Imagine a secret, hidden City that gives a second chance at life for those selected to come: felons, deformed outcasts, those on the fringe of the Outside World. Everyone gets a job, a place to live; but you are bound to the City forever. You can never leave.
Its citizens are ruled by a monstrous figure called the “Man” who resembles a giant demented spider from the lifelike robotic limbs attached to his body. Everyone follows the Man blindly, working hard to make their Promised Land stronger, too scared to defy him and be discarded to the Empty Zones.
After ten years as an advertising executive, Graham Weatherend receives an order to test a new client, Pow! Sodas. After one sip of the orange flavor, he becomes addicted, the sodas causing wild mood swings that finally wake him up to the prison he calls reality.
Uncaged Review: This is a decent read, but it starts out pretty slowly for me. One thing that attaches me to a book, is back story. It doesn’t have to elaborate all the time, but I had really no idea how the world became as it is. I think a deeper dive into the back story of this world, and a bit more character development would have knocked this book out of the park. Once I got through the first part of the book, it was a bit hard to put down.
In this book, a hidden city is for those that are considered outcasts. All controlled by a monstrous spider type man who controls everything, so they are not tossed from the city. A couple characters of note are “E” who is recuiting for the City, and Graham, who as an advertising exec, is tasked with testing a new soda called Pow!, a soda that can control emotions depending on its flavor.
This is a very interesting concept, and with a bit more development, I would have rated it higher. Great concept and very original. Reviewed by Cyrene
There is an evil awakening. At the Lost Souls academy, students aren’t your typical everyday alumni. Rejects from clans, packs, and covens walk these halls, but there’s something more sinister haunting the academy. A resident ghost has new student, Zarya, on the fight to banish it. Will her actions cause more enemies at her new school than friends?
‘I’m coming for you.’ A message from beyond has Zarya fearful. Her skills are underdeveloped, but as a ghost hunter, she must stand and fight this new evil.
Can Zarya grow to be the ghost hunter she’s destined to be or will forces overpower her and bring chaos and destruction to the Lost Souls academy?
Uncaged Review: This is a shorter read that introduces us to the members of the Lost Souls Academy. This is a school that has students that have been discarded from their people, because they are different. Zarya is a witch, but also a ghost hunter and fighter, so she was shunned by the Coven. She’s barely making it in the world until Avery, a powerful witch invites her to the academy that she started in a magical library. Here she will meet the other students, but also attracts the attention of a powerful ghosts that wants her dead. This didn’t really leave off on a bad cliffhanger at all, but the overall arc of the story does continue on.
I like Zarya and the other students, and will more than likely continue on with the series to see how it all develops. Nice read. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! You’re here to tell us about Love and the Shameless Lady, a book in yourScandalous Kisses series. Can you tell us more about this book, and what you may have coming in the near future?
Love and the Shameless Lady is one of my favorite books for two reasons: first, because the heroine, Daisy Warren, is way out of her normal environment. She’s a disgraced lady who lives in a tumbledown inn. She bakes in the kitchen, serves ale to the sailors and smugglers, and plays the piano and sings rude songs for them. The second reason is because Daisy is also a writer. In her spare time, she writes romantic adventure stories with intrepid heroines who make their own happy endings. It’s often said to write what you know. I don’t quite agree with this (I’ve never lived in Regency England, nor have I served ale to smugglers, nor do I sing worth beans, etc.), but it is fun to write about writing, one aspect of life that I do know quite well.
My upcoming book, The Infidelity Curse, will come out in late spring or early summer. The hero comes from a long line of Earls who were cursed with unfaithful wives. He tries his best not to fall in love with a lady touched by scandalous accusations. Of course, he doesn’t succeed—luckily, because the lady is just what he needs.
What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?
The most difficult scenes are always the ones where I don’t quite know what should happen next. Sometimes I ponder for days. Other times I just start writing and see what happens, then go back and revise until I know what’s going on. The easiest scene is the first one in a new book. I adore new beginnings, and the first scene is always clear in my mind when I start.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written?
