around Annalise as if it could lift her off her feet. Considering she didn’t know what she was standing on, she wouldn’t put it past the strength of the darkness to have already done just that. She found nobody here, and the loneliness was getting to her. She wanted the storm to die down so she could assess where the hell she ended up, but it wasn’t showing that kind of appeasement.

Just when she figured she would never get out of this, the wind eased back, and a hand landed on her shoulder. She shrieked and spun around...and stared. A young man’s face stared back at her. But, even as she watched, it splintered and disintegrated into nothingness, the wind sweeping through it.

She outstretched both hands, waving them about as if to touch him. “Hello? Where are you? Don’t leave me. Please don’t leave me.”

But the image was gone. She touched her shoulder where the hand had been, wondering if she was going nuts in this weird isolation chamber. Had she felt a hand on her shoulder, or was it just her imagination?

“Can you come back?” she cried out. “Please don’t leave me alone here.”

“I’m here,” came the man’s whispery voice.

The wind was so loud in her ears, it was hard to hear the voice. She tilted her head sideways, seeing if she could glimpse the man again, but there was no face in the darkness. She spun to look all the way around but still found nothing. She crouched again, realizing the noise was slightly less down below. Squatting like she was, she called out again, “Can you hear me?”

“Yes. I can hear you.” came the same voice, only stronger.

“Who are you? Where are we?”

“I’m Trace,” he whispered. “I was lost here a long time ago.”

And Annalise’s heart skipped a beat. “What you mean by lost?”

“I was caught up in the darkness—just me here all this time. I couldn’t get out. I was on some quest, but I couldn’t reach the end in time,” he said in frustration. “And, when I was about to succeed and cross back to the school, I dropped my talisman, and my time ran out. The darkness snagged me up, and here I’ve been ever since.”

And Annalise’s jaw dropped. “Quest? Time running out? What are you talking about?”

She could almost hear the puzzled silence around her. But of course there was no silence with the winds raging on. Yet it’s almost like she had a weird 3-D perception of this person’s voice, as if it were inside her mind and not outside.

“That’s because you’re new here. You will figure it out.” That odd silence came again as Trace said, “But why are you here? If you don’t know about the quests, that means you didn’t fail yours. So how did you come to be here?”

Annalise held her hands out, palm up. “I have no idea. A group of students were on the roof, and this strange wind came around, like a storm. I ran over to Melissa. And it’s like I was caught up in the energy and sucked in. I heard Headmistress Hettie calling for me. I saw her hand reaching, but I just couldn’t grab it. It was already too late. Next thing I knew, I was here in this darkness.”

“Oh, no,” the man said slowly. “Maybe you weren’t supposed to come.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Every person in that group was headed for a challenge—a quest. They don’t know ahead of time. They don’t know what the challenges are until they arrive at their unique experience, and none of us really understand what we’re supposed to do except to somehow get home.” He coughed slightly. “At least that’s what happened to me. I almost made it back to the school but was dumped here.”

“Like a test? Like a worst-nightmare exam run by the school?” She didn’t get it how they could do that. “They shouldn’t be allowed to do shit like this. Surely there was a law against it?”

“The thing about Gray Cliffs Academy is, a lot of the students have special abilities. They don’t know about them before the quest. They are forced to dredge up these abilities from their own heritage to overcome their challenges.” The voice rolled through the fog in a weird echo.

“So, you’re saying you came back with a special ability but didn’t make it home in time? And because you failed, you ended up here?” Annalise asked, in shock. “I wasn’t even sent on a quest. I’m just here—wait. Do you mean we’re not on the roof of the school anymore? This isn’t just a weird fog or storm happening?” Her voice rose. “If we’re not at the school, then where are we? Dumped here?” she asked, her voice darkening. “What the hell does that mean? Where is here?”

“I don’t know where here is,” he said, his voice heavy. “This gray world is all I’ve seen since I arrived. There have been tiny slices of the normal world on the odd occasions when I managed to make contact. But other than that…this is my life. That you’re here now could mean you weren’t supposed to be part of the group that left.”

Annalise cried out in surprise, overlaid with horror.

The voice paused a bit. “I don’t know for sure. But I must admit I’m absolutely delighted to have you with me. I’ve been so lonely.”

“How long have you been here?” Annalise asked slowly. “I don’t remember ever hearing about you.”

Trace gave a half sob. “Since the last quest cycle I think. So maybe a full year. In a way that seems like yesterday, and yet, in another way, it seems like forever.”

