A Whisper by Barbara Chioffi

It began with a whisper.

Sitting in the dining room, Anne felt a shift in the air behind her.  She paused, shook her head, then returned to her story. 

Anne was middle-aged, of medium height, with blue eyes and brown hair with red highlights. She considered herself attractive but not beautiful. Never having married, she amused herself by writing horror stories. She'd been somewhat successful and managed to live comfortably.

Sitting up suddenly, she froze. Someone had touched her! Whirling around, she jumped up, looking in every direction, even under the table. Nothing. What the hell was going on?

Feeling a bit foolish, but aware she had felt the touch, she repositioned her chair with her back to the corner. All the horror stories she'd written, all the things she'd envisioned ran through her mind.

Pouring herself a glass of wine, she sat for a minute, thinking she could have imagined it. Laughing to herself, she once again returned to her story.

"Anne."

At first, she didn't acknowledge it. 

"Anne."

There it was again. The smallest whisper, unmistakable. The hair on the back of her neck stood up. Remembering one of her favorite plot lines...no one ever looks up...she hesitated. This is foolish, she thought. Laughing to herself, she glanced upward. 

TO BE CONTINUED

Introducing Jordan Buchanan and the cover reveal for Xander's Garden

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I could not be more excited to reveal the cover for Xander’s Garden, designed by the fabulous Julie Nicholls. Xander’s Garden is available for pre-order on Amazon now!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01B76FPZ0

In the year 2115 on the remote off-Earth colony Terra VI, Janis Kepple learns she is terminally ill. She begs her childhood sweetheart, Xander Pax, to hide her only child from her husband –Violet’s step-father. Janis can’t deny his once fatherly attitude has changed to something dark and lustful. Knowing she has little time left, she hopes the brothel, Xander’s Garden, is the last place anyone would look for her innocent daughter. With memories of his love for Janis lingering, Xander agrees, although he wants nothing more than to sell the sex shoppe and return to his beloved Terra III.

Shy Betta wants only to attend University on the Terra IV colony. When Xander offers her sanctuary, she becomes known as Violet and finds herself among strangers in a world that revolves around the business of sex. She’s surprised by the care and support she’s shown and begins blossoming into a confident young woman. Befriended—and seduced—by Daisy, a free spirit running from her public identity, and Chrys, a handsome young sex provider, her horizons are soon broadened…within limits.

Xander and Violet can both realize their long-held dreams if she offers herself up in the Virgin Auction, but tempting new choices have appeared. Surrounded by love in Xander’s Garden, who would ever want to leave?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jordan Buchanan was born and spent most of her life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Now residing in northern Michigan, she misses the Shenandoah Valley but living in the home state of the mighty Detroit Red Wings helps ease the pain.

She writes erotic romance with heart and heat, and has published Xander’s Garden and a collection of short stories, 4Play. She is currently working on Loves Me, Loves Me Not and On the Job Training: Orientation.

When she is not writing or watching hockey, Jordan enjoys spending quality time with her charming husband, three young adopted Lab mixes, and the two older, and very disgruntled, cats who hate them.

*****COVER REVEAL*****

I am very proud to share my recent covers with you, done by the amazingly talented Julie Nicholls. You can check her out here at her facebook site, Mirishka's Artwork.

https://www.facebook.com/WallpapersArtworkAndFanArt/?fref=ts

Lycan Love has been reborn as Lycan Heart. This is the basis for a new series, Mystic Hearts, and tells the story of the Flannerys, a family of shifters. In Lycan Heart, we meet Robert Flannery, the father, his two sons, Justin and Jared, and Julia, Justin's mate. 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XQGSDPO

Dark Lycan, to be released in mid to late February, continues the story of the Flannerys, concentrating on Jared, one of Robert's sons, and his mate, Tara. 

Tune in for weekly updates on the characters in Dark Lycan.

Peace,

Barb

I don't often express myself unless it's in a book, but today, I feel the need. 

Lately, I've noticed many instances of harassment on my one social media site. Being rather naive, I didn't understand the need to report someone for an infraction unless it was of an abusive nature.  After all, the millions that utilize these sites do so with the intent of connecting with friends and/or making new ones. 

Today, another friend was blocked by an 'unknown person' for simply commenting/ voting on a webpage. They followed the posted rules, so there shouldn't have been a problem.  I'm shaking my head, having seen this so many times recently.

Whatever happened to 'live and let live'? For the most part, social media is a blessing, a way to reach people with your particular message. Every now and then, however, someone slips through, reminding us that mean-spirited people are lurking, waiting for an opportunity to cause problems. I like that word, lurking. Maybe I'll call them the LURKERS.

I think if you are reported, you should be able to confront the one who did so, and if they have a legitimate complaint, it can be discussed and solved. Otherwise, as the British so beautifully say, 'bugger off '.

Peace,
Barb

Hello...I apologize for my absence. It's been hectic since before Christmas. I will resume publication on Monday, January 18.

Peace,
Barb

The release of Blood Ties by Julie Nicholls is official. 

Hey peeps!

Today is the official release day for Blood Ties! In case you need another sneaky peek to whet your appetite, here's a little more from the book.

