Cover Reveal: A GENERATION OF VIPERS by Margo Bond Collins #preorder @MargoBondCollin #newrelease

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A Generation of Vipers

A Shifter Shield Novella

Capturing the killer who was stalking the shapeshifter community s

hould have earned weresnake Lindi Parker and her new boyfriend,

mongoose-shifter Kade Nevala, a vacation.

Instead it earned them a basket of baby lamias and a whole heap

of trouble. Someone in the shifter community doesn’t want those

infants—or Lindi—to survive.

Not knowing who or what they can trust, Kade and Lindi must use

every skill they have to stop a killer—again.

Available for pre-order on Kindle: http://amzn.to/2bwhl2c

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Excerpt

"Don't panic," Kade said that evening as he stirred a pot of his homemade spaghetti sauce. "It's not like you're bringing all these new lamia babies home to live in your house. We're going to set up a group home for them, with a live-in staff. You're their counselor, Lindi, not their mother."

I poured a glass of Chianti and settled in on a barstool at the island in the middle of his large kitchen. "That's the thing. I'm not sure a group home is the right way to go with these kids."

"You signed off on it when we came up with the idea." He narrowed his eyes at me and tasted the sauce, then added something to it. "Janice thinks it's the best option we have," he added, knowing that the leader of the shifters' Council had been tutoring me in all things shapeshifter recently, and that her endorsement mattered to me.

"Yeah, but…" I trailed off, trying to find the words to explain what I was trying to say.

As usual, I didn't have to find the exact phrase for Kade to understand. Or any words at all. "You're worried that without a stable home-life, you won't be able to give these children the same kind of emotional training that your parents gave you."

I nodded and took a long drink.

"We can provide stability. Everyone wants this to work."

"Not quite everyone," I muttered darkly.

"Everyone who is directly involved wants this to work. You cannot be completely responsible for the entirety of the lamia race."

"It's more than that." I considered what to say, how much to share of my own recent insights. "We will have plenty of other weres stepping in to help raise these kids, lots of people to teach them how to be solid shifter citizens. But until they're grown, I will be the only adult lamia in their lives. I will be the only weresnake they can model themselves on. That feels like a lot more responsibility than simply being their counselor. In that sense, I am kind of responsible for the entire lamia race."

"Your parents did fine with you, and they're not shifters at all," he pointed out.

"But they managed it by encouraging me to focus almost entirely on my human side. I would like to give these children even more."

Turning down the heat under the sauce, Kade put the wooden spoon down and made his way around to my side of the counter, where he spun the seat of my barstool around until I faced him. Then he took my face in his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. "You'll do a great job with them."

Then he pressed his lips against my mouth.

As usual, his kiss almost took my breath away. We hadn't been together long enough for the sense of wonder at his touch to fade. The sheer heat of our connection didn't show any signs of abating, either. The brush of his tongue against mine sent sparks shooting through my veins to pool in the pit of my stomach. It wouldn't take much to stoke that heat into a raging fire.

But if we did that, his lovely dinner would be ruined.

Not that I was sure I cared.

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About the Author

Margo Bond Collins is addicted to coffee (mmm...caffeine) and SF/F television, especially Supernatural (mmm...Winchesters). She writes paranormal and contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and paranormal mystery. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although she teaches college-level English courses online, writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and the women who love (and sometimes fight) them.

You can learn more about her at http://www.MargoBondCollins.net and follow her on all the usual social media outlets (listed below).

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Character Interview: BATTERED not broken by Charity West @Writer_Charity #giveaway #interview

Please welcome the character from BATTERED not broke !

What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance?

Definitely the romance. <grin> Getting to know Wren has been amazing, and I’m really glad she’s part of my life.

Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams?

All the time. When she wasn’t writing, I’d try to give her a little nudge. The sooner the story was told, the sooner I’d get to meet the amazing readers out there.

What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere?

I live in a small town and there’s this great lake not too far away. I like to go fishing, just sit in the quiet. I’m a Sheriff’s Deputy, so my job can be stressful.  I enjoy doing anything that’s calming. Fishing, reading, just hanging out with my girl.

Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in?

Yes, but I could have done without those suspense scenes. A straight romance with the only heart racing moments being those between Wren and me would have been awesome. Having someone threaten the girl of your dreams is not high on my list of things I want to experience.

If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be?

It’s hard to say. I’d love to go back and have Wren come from a sheltered home, where she was loved and cared for, and not beaten whenever her dad felt like it. But then, if she hadn’t been escaping that life, I never would have met her.

Do you like the way the book ended?

Happy endings are always awesome. I know that Wren and I still have an amazing future ahead of us, but we’re definitely on the right path. The only thing that would have made it better would have been looking about five years into the future. I’d like to think I’d be married to Wren by then.

What is your greatest fear?

Going to work and not coming back home. Our town is pretty quiet, but any morning I wake up and put on my badge and my gun, there’s a chance I won’t come home that night. I would hate to put Wren through that. I know if I lost her I’d be devastated, and I’m sure she feels the same about me.

What do you wear when you go to sleep?

In the hotter months, I sleep in my boxers, but I keep pajama pants in my dresser for the cooler weather.

What do you find most appealing in men/women?

The first thing I notice about a woman is her eyes, unless she’s too far away. Then it’s the curve of her hip. With Wren, it was a little of both…and then she smiled and I was a goner. Of course, I knew her as Wendy then.

What sound or noise do you love?

I love the sound of rain on a tin roof, or a storm raging outside. I like to watch the lightning flash and hear the thunder rumble.

 

What sound or noise do you hate?

Definitely nails on a chalkboard.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I love watching the sun rise in the mornings and enjoying a cup of coffee out on the porch. But with my job, I have to be prepared to work any shift, and sometimes that means I have to be a night owl.

Have you ever gone alone to either dinner or a movie? What about a vacation?

I used to go out alone all the time. Can’t say I’ve ever been on vacation alone though, usually I had my grandfather with me. He raised me after my parents died.

 Thanks again for visiting with us today !!!!

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BATTERED

not broken

by CHARITY WEST

Contemporary/Romance/Young Adult

40K, Evernight Teen Publishing

Who knew falling for a man in Khaki could cause so much trouble?

Battered and bruised, Wren has taken a lot from her father over the years, but when he throws her out of the house, she sees it as a blessing in disguise. She has no job, no home, and never finished high school, but what’s all that compared to a life without abuse? When she starts over in a new town, under a new identity, she makes it her goal to fly under the radar.

New town, new life. Only, there’s a corrupt deputy intent on stealing Deputy Gray Frampton’s family fortune, a slight case of aggravated identity fraud, and a night in the local jail. It’s enough to make any girl’s head spin. Wren Michaels has to find a way not to spend the next three years in jail, warn Gray that Deputy Pritchard is after him, and somehow hold onto the happily-ever-after that is finally within her grasp—assuming Gray wants a felon as his girlfriend. Who knew falling for a man in khaki could cause so much trouble?

Buy Links:    Evernight Teen    Amazon    ARe

14+ due to violence and adult situations

Excerpt:

The shadows crept closer as a deep cold settled into my bones. I cowered on the floor of my closet, hidden behind shoes and clothes, as I listened to the slap of flesh against flesh. He’d come home drunk again, even more so than usual, and he’d barely cleared the door before landing the first blow. It was cowardly of me to hide. I should stand up and fight—do something to make him stop. My phone was still clutched in my hand, and my heart pounded in my chest, the thump-thump loud in my ears. I knew I should call 9-1-1 and get help for Mom, but I also knew that even if they arrested him, they’d never keep him. Mom would give the cops some bullshit excuse as to why he was beating her, or say she fell, and then she’d refuse to press charges. If I thought things were bad now, they’d be even worse if he went to jail for the night. We’d lived through that horror once already, and once was more than enough. No one had to tell me my dad was an abusive asshole who thrived on being a bully. I’d experienced it firsthand.