Annalise shook her head in horror. “A whole year caught in this darkness? What did you eat? What did you drink?”

Trace said, “I didn’t do either. It’s like I’m caught in between dimensions. There’s no food, but I’m not hungry. There’s nothing to drink, but I’m not thirsty. Thankfully, sleeping works here as I spend the majority of my time doing that. It’s almost like I’m in a comatose state most of the time, only waking up because of some disturbance. And there have been a lot of disturbances lately. So I knew something was happening. Then I caught sight of Melissa...at least I think it was her. It was hard to see. I do know what she looks like though,” he said, his voice changing, softening. “She was a year younger than me, a year behind. That’s when I considered a whole year might have passed, and a new quest cycle started—her quest cycle. If only I returned in time,” he said. “But my talisman slipped out of my hand as I approached the roof. I was that close. I could see Hettie and the headmaster standing there, waiting for me, expecting me to make it, smiles on their faces …”

He gulped, his voice shaking as he continued. “I also saw their faces as the horror filled their gazes when they realized I wouldn’t make it.” Trace shuddered, the movement obvious in his voice as he said, “And I knew something really bad would happen.”

“All that said, no way am I staying here for a whole year,” Annalise said. “I don’t even belong here at all. I wasn’t part of the group. I wasn’t supposed to be on the roof. I used to go up there when I needed some space. So that’s why I was up there at that time. When I saw the darkness, I lunged for the headmistress but was caught up in this mess. Hettie must have recognized I shouldn’t be there because she tried to pull me out of it.”

“That’s possible. You probably weren’t scheduled to do your quest for another year.”

“Or it’s possible I don’t have any abilities, like you all have, and wasn’t meant to come at all,” she said in disgust. “Wouldn’t it be so typical of my world I get involved in a group of the chosen, and yet I’m not one of them?” But instead of stressed or teary-eyed, she just got angry. “Why the hell is this happening to me? I didn’t even want to go to the damn school in the first place.”

Trace gave a shocked gasp. “What do you mean? Why didn’t you want to come to the school? It’s the best school ever.”

About the Author:

Blair Drake believes in magic, especially the magic of stories with fantasy, adventures, romance, action, and surprises. She has loved writing and living in the stories of the Finding Magic series and is so excited to share the quests of the Gray Cliffs Academy students with her readers.

When she’s not writing about magic, she’s reading about it. Her influences are Cassandra Claire, Neil Gaiman, Rick Riordan, Garth Nix, and many more.

In the mortal plane, following the lure of magic has drawn Blair into strange and wonderful adventures from Australia to New York City, with many stops in between. She currently lives near Denver. Her very favorite spot is a red loveseat in her office, frequently shared with two cats, an outnumbered Dalmation, and occasionally her bewitched husband.

She might have gone to a school similar to Gray Cliffs Academy and would love to go through a magic portal. In the meantime, she’s creating her own in more books of magic.

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/dyl_vv

Website: http://blairdrake.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlairDrakeBooks

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18107775.Blair_Drake

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B07DFZH9P4/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/blaire-drake

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Enchanting Yuletide: A Multi-Author Anthology

From Children of the Moon

By Jena Baxter

Moonlight shines within my soul

Musical notes splash color

Violin, piano, from worlds of old

Stirs new life with blossoming wonder

Seabirds call in the distant sky

Warm breath of forgotten lovers

My heart stands with awe and wonder

Lost in a web of finest silk

Notes spiral through twilight endless

In a fine-spun web of enchantment.

Enchanting Yuletide: A Multi-Author Anthology

Jena Baxter, Raven Williams, Ellie Lieberman, Barb Lieberman, Guy Donovan, CK Brewer

Genre: Holiday / Fantasy

Publisher: Pipe and Thimble

Date of Publication: November 15th, 2017

ASIN: B076LLT6JD

Number of pages: 184

Word Count:

Cover Artist: Raven Williams

Tagline: Tis the Season for Magic

Book Description:

Six stories of the holiday season, guaranteed to put you in a festive mood. So, grab your hot chocolate and snuggle up to experience the season as you've never done before. After all, tis the Season for Magic!

Amazon     Amazon Print

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/wXp54hQMP90

About the Author Raven Williams

A prolific writer, Raven began her career in 2010 with a blog and non-fiction, then moving to fiction in 2014, when she began Elven-Jumper, the first book in the Realm.

Jumper Chronicles. She now has 30 books to her name, spanning the Realm Jumper Chronicles, Raven’s Twisted Classics, and the Demon Stones Saga, as well as her non-fiction, with more planned.