I rarely have a favorite anything—there are too many lovely characters, books, foods, people, etc., in the world. However, I guess I would say Daisy Warren (mentioned above) is one of my favorites, as is Bridget O’Shaughnessy Black, who falls in love with Daisy’s brother Colin in The Rake’s Irish Lady. Also, I’m very fond of Noelle de Vallon, the daring Frenchwoman in The Smuggler’s Escape, because she’s the first historical heroine I wrote.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue with the link below
USA Today bestselling author Barbara Monajem wrote her first story at eight years old about apple tree gnomes. After publishing a middle-grade fantasy, she settled on historical mysteries and romances with intrepid heroines and long-suffering heroes (or vice versa). Often there’s bit of fantasy mixed in, because she wants to avoid reality as much as possible.
Barbara used to have two items on her bucket list: to make asparagus pudding and to succeed at knitting socks. She managed the first (don’t ask) but doubts she’ll ever accomplish the second. This is not a bid for immortality but merely the dismal truth. She lives near Atlanta with an ever-shifting population of relatives, friends, and feline strays.
Disgraced lady Daisy Warren serves ale in a tumbledown inn, sings crude songs for the smugglers, and writes romantic novels in her spare time. Shunned by her own class, she’s resigned to her lowly life—until someone tries to kill her.
Gentleman spy Sir Julian Kerr noses out seditionists and traitors. When he visits the inn to investigate two suspicious Frenchmen, he meets the lovely but hostile Daisy. He doesn’t intend to get involved with her—but then he learns that someone is threatening her life.
He wants to find out more—it’s part of his investigation.
He wants to protect her—he’s a chivalrous man.
He wants her.
But will Daisy’s bitter past allow her to risk love again?
Excerpt
Daisy Warren set her pen down with a heartfelt sigh. The Lady’s Ruin was her best novel yet. The plot and characters were so outrageous she felt sure they resembled nothing and no one in real life.
Except perhaps Daisy herself, but she didn’t want to think about that just now. The novel was over and done with, and so was the smuggler who’d inspired it—dead, and richly he deserved it. Unfortunately, neither of these facts changed a thing about the life of a ruined lady.
She bundled the pages, wrapped and sealed them, and addressed them to her publisher. In the morning, she would have it sent on the mail coach to London. She set it aside, went down to the taproom of the ramshackle inn where she lived, and indulged in a celebratory brandy.
Tonight she would play the out-of-tune pianoforte and sing for the drunken patrons of the Diving Duck, while her mother turned in her grave. Tomorrow she would begin the sequel—The Lady’s Revenge.
~ ~ ~
Six months later…
“He’s a good-looking man,” Sally said, wiping three tankards and preparing to fill them. “And one of your sort, too.”
Daisy Warren glanced up from kneading the dough for the cottage loaves. “Not anymore.” She was a ruined woman, and therefore her ‘sort’—in other words, the gently bred—would have nothing to do with her. That didn’t stop her from taking a good long look at the newcomer, plainly visible through the doorway from the kitchen to the coffee room of the Diving Duck. Slouched in a chair, he was entirely at ease, his station in the world assured. A man would practically have to commit murder before being ostracized, whilst a woman had merely to—
She stopped that thought before it had a chance to grow into full-blown fury. Anger did no good at all. It changed nothing, except to make her feel ill.
Sally rolled her eyes. “The gentry can’t all be prigs.” With practiced ease, she operated the tap with one hand and held the three tankards in the other.
“Most of them are,” Daisy said, punching the dough hard. His fairish hair was a little too long, curling over his cravat. His other clothing was fashionable without being ostentatious, his only jewelry a ruby ring on his left hand. She thought his eyes were blue, but she couldn’t tell from this distance.
God only knew why she found him so interesting. Perhaps because he brought a little culture, a little education, a little worldliness into this godforsaken inn.
Mostly, Daisy was content with her life at the Diving Duck. The smugglers who frequented the place knew by now to treat her with friendly respect, and whenever she wanted to play a proper pianoforte or go for a bruising ride, her brother Colin’s estate wasn’t far away. She would never marry, never have children, but all in all—
Drat, the newcomer had noticed her watching him. She glared and returned to kneading the dough.
“Maybe this one ain’t so bad. I wonder why he’s here.” Sally headed for the coffee room.
“I don’t care.” Daisy was tempted to close the door so she couldn’t see him and therefore he couldn’t see her, but no, she wouldn’t let any man’s appraisal discomfit her. She no longer minded the bold stares of some of the smugglers. They meant nothing by it.