This is a paranormal, shifter, werewolf, romance, and it's currently available on Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk

I've spent some time making the paperback quite special, and if you're a collector of 'real' books, I hope you'll consider adding Blood Ties to your collection.

The first letter of each chapter has a wolf motif, which I've created in photoshop and adobe illustrator.

I hope you like the design and for the readers who like to hold a book, this is a perfect gift.

The paperback is available from Createspace :

BUY LINK

Or you can purchase via Amazon:

BUY LINK

The morning looked promising. Keagen was on the road, traveling to a small town he’d never heard of. Filled with elation, thoughts of catching his prey made him smile. There was no need to rush. Despite his need to snag the escapee, he took a leisurely drive. Intel he received advised of a stranger who'd set up house in Dewburn Falls, and was deemed a ‘badass.’

Keagen smirked. There’s a new player coming to town. Move over badass.


Relaxing into the soft leather seat of the BMW 328i, one of Keagen’s favorite rides, he took in the scenery and thought about his plan of action. Meticulously organized, he always had a fallback plan. He wasn’t at home being Mr. Cock-up, and hated if someone fucked up, which wasn’t too often as he mostly worked alone. Forced to team up on one occasion, it didn’t go well, resulting in a few deaths. Kicking off, Keagen said it was either his way, or he was retiring, which was funny considering they owned him; despite his reluctance to admit it. While he was comfortable, he’d put up with their shit and continued along his merry way. Doing their dirty work. With access to fast cars, the best weaponry, some not even on the market officially, and recreation time to fuck, life was good. He wanted it to continue.

His mind took him back to when it wasn’t so pleasurable, and his hands tightened around the steering wheel as he growled. While he didn’t have many memories remaining, he knew it wasn’t good. Faded scars on his body were the only reminders of his childhood, since Solgen wiped his memory. It was the standard protocol to start with a clean mind, and easier. Still perfecting the procedure, the scientists had made a few errors, but Keagen was their most successful guinea pig. Receiving top marks in all the tests, he confirmed loyalty to the company and, therefore, was allowed to leave the compound. At first, he was under supervision, but that had soon changed. After excelling in each mission within a few months, his reputation soared. Managing a hundred percent retrieval rate, with a required eighty percent coming in alive, he was the top dog. The twenty percent died because they resisted capture and return back to the labs. Keagen was strong. At the start of his hunting career, he didn’t know his own strength. Rarely bringing home a dead one these days, he’d learned to master his body and the enhancements.

When you sign up to my official email list, you can download Demon Within FREE (retail $3 .99)

WELCOME TO TREMENDO TUESDAY

I'd like to introduce a fellow author, Paul White. Paul is also a novelist, short story writer, poet, and blogger.

Introducing his Tales of Crime and Violence, the three book collector editions.

This remarkable three volume collection encompasses numerous and varied stories of acts and deeds of crime and violence. Paul White has once again woven his masterly spell of intrigue into each stories plot. Secrecy, scheming, plotting and conspiracy live hand-in-hand with outrageous and shocking violence, viciousness and brutality.

All three volumes of Tales of Crime & Violence are packed with carnage and bloodshed and mayhem, while an ominous sense of sinister, physiological apprehension lingers in the dark shadows.

Tales of Crime & Violence contains graphic acts of violence, profanities and sexual reference. It is not recommended for reading for those under adult age.

Tales of Crime & Violence is available in a paperback collection of three volumes, or on Kindle as a complete ‘box-set’.

EXCERPT

   ……….The Sheriff stopped, as did the two deputies in the following cruisers. Together we walked to the car. I handed one of the deputies the keys. You could feel the heat reflecting from the steel of the bodywork.

   It was one hell of a hot day.

When the deputy opened the driver’s door a blast of superheated air escaped. It was so extreme it forced us to take a step backwards and twist our heads away from its intensity. But it was the smell which was most overpowering. I saw, but did not comprehend the glance between the law men. However, I knew that my day was going to get worse when they handcuffed me.

My day certainly became a living nightmare when they opened the trunk. Bobby lay inside. His throat had been sliced from ear to ear and his eyes gouged out. The heat had caused his body to swell and the blood to cook.

I only recognised him by his jeans and boots.

After that it was all a bit of a blur. I was bundled into the sheriff’s car and we raced the few miles to the motel. It looked as deserted as when I left a few hours ago.

From room fourteen all the way to room twenty the doors were open. They were the doors I kicked open during my frantic search for the others.

I explained this to the Officers.

The thing that interested the Sherriff was the sign hanging from the doorknob of room thirteen.

I had not noticed that sign in my earlier panicky state. It said ‘Do not disturb’. What was interesting the lawmen most was the smudged bloody handprint on that sign.

The Deputies drew their guns and crashed the door.

It flew open. The intense odour of putrid dead flesh flooded my nostrils.

Inside the room, laid out across the bed were Kathy and Taylor. They were tethered to the bedstead with strands of rusting wire cable, spread-eagled and naked. Their stomachs had been slit open and their entrails extended across the floor.

Those black flies and an army of brown rats were busily feasting on their remains………

BUY LINKS.

UK Paperback

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=tales+of+Crime+%26+Violence

US paperback

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Tales+of+Crime+%26+Violence

Kindle (worldwide).

http://authl.it/B019VNDE5E