When Raven is not writing, she is creating art in the form of abstract paintings, fractal designs, and jewelry pieces that tie into her stories. She is also a caregiver for a disabled family member and two cats. She physically resides in the Northwest Florida Panhandle, but spends most of her time mentally in her Mystic Realms.

Will you join her?

Sign-up for Raven’s Newsletter here: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com/newsletter-sign-up

Website: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com

Raven’s Mystic Realms FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravensmysticrealms/

Blog: https://ravens-mystic-realms.mn.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaveMWilliams

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Tumblr: http://mysticrealmscurioshop.tumblr.com/

About the Author Jena Baxter

A prolific writer, Jena Baxter creates characters with depth and stories filled with action, emotion, and a little bit of romance. She loves building fantastical worlds and cultures.

Living in Northern California with her husband, Jena enjoys soapmaking, her pets, and writer's conferences. She also reads for a screenwriting contest on an annual basis.

Website: www.jenabaxter.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenabaxterbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenaBaxterBooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenabaxterbooks/

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Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jena-Baxter/e/B00M4YF352

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Spooktacular Poem- Halloween Night By Raven Williams

Halloween Night

By Raven Williams

Darkness grows all around,

As the woods echo with haunting sounds.

On the pumpkins the frost does lay,

And in the cemetery mist covers the graves.

The wolves howl at the bright full moon,

Filling the air with their spooky tune.

Witches, their cauldrons they do stir,

While stroking their familiars’ soft black fur.

Costumed children roam the streets,

Looking for candy and other sweet treats.

The Vampires, Ghouls, and Goblins give fright,

As all gather to celebrate Halloween Night.

©RavenM.Williams2018

Haunted by Darkness

Raven M. Williams and Jena Baxter

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Fairytales

Publisher: Raven Williams

Date of Publication: 12/5/16

ISBN: 978-1540861559

ASIN: B01MSVY7Z8

Number of pages: 494

Word Count: 110818

Cover Artist: Raven Williams

Book Description:

These are not your childhood tales!

Haunted by Darkness is a collection of eight Dark Fantasy Tales and Legends from the minds of Jena Baxter and Raven Williams. Experience the Darkness as you step further away from the Light.

Raven's Tales

Fall into Darkness, A Realm Jumper Chronicles Origins Story:

The darkness within brings a great downfall.

Rise of the Dark Witch, A Realm Jumper Chronicles Origins Story: Sometimes a person is beyond redemption.

Witch Hunter's Rise, A Witch Hunter's Society Origins Story: When darkness falls, death awaits.

Witch Hunter Ordained, A Witch Hunter's Society Origins Story: Will his dark deeds end when vengeance is had?

Jena's Tales

Belshazzar: The Gods rest in eternal sleep while their appointed Guardian for men and supernatural creatures is going mad.

Eyes of the Gods: A lonely phoenix returns to his home in Misty Haven to die, until he hears a song that cuts to the heart of his being.

Children of the Moon: Tormented by dreams and exhausted, Raven is sent to live with her aunt where she is lulled into a dreamless sleep by a haunting melody.

Hunted: Cursed by the Queen of Fairies and hunted by men, Darla must find true love or remain a deer forever.

Amazon      Kobo      iTunes      BN      Mystic Realms

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/pMHuG2qMQwU

Chapter 1

Victorian London

Lucien closed his eyes and tucked his violin under his chin, placed the bow to strings and began to play. Long notes with a bittersweet edge embodied the atmosphere, like a ship floating, lost, its crew and sails forever lost at sea.

A door slammed in the background, and something heavy pounded the floor. Lucien's eyebrows knitted in frustration, as a discordant note sliced through the illusion he created. He placed the instrument on an end table, and stormed out of the library, into the parlor.

His brother, Edward, stood near the entry, loosening his cravat. He nodded. "Lucien."

"What are you doing slamming into the house like a herd of elephants?"

The material slid off Edward's neck, and his lips curled into a pout. "Annabelle has decided to marry Merrill Brighton," he said, with a huff. "That leaves me starting over, or marrying Winnifred Camden."

Lucien didn't think Winnifred was so bad. She had a few love handles, but that just added to her personality somehow. His brother on the other hand, wanted someone with riches and popularity. Lucien frowned and shifted. "What does that have to do with your conduct? Please settle the affairs of your love life without tearing down the house? Even Winnifred won't want a man with a poor disposition."