Daisy covered the dough with a cloth and set it aside to rise. The only true advantage to being ruined—and to leaving her brother’s home to live at a disreputable inn—was that she was learning how to cook and bake. A Warren doing menial labor! Her mother’s shroud must be twisted into knots by now. Sally returned with several empty tankards. “He’s on a riding tour, visiting Roman ruins.” “Is that so,” Daisy said flatly. A scholar, was he? Thanks to her late father, she had a soft spot for those studying the ancient world, but she knew better than to let nostalgia affect her. He might seem appealing, he might even be knowledgeable, but when it came right down to it, he was just another man. Sally never stopped moving. Already she was wiping the tankards preparatory to filling them again. A group of locals, most of whom were involved in smuggling to some degree, had come in for their customary darts and ale. “Finished with the dough, have you? Then if you don’t mind, Miss Daisy, I think those rock buns are about done.”
It had taken Sally months to get used to Daisy in her kitchen, and only recently she’d begun to ask for help rather than waiting for Daisy to volunteer. She would never have done so if Daisy hadn’t proposed writing a cookery book, and said she needed to learn how to do things herself, not just watch how they were done.
Daisy opened the oven and shoveled the little cakes out. They were likely to cool as hard as their names indicated, but tasty all the same.
“They don’t look bad,” Sally said, “but what we really need is that recipe from Mr. Warren’s cook.” At least they weren’t burned, which they would have been if Sally hadn’t prompted her. Yet another reason why Daisy shouldn’t dwell on handsome men. The real reason, though—the most important one—was that if she let her thoughts wander in that direction, she might consider dallying with one of them again.
No, she wasn’t that much of a fool. Once was enough.
“Haven’t really tried, have you?”
Daisy started. “Tried . . .?” She certainly had tried, and . . . Oh, Sally was still talking about rock buns. “Yes, I did my best to pry the recipe from my brother’s cook, but she says she’s never written it down. She won’t want me in her kitchen watching her make them.”
“Tell her she has no choice,” Sally said. “If I was gentry-born, it would be do as I say, or else.”
“I daresay, but she’s not my cook, and she’s been with the family for eons, so I couldn’t sack her even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. We’ll find a recipe elsewhere, or we’ll adjust yours until we get them just right.” Nothing like a nice, safe conversation about food to take one’s mind off a man.
How could she be interested in men after what she’d gone through? It made no sense at all, and yet she kept on noticing them—their teasing grins, their powerful arms and thighs . . .
She must be mad, but she couldn’t help it.
“He’s not staying at the inn,” Sally said, “so you needn’t worry he’ll try tiptoeing to your bedchamber at midnight.”
“I’m not worried about that,” Daisy scoffed. “The way he’s eyeing you, maybe you should be,” Sally said. ~ ~ ~
Amari has a perfect life. She’s a successful food critic, and is marrying a high flying human rights lawyer. But the day before her wedding, a stranger, Caspar, tries to solicit her help. She sends him away, but can’t shake the feeling that she knows him.
When Amari’s new husband has to leave the country before their honeymoon, Amari tells Caspar she’ll help him. But Amari and Caspar are attacked by an assassin, forcing them into hiding at the London headquarters of the Pagan Nation. Here, she discovers she’s an ancient and powerful demon, someone who reincarnates, and that Caspar is her soulmate.
As she’s drawn into Caspar’s world of standing stones and feuding nations, Amari can’t deny the deep connection that pulses between them. But she can’t remember her past, she has a husband, and finds herself torn between two irreconcilable lives. And not only that, but the Pagans have secrets they refuse to reveal: Why did Amari avoid Caspar for a hundred years? And what happened between Amari and the leader of a rival nation in the past? To determine if she can trust Caspar, if she should help him, she must wake her demon soul, and bring back her memories. For one thing is certain: when that happens, the tables will turn.
Uncaged Review: Amari and Caspar are demons who have lived many lives, but when Amari reincarnates, she never remembers her past. Caspar is her soulmate, and each lifetime, Caspar must get to her for her to remember who they are. This time, there are assassins trying to get to them and they need to find out why. Many mysteries need to be unraveled in this book, and it’s a very intricate and intriguing storyline. It did end on a bit of a cliffhanger – the author claims that the third and final book in the main series will be out in March 2022 – so at least it’s not that big of a wait.
