THE PRINCELINGS OF THE EAST

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – The Princelings of the East

SERIES – The Princelings of the East

AUTHOR – Jemima Pett

GENRE – MG/Fantasy/Scifi

PUBLICATION DATE – November 2011 (paperback June 2015)

LENGTH – 158 Pages/ 37,300 Words

PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications

COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

The Princelings of the East is an adventure set in a world of labyrinthine castles, bustling inns, and the curious Isle of Hattan.

Princelings George and Fred leave the security of their isolated castle to solve the problem of the Great Energy Drain, meeting the dubious businessman Hugo, the young barkeeper Victor, the impressive Prince of Buckmore, and other movers and shakers. Who should these two innocents trust? Their wits and teach other, for sure, but when something comes between them, each is left to his own devices, and some of those devices are very strange indeed – and time is of the essence.

The Princelings of the East is the start of a saga where friendship and intelligence are rewarded, even in the face of treachery and deceit.

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EXCERPT

Fred sat staring at the tunnel, lost in thought. George waited. This might take a while. He could hear soft sounds of crackling flames in the fire on the other side of the wall, and in the distance the occasional pitter-patter of footsteps echoing down the corridors. He wondered what would happen if they ventured out of this castle into the tunnels. When he had been out in the marshes, he’d never gone a long way from home; the castle was always visible in the distance, light glinting on its spires. He’d never been out overnight, either. He identified a strange feeling inside him. They might be on the edge of a Great Adventure, but he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t rather be safely tucked up in bed.

Fred stirred. “We need to go and investigate this Great Energy Drain,” he said. “We must find out whether it is a widespread phenomenon, and whether the causes are known.”

George nodded; this was elementary procedure for an investigation. “And then?” he asked.

“And then,” answered Fred, “we shall come up with some ideas for how to solve it.”

“Good idea!” said George, knowing that you can never know exactly how you are going to do something until you have made the preliminary investigation and tested out a few theories. But the aim was set, and all they had to do now was decide... to go or not to go?

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BUY & TBR LINKS

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AUTHOR BIO

I’ve been writing since I was 8 years old. I still have a small booklet I found in my mother’s box of treasures, written in a very childish hand, entitled The Little Stream. It reads very much like the story of Smetana’s Vltava, or The Moldau as it was called when I was young, so I must have been into classical music at an early age (I blame my brothers’ influence). My early fiction attempts failed for want of suitable inspiration: I couldn’t get characters or plot that seemed interesting, and my first attempts were derided by a ‘friend’. I had the bug for writing, though, and wrote articles and event reports for newsletters and magazines whenever I got the opportunity. My career in business and in environmental research kept me chained to a desk for many years, but also gave me the opportunity to write manuals, reports, science papers, blogs, journals, anything and everything that kept the words flowing. Finally the characters jumped into my head with stories that needed to be told….

I now live in a village in Norfolk, UK, with my guinea pigs, the first of whom, Fred, George, Victor and Hugo, provided the inspiration for the Princelings stories.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

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TWITTER

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GIVEAWAY PRIZES

1 x $25 gift card/PayPal cash (paypal cash is much easier for me to deliver)

1 x set of the six Princelings of the East paperbacks

5 x 1 signed print of a chapter illustration of the winner's choice (approx. half letter-sized/A5, unmounted)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

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 TITLE – The Princelings and the Pirates

SERIES – The Princelings of the East

AUTHOR – Jemima Pett

GENRE – MG/Fantasy/Scifi

PUBLICATION DATE – January 2012 (paperback June 2015)

LENGTH – Pages 181 / Words 39,000

PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications

COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The second book of the Princelings of the East series shows our heroes, Princelings Fred and George, enjoying life with their inventions at Castle Buckmore. Oblivious to the kidnap of a princess from Chateau Dimerie, they are despatched there by Prince Lupin to discover why the wine hasn't been delivered and solve the case of the missing messengers.

What follows is the stuff of nightmares. Captured by pirates, sent off on different ships, Fred endures hardship and shipwreck while George has a dangerous night escape. They discover treachery at their home castle, and lead the people they have rescued to safety, only to end up fighting for their lives in the Battle of Dimerie.

EXCERPT

“Right, you lubbers!” said the black guy. “My name’s Frankie and if you know what’s good for you you’ll listen hard, work hard and keep your mouths shut.”

He passed round eight bits of stale biscuit and a bucket of fairly clean water and a scoop. They each took a drink, and some of them nibbled the biscuit. George found his stomach settled down a bit, and tried to see whether Fred and Victor were among the party in the darkness. He rather thought they weren’t, and frowned. The haughty guy refused the biscuit, saying it was disgusting, and one of the other guys took it off him, and wolfed it down.

Frankie waited for them to recover their senses a bit more, then started talking again.

“You are now aboard the Golden Guinea, the prettiest barque that ever sailed the seven seas. You will do as you are told, you will work hard, and if you don’t, you will walk the plank. That means you will find yourself swimming, possibly in shark infested waters, a thousand miles from the nearest land. You won’t last long.” And he laughed again. It was not a pleasant laugh.

BUY & TBR LINKS

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TITLE – The Princelings and the Lost City

SERIES – The Princelings of the East

AUTHOR – Jemima Pett

GENRE – MG/Fantasy/scifi

PUBLICATION DATE – May 2012 (paperback June 2015)

LENGTH – Pages 270 / Words 58,600

PUBLISHER – Princelings Publications

COVER ARTIST – Danielle English

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Book 3 in the Princelings of the East series is the completion of the trilogy. A mystery is uncovered in the Prologue (which is unravelled in Book 5), then the story moves to more familiar territory as our heroes, Princelings Fred and George, wait at Castle Buckmore for the arrival of Princess Kira from Dimerie in a flying machine. George's power plant invention is overtaken by his enthusiasm for flying, but Fred is upset by Kira's strange behavious after the visit a legendary 'lost' castle in the middle of a forest.