"Easy for you to say. Ladies hang on your every word." He smiled, "Or should I say note?" He sat at the piano, and ran his hands over the keys. Soft sounds poured into the room like a whisper.

Lucien sighed, and pulled his coat from the rack. While he loved his brother's piano, he wanted to play violin and he couldn't do it with the other music in the background. "I'm going for a walk."

"Shouldn't be out alone tonight," Edward said. "The moon is full, and it's children will roam seeking their next meal, as the night wears on."

Lucien scoffed. "Fairytales written to frighten children. Don't be absurd."

Edward laughed, and the door slammed shut behind Lucien. Not that he was angry, he understood Edward's frustration. A gentleman needed to find a woman of wealth to settle with in order to live in comfort, unless he had a fortune of his own. Lucien didn't worry about such things. He would rather spend his time making music. Everyone fell into the hands of destiny anyway, the cards would fall where they wanted, changing the course of a man's life, and shaping his future in ways he never dreamed. A pleasant chill climbed up his back. Where would his music take him? Would he be able to perform in great halls, or be forced to settle with a woman, warming a bed and creating babies for her comfort?

The moon hovered bright over the city, and sparkles of light danced on the surface of the Themes. Lucien stopped to watch, breathing in the cool night air. His favorite kind of evening after a warm, summer day. Frustration rolled off his shoulders in waves. He began to relax and continued on his way.

footsteps shuffled behind him. He stopped and glanced back. Nothing but the moon and it's shadows disturbed the darkness of night. A bird screeched overhead, and he jumped, as he resumed his walk. The footsteps resumed when he continued walking. When he stopped again, they did too. Could there be something to the moon children myth? Goosebumps covered his skin as he turned and squinted to see better, but there was still only darkness. He took a deep breath and shrugged the tension out of his shoulders. He was being foolish.

The shuffling stopped when he turned toward the city, and soon he wondered if it had been the work of an over-active imagination. His anger giving rise to the absurd. His shoulders dropped, and he relaxed, as new threads of music filled his mind. He hummed them as he walked, until the shadow of a man came into view up the lane. Lucien tensed, was someone waiting for him? He turned left at the corner, but moments later, the silhouette stood waiting once more. He turned again.

It had to be someone else. No one could move that fast. How many people were out this evening? Maybe it had something to do with the moon. His brother's words echoed in his mind. He turned again, and shuddered when he saw the silhouette of the man waiting.

Lucien's heart raced. He spun and jogged back the way he came. In seconds, the silhouette blocked him, but this time it was closer. His chest tightened as the man moved toward him, his stride like a feral cat. For a moment, all Lucien could do was stare.

Lucien broke the spell, spun around and ran. The chest he crashed into was solid as cement. Muscled arms encompassed him. He kicked his feet and twisted, but the man's grip tightened.

"Don' worry," a smooth voice crooned.

Lucien shuddered.

"We'll be done in just a few minutes."

About the Author Raven Williams

A prolific writer, Raven began her career in 2010 with a blog and non-fiction, then moving to fiction in 2014, when she began Elven-Jumper, the first book in the Realm.

Jumper Chronicles. She now has 30 books to her name, spanning the Realm Jumper Chronicles, Raven’s Twisted Classics, and the Demon Stones Saga, as well as her non-fiction, with more planned.

When Raven is not writing, she is creating art in the form of abstract paintings, fractal designs, and jewelry pieces that tie into her stories. She is also a caregiver for a disabled family member and two cats. She physically resides in the Northwest Florida Panhandle, but spends most of her time mentally in her Mystic Realms.

Will you join her?

Sign-up for Raven’s Newsletter here: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com/newsletter-sign-up

Website: https://mysticrealmscurioshop.com

Raven’s Mystic Realms FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Facebook Reader’s Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ravensmysticrealms/

Blog: https://ravens-mystic-realms.mn.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RaveMWilliams

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mysticrealmscurioshop/

Tumblr: http://mysticrealmscurioshop.tumblr.com/

About the Author Jena Baxter

A prolific writer, Jena Baxter creates characters with depth and stories filled with action, emotion, and a little bit of romance. She loves building fantastical worlds and cultures.

Living in Northern California with her husband, Jena enjoys soapmaking, her pets, and writer's conferences. She also reads for a screenwriting contest on an annual basis.

Website: www.jenabaxter.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenabaxterbooks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenaBaxterBooks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jenabaxterbooks/

Newsletter: http://jenabaxterbooks.blogspot.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8103907.Jena_Baxter

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jena-Baxter/e/B00M4YF352

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