There is a lot to like about this book, Pagans and demons, past lives and new discoveries, a lot of details that I find myself scratching my head as to how the author keeps it all straight, make this easy to recommend. Reviewed by Cyrene
The Eidola Project travels to Petersburg, Virginia, to investigate a series of murders in the Black community—rumored to be caused by a werewolf. Once there, danger comes from all quarters. Not only do they face threats from the supernatural, the KKK objects to the team’s activities, and the group is falling apart. Can they overcome their human frailties to defeat the evil that surrounds them?
Uncaged Review: This is not a typical werewolf book, like you might think looking at the cover. This is a historical horror book and is not for the easily offended by racism or the Klu-Klux-Klan, or the asylums. This is a book that is hard to put down, and a lot of things happen that I never saw coming. This is better than book one in this series, and I’d recommend reading the first book, The Eidola Project first to get a good background.
This author seems to be a new welcome voice in the gothic horror world, and I look forward to reading more. Reviewed by Cyrene
Tori Russo’s job is very simple—be a pretty distraction for a professional football player with a bad attitude. Her only problem? She’d rather gain some actual marketing experience during her internship than be someone’s arm candy for photo ops. Growing up with a Navy captain father and five older, overprotective brothers, she’s never been allowed to stand on her own two feet. She’s going to prove to them she has what it takes to be an independent adult. Even if it means giving in and faking a relationship with one of the NFL’s most eligible bachelors. Tori doesn’t want to sleep her way to the top, but her client is impossible to resist. If she can keep her heart out of the game, she can walk away with her head held high.
Mike Mitchell’s life shouldn’t be this complicated. All he wants is to play football and earn a good living for his family, but his life off the field is riddled with chaos. After a long-standing feud with an old friend-turned-rival is caught on camera, he’s assigned a PR rep by his team. His options are limited—play nice with the sweet as peaches redhead or be benched. With his paycheck and his ability to provide for his mom and sisters on the line, he’s convinced he can juggle one more ball. His only problem? He’s becoming way too attached to this gorgeous distraction. The friend zone is collapsing day by day. If he can’t avoid her temptation, then he’s going to have to find a different way to play by the rules.
Uncaged Review: I was pleasantly surprised by this romance, as I’m not a big contemporary sports romance reader, but this was an enjoyable read. I liked the witty characters and their chemistry, but I was confused at times at how much time had passed, sometimes I had to go back and look to see if I missed something. This is the fifth book in the series, and I did not read the first four, but I’m guessing I would have had a bit more background on some of the secondary couples that pop up and would have made this story even better.
This is a nice read, I think that even though it holds up okay as a standalone, I’d recommend reading the first four books in the series first. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! You released, The Weight of Ashes in August. Can you tell readers more about the book? Are you working on anything now that you tell us about?
The Weight of Ashes is about Mark Murphy, a young boy unwilling to accept the death of his older brother and enlists the help of his friends to carry his ashes to the Witch on Spook Hill to have him resurrected. In the end, it a story about grief and loss and the myriad ways in which we cope with it.
At the moment, I’m working on the second book in a young adult fantasy series. The first, The Fallen Hero, will hopefully have a home soon!
What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?
Whew. There were so many emotionally challenging scenes in this one. Avoiding spoilers, I’ll say the most difficult was the scene in which Mark finally arrives where he believes the witch lives. The emotional weight of the journey, his brother’s loss, and the hopes he carries just spill over. I had to stop multiple times to compose myself. The easiest is a flashback with his brother and cousin on a baseball field. Despite the intensity the scene closes with, I’m always most comfortable and happy on a baseball field.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? Has there been a character that’s been hard to write about?
A favorite is tough. We’re supposed to love all of our children equally, right? But if I must choose, I’d go with Belle, a thirteen-year-old autistic girl in The Fallen Hero. She’s so pure, full of joy, sees more than people give her credit for, and is the glue that holds that group of friends together. The most difficult was Gordon, in The Weight of Ashes. Closely based on a friend of mine who committed suicide when I was seventeen, he opened up a number of channels of grief I had no idea were still broadcasting.
How do you come up with the title to your books?
Much like element of storytelling, it has to have a purpose. I want it to say something about the story, about a character, or to capture the voice or mood of the pages within. The Weight of Ashes, for example, has a dual meaning: the literal weight of his brother’s ashes as well as the emotional weight attached to them.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Broadleaf Writers Association Founder & Executive Director Zachary Steele is the author of three novels, including his latest, The Weight of Ashes. He was nominated for the Sidewise Award for Alternate Fiction and has been featured in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Publisher’s Weekly, Writer’s Magazine, Shelf Awareness and City Lights with Lois Reitzes on NPR. Currently, he is hard at work on the first book in his upcoming fantasy series, The Fallen Hero, for release in 2022. You can follow his ramblings on writing and life at http://zacharysteele.com/.