My palms grew slick as I heard my mother’s whimpers and then booted steps coming down the hall. Was I going to be next? The footsteps grew louder, and I heard my bedroom door slam into the wall. I bit my lip to stifle my cry, hoping he wouldn’t find me. He shuffled around my room, his boots clomping and scraping the wood floor as he searched for me. When the closet doors were flung open, I squeezed myself as far into the corner as I could, but I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

An iron grip closed around my arm, his fingers biting into my skin, as he jerked me out of the closet. I stumbled and fell to my knees at his feet, bracing myself for what would happen next. My head was wrenched back, tears stinging in my eyes as he fisted my hair. There was such hatred in his gaze, such contempt, as if he couldn’t even stand to look at me. I’d always done everything he’d ever asked, and still it wasn’t enough. As far as my dad was concerned, I’d ruined his life, and he was going to make me pay for it until I was able to leave this place behind.

“Thought you could hide from me?” he slurred. “Stupid little bitch.”

The slap across my cheek made tears spill down my face, but I ground my teeth together so I wouldn’t make a sound. When he knew he was causing me pain, he seemed to enjoy it more, and I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. He pulled hard until I was standing upright, my hair still clutched in his fist, and then he punched me in the stomach. I folded at the waist, gasping for breath as stars danced in my vision and bile rose in my throat.

“Worthless. That’s what you are.” He kicked out and knocked me to my knees again. “You should be groveling, thanking me for your life. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t even be here, you ungrateful shit.”

Yes, because thanking him for the abuse he heaped on me day after day, thanking him for all the hurtful names I’d been called, thanking him for the days I’d had to skip school because I couldn’t hide the bruises—that was exactly what I wanted to do. One day, he would get what was coming to him. I didn’t know how or who would do it, but I knew someday he’d piss off the wrong person and they’d beat his ass until he cried like a baby. And I hoped like hell I was there to see it. I’d kick back with some popcorn and enjoy the show. I hated him. Hated him.

“You think I don’t see the way you look at me?” he demanded. “Well, I’m tired of it. I’m finished with you. My life was better before your mother got knocked up. Ever since she popped you out, you’ve been nothing but a financial drain. Not anymore. You have five minutes to pack your shit and get the fuck out of my house. And if I ever see you again, I’ll make you wish you were never born.”

Like I didn’t already wish that every day of my life. I should thank him for offering me freedom, even if I had nowhere to go. Anything was better than staying here. Plenty of people lived on the streets, so there wasn’t any reason I couldn’t do it, too. It just meant I’d have to find a way to get my GED sooner rather than later. Dropping out of high school hadn’t been the best decision in the world, but when Dad had broken my arm, Mom had thought it would be better than facing questions we couldn’t answer.

He stomped out of the room, and I heard his bedroom door slam. After grabbing a bag out of my closet, I shoved several outfits, underthings, and socks into it. I snatched my toothbrush and hairbrush out of the bathroom and crammed them in there, too. As an afterthought, I grabbed the travel pouch from under the sink that had shampoo, soap, and a razor tucked inside. I didn’t know where I would go to shower, or where I was going to sleep tonight, but I would figure it out. Maybe Mom would let me come home to bathe while Dad was at work a few times a week. Plus, it would give me a chance to check on her.

I zipped up my bag and then grabbed my backpack and purse off the bed. With my keys clutched tight, I walked out of the only home I’d ever known. Mom didn’t say a word as I passed her, and she didn’t try to stop me. Maybe she figured I was better off living anywhere but at home, and she may have been right.

About the Author:

Charity West is a young adult romance author who has always had her head in the clouds. She had her first crush when she was four, and it lasted for six years. Then she quickly fell head over heels for another boy, until she had to move away and leave him behind. Jumping from one boy to another, she finally found a keeper when she was twenty, and she’s been married to him ever since.

By the time Charity was twelve, she was sneaking her mother’s Harlequin romances and reading them in secret when she was supposed to be asleep. Teased throughout middle school and high school for the bodice ripper covers on the books she openly read in class, she knew that one day she wanted to write her own happily-ever-afters.

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Writer_Charity

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/CharityWestAuthor

Amazon Author Page - http://www.amazon.com/Charity-West/e/B01BTUV3AA/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Giveaway:

$10 Evernight Teen GC

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