What is the secret of the Lost City? Are the old wives' tales, of a civilisation ruled by females where no male dare set foot, true after all? Will Fred and his friend escape with their lives? How many times can Princess Kira be kidnapped in one story? The path of true love runs anything but smoothly in this tale of love, bravery, cruelty and loss.

EXCERPT

A strange noise crept into their consciousness, a sort of buzzing. It changed tone, skipped a beat and sometimes stopped altogether. The princelings looked out, straining to see what was making the noise. Fred stared down the road as far as the bridge; George gazed up into the sky as if he was dreaming.

“There ….there..they..ther….” he stuttered and pointed for Fred to locate.

“What?” said Fred, following the direction and wondering why he was pointing into the sky. There was some sort of bird flying towards them.

“I w-wond-ered … a ffly-ing ma-ma-sheen.” In his excitement, George was having trouble getting any words out at all. He slipped off the window seat and went over to a pile of papers beside his bed. He selected one near the top of the pile and brought it back to Fred.

“M. Bleriot demonstrates flying machine at Fortune,” read the headline. Underneath was a picture of a very dashing French person with a helmet and goggles standing next to a funny tube with two boards sticking out of it on either side.

Fred glanced at it, held it close to look at the machine in more detail and dropped the paper to look at the sky. A very similar machine was now approaching the last stretch of road before it turned to come into the castle itself.

“Oh my goodness,” said Fred, his eyes wide in panic. “She’ll be killed!”

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US

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BOOK DEPOSITORY PAPERBACK

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PAN

 

My Family's Heart Presents:

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Pan

SERIES – The Untold Stories of Neverland

AUTHOR – K.R. Thompson

GENRE – Fantasy/Fairytale/Short Story

PUBLICATION DATE – August 10, 2015

LENGTH – 15,000 words

PUBLISHER – Createspace

COVER ARTIST – Alchemy Book Covers

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Neverland has always been their sanctuary—until now.

Magic is dying in Neverland and only one pixie is brave enough to search the human world for someone to believe. Tink finds a desolate boy flying in the night, peering in windows, searching for the life he once knew. But can she convince him to abandon his quest and save Neverland?

Discover the untold story of the boy destined to become Peter Pan.

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 EXCERPT

At least the boy was taking his task seriously, the pixie decided, watching him raise up on his toes in an effort to gain a better look inside one darkened, upstairs room. Some guardians were lazy, but this one was not, which was just as well, she noted, as the small, shadowy figure of a child exited through the window and joined him. A few seconds later, the two flew off into the night sky. The children of humans could be a handful—the ghosts of them even more so, especially when they realized they were no longer among the living. It only made sense to appoint another child to deal with their sorrow and accompany their spirits to the other side.

The source of her attention currently gone, the pixie idly kicked into the open air. Small bits of dust sprinkled each time her feet touched the open mouth of the monster she’d been making a seat of. She glanced down, noticing his bottom teeth now sparkled like gold in the moonlight, giving him an even more ferocious look.

The poor thing looked dreadful, with long curling teeth and bulging eyes—nothing at all like her own pretty, golden self. She gave him a bright smile. Likely, that was the only kindness ever given the monster forever stuck up here on the edge of this roof, so she reached down and gave his hard cheek an affectionate pat before turning her attention back to the sprawling town below. After all, she hadn’t come to save this monster. She’d come for the boy and soon he would need her—but not nearly as much as she needed him.

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BUY & TBR LINKS

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AUTHOR BIO

K.R. Thompson writes paranormal stories with a bite and fairy tales with a twist. An avid reader and firm believer in the magic of books, she spends her nights either reading an adventure, or writing one.

She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

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WEBSITE

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

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CURSED BY FIRE

Title: Cursed by Fire

Series: Blood & Magic

Author: Danielle Annett

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban

Blurb

"It has been six years since the Awakening and peace in Spokane, Washington is still tenuous at best. The vampries and shifters are all vying for control of the city and the humans seem to be the ones suffering the consequences, or so it seems.

Aria Naveed has spent the last two years of her life fighting to make the many wrongs of the world right, but soon finds out that humans aren't as weak as they appear and may be a more terrifying foe than any of the other races combined.

When a stronger rolls into town with trouble on his heels, Aria finds herself trapped in the middle of a battle that could cost her more than she has bargained for as a fight for justice turns into an unexpected fight for her life."

Links

Goodreads - iTunes - Kindle - B&N - Google Play - Smashwords - Kobo

About the Author

Danielle Annett is a reader, writer, photographer, and the blogger behind Coffee

and Characters. Born in the SF Bay area, she now resides in Spokane, WA, the primary location for her Blood & Magic series. Addicted to coffee at an early age, she spends her restless nights putting pen to paper as she tries to get all of the stories out of her head before the dogs wake up the rest of the house and vye for her attention.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Author Interview

How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I’m not entirely sure to tell you the truth. I think when I decided I wanted to write something this story just popped into my head because it was one I wanted to read myself. Overtime it took shape and changed drastically but the idea itself more of less popped in out of nowhere.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I find my inspiration at the Library. There is something entirely exciting about walking through a room filled with books and looking at all of their covers that just inspires you to write more.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Finding the time to write is difficult. Between my day job, my blog, my home life and beautiful daughter, it all adds up. Time is something I definitely wish I had more of.

What are your current projects?

Currently I’m working on Book 2 in the Blood & Magic series, and a side PNR project that is just beginning to take shape.

Does music play any type of role in your writing?

Music is HUGE. I tend to assign a song to every scene. Music makes you feel something and