After a car accident claims his older brother’s life, Mark Murphy’s world is turned upside down. The silence of their shared bedroom, the memories of Mitch’s guidance, and his mother’s drunken spiral are constant reminders of the cost of his absence. But Mark isn’t ready to grieve. He isn’t ready to accept that his brother is truly gone. Despite the insistence of the adults in his life that he accept Mitch’s death, Mark is undeterred.
They don’t know what he knows.
They don’t know the story of the Witch on Spook Hill.
Aided by his loyal band of misfit friends, Mark’s plan to carry Mitch’s ashes to the witch is complicated by the pursuit of the town sheriff and the cousin responsible for his brother’s death. With no time to regroup, Mark and his friends must navigate the dangerous path to Spook Hill before the sun sets, so that Mitch can be resurrected in exchange for the life of the one who took it.
Excerpt
Another minute flipped by. 8:45. The red numbers seemed to burn hotter. Like they were mad at me for still sitting on the floor. Two hours had passed, and I hadn’t moved. If the bed wasn’t at my back, I’d have probably dropped flat on the floor, curled up with my pack and bat, and never moved again. I needed to get up, but the fear wouldn’t let me.
What if Mama had the box?
What if I couldn’t find what I needed at the Junkyard?
What if I made it to the witch and she couldn’t…
She could. She had to.
My arms trembled.
I was supposed to be gone already. The walk to the Junkyard would take thirty minutes. No way I could avoid being late now. If my friends didn’t wait, I’d be on my own. I couldn’t do this alone. And if I waited much longer, there wouldn’t be time to do it at all. It’d take a while to find Gordon’s car, then it was at least another twenty minutes through the woods to the Mall. Then, from there, we had to find the trail. We’d be pushing dark getting back as it was. Any later and we had bigger problems. Trying to get through the woods at night would be impossible, even with Mitch leading the way.
A sting ran deep into my chest. The corner of the box peeking out of the rip in my pack jabbed into my collar bone. My arms wrapped tight around the pack like it was the only thing keeping me alive. I didn’t know how long the box had been like that, but the sting didn’t go away when I lowered the pack. In fact, it spread until my entire body ached.
“Get up, Mark. Get up and go. Now. You have to. Mitch needs you.”
Mama’s door was always open unless she was out of her room. I just needed to sneak in, switch the ashes, then sneak out and go. That’s all. If she woke, I only had to be faster than her. She’d forgive me later. I didn’t want it to go like that, but there was no other way.
Dishes clinked.
My heart beat so hard I thought it might bust through.
Mama was up.
I’d waited too long.
She couldn’t be up. That wasn’t the plan.
I bounded to my feet as if my legs hadn’t refused to budge for the past two hours. The door stuck in the frame. In the summer months, the humidity made the wood swell. Took my shoulder to knock it loose, setting it to pop and rattle as it swayed outward, into the wall. From the sink, Mama gave me a tired smile. “Morning, baby. You hungry? I was just about to make some eggs.”
I wasn’t and I’d never hated the thought of eggs so much in my life.
“No, ma’am.” My stomach hurt. I was pretty sure I’d never be hungry again.
Her bedroom door was shut. She’d already showered and looked presentable. On Saturdays, she was always in her blue sleeping gown until late morning. She showered while I watched cartoons. It was all wrong. Mitch was waiting. I couldn’t go tomorrow. This was the fourth day. There wouldn’t be a fifth. Mitch would be gone.
In a land that parallels ours, a great evil lies in wait. To defeat it, Brooke must face her greatest fears.
Just when Brooke Fisher thought she had a handle on her anxiety, strange things start to happen. In addition to her hair turning green, she has had nothing but cold showers and iced coffee for weeks. When the man starring in her nightmares walks into her reality, she must determine their connection.
The beautiful woman Will Engel has met is complicated in a way that speaks to him. As he helps her unravel the clues in a mysterious journal, he finds that their pasts are intertwined in a way that defies all logic.
As the threat of the Shadowman grows stronger, their journey takes them to a magical land that parallels their own. What they find there not only confirms Brooke’s destiny as the element of Water, but Will’s as well.
Uncaged Review: This romance was a refreshing change of pace for me. When Brooke and Will meet, they find a connection and are drawn to each other pretty early on. A little bit of magic, tossed in – made this for a book that was difficult to put down at times. I liked how together, they grew closer unraveling a mystery. Even Will will find some things about himself he never knew.
This is an easy recommendation, the characters are easy to like, there is suspense, mystery, fantasy and even a bit of heat and humor. Reviewed by Cyrene
Sugar Plum fairies eat your heart out. Madison Reynolds has visions of a different kind dancing in her head. Home for the holidays in Cedar Bend, Colorado, Madison must focus on helping her bedridden pregnant sister, not fantasize about the one who got away. But how is she supposed to forget about her high school crush when she bumps into him at every turn?
From the moment Ryder Sanders untangled the reindeer antlers from Madison’s hair his Christmas season appeared brighter. The time spent in her company leaves him more smitten. So, why does she still treat him as if he has cooties? They’re not in high school anymore.
Can the two find a forever love? Or will their wishes melt away like icing on a Christmas treat?
Uncaged Review: I love second chance romances, and add in the holiday, and it just makes it that much better. Madison returns to her hometown to help her pregnant sister, but runs in to her high school crush, Ryder. There is a definite love triangle going on, which is at times frustrating. What was really fun about this book is the secondary cast of characters. Four year old nephew Taggert and his father Jim were hilarious at times and great additions to the story.
This is a romantic holiday book, with romance and humor. The author keeps it flowing seamlessly and it was over before I realized it. This is a book that should be a Hallmark movie, not those corny ones. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! This year you released the third book in the series, Bewitching the Beast, called The Goddess of Magic. Can you tell readers more about the book and the series?
The Bewitching the Beast series is about a family of witches battling the dragon spirits who have invaded the world. These spirits are possessing hosts and feeding off humans, and can only be defeated if these women, their significant others, and their friends band together. All of these books are stand-alone romances and follow the love stories of those on this growing team of dragon hunters.
The third and final book in this series, The Goddess of Magic, centers around Holly, a family friend, who has been kept in the dark about the dragon spirits for her own protection only to find herself in the sights of the most powerful dragon spirit the team has ever encountered.
She is put under the protection of Peter, the brother of one of the dragon hunters. He tries his best to keep Holly out of trouble and safe, and in the process, they grow close, although there’s no stopping the evil forces that stand against them.
What is the most difficult scene for you to write? What is the easiest?
For me, writing love scene is the most difficult. There’s just so much to them. Not only do you have the act itself to describe in a sexy way, but the scene should be unique to that particular couple. Emotions, thoughts, and dialogue should reflect their individual personalities and character growth. It’s also important that the scene carry the story forward. That’s a lot to think about!
The easiest scenes for me are probably action scenes. Once I plan out what I want to happen, it seems like I can get the words on the page fairly quickly.
Do you have a favorite character you’ve written? Has there been a character that’s been hard to write about?
In this series, I have a handful of characters that I really enjoyed writing. Tess, the heroine in the first book, Bewitching the Beast, has a fun midwestern sense of humor (very wry and deadpan) that tickled me. I hadn’t planned to write her like that. She just came out that way, and I loved it! I also have a couple of secondary characters in these books that I had fun with—Gram (who is Tess and Faith’s dead grandmother) and Dorothy (an eccentric witch who owns an occult store). Both these older ladies were somewhat odd but funny.
Faith, the heroine of the second book, Spellbound Captive, gave me a little bit of trouble at first. I think because I loved Tess’s sense of humor so much, I assumed Faith would be the same. But just like in real life, sisters are not exactly the same. They find different things funny. She ended up a bit different, still enjoyable but different. Part of the reason she wasn’t as open and free as Tess was because of the trauma she’d survived—she’d run away from home and tried for years to save her friend from the dragon possessing him.
Read the rest of the interview in the January/February issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below
A small town girl with a big imagination, Tamara Hughes had no idea what to do with her life. After graduating from college, she moved to a big city, started a family and a job, and still struggled to find that creative outlet she craved. An avid reader of romance, she gave writing a try and became hooked on the power of exploring characters, envisioning adventures, and creating worlds.
She enjoys stories with interesting twists and heroines who have the grit to surmount any obstacle, all without losing the ability to laugh.
Ethan Lockwood hates what he’s become—a slave to a parasitic monster whose victims’ names pepper the obituaries. He’s possessed by The Beast, a dragon who feeds off human spiritual energy. After a year of fighting The Beast’s demands, Ethan is losing the battle. The creature is taking over his mind, body, and soul. When he spies Tess, he can relate to her weary look and the sadness in her eyes, but her aura shines like a beacon, attracting The Beast. Ethan is forced to drain her energy, but for a split second, she subdues the creature inside him, compelling the spirit to slumber. How? Can she somehow free him from The Beast? Ethan chases after her. He can’t afford to let Tess die.
Since her fiancé’s death, Tess Edwards struggles to find new meaning in life. She doesn’t expect that new meaning to involve a sexy photographer who says he’s possessed by an energy-stealing beast. He claims she’s in danger and that he’s the only one who can save her. Great. He’s a nut job—cute, but delusional. She doesn’t believe in dragon spirits and magic, not until she finds her grandmother’s Book of Shadows. She’s descended from witches, and the book warns her of her fate. Although the beast inside Ethan needs her alive, he isn’t the only one of his kind. There’s another, and he wants Tess dead.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Tess knew guilt. As a former Catholic schoolgirl, sometimes she felt like she had a sign on her back that read “Guilt trips work here.” What else would explain why she’d let Holly talk her into coming here tonight? When Holly had found out her boyfriend, Wade, had invited his bro Jay out for New Year’s Eve, she’d begged, “Tess, I’m going to end up being the third wheel. Please come out with us. Save me.” Blind dates sucked, and this one wasn’t going to be any different.
Flashing strobe lights distorted the movements on the dance floor, while a pulsing beat rattled the glasses on the tall table in front of Tess and reverberated through her chest.
The Mood on New Year’s Eve. Big whoop.
Tess adjusted her position on the stool and scanned the dim interior of the club. She should have told Holly she was busy. Her imaginary cat, Arty, needed his toenails polished.
The DJ bobbed his head and shuffled back and forth, his eyes closed, consumed by the music. Of course, this might have been fun with Matt by her side. She would have liked to see his awkward dance again. The one where he swayed from foot to foot and punched his arms out in wild directions. She’d always needed to duck and cover whenever they danced together.
Matt. The one she was supposed to grow old with. That dull, empty ache gnawed at her stomach again. Good going, Tess.
She downed the last of her champagne and set the flute on the table, then turned from the dance floor to the seating behind her. Couches and plush chairs were grouped together toward the back of the club, each seating arrangement dimly lit by hanging cone-shaped lamps. A group of five women sat huddled together, deep in conversation. They whispered and chatted before twisting in their chairs to ogle someone seated along the opposite wall. Tess followed their stares to an ungodly handsome man—gorgeous in a model-meets-biker sort of way. His wavy, dark hair brushed the tops of his shoulders, framing his angular jaw and piercing eyes. A black leather jacket hugged his broad shoulders, while snug jeans emphasized his lean build.
He drained the last of his beer and set the empty on the table. His arms resting on his knees, he focused on the beer bottle as if willing it to refill, then pinched the bridge of his nose. His hand was covered by a black leather glove.
Was wearing one glove coming back into style? Man, she hoped not.
He surveyed the room, his eyes blazing with intensity. Tess could almost hear the collective sigh from the women eyeing him.
His gaze edged her way before darting past toward the door, a wistful expression on his face. He stiffened and flexed his gloved hand.
The need to escape. Tess knew the feeling. But what was stopping him? She gave a short laugh. He’d probably promised someone he’d stay until midnight, like she had.
Not that she cared. She had her own problems. Tess studied the crowd, but her attention was drawn back to him. She was such a sucker for sad, needy people.
A cute brunette waitress approached him, and he sat up. She smiled and ran her fingers through her pixie cut as she crouched beside him. He tossed back the shot she handed him and returned the empty glass. The waitress laughed and touched his arm, her over-the-top flirting painful to watch. The biker shook his head and took the fresh beer she offered. A slight frown marred the woman’s face as she rose and left, swaying her hips. No doubt the motion usually attracted loads of attention, like the hypnotic flashing lights at a railroad crossing. He barely noticed. His stare veered away from the spectacle and toward Tess. This time their eyes met and held.
Read the rest of the excerpt in the January/February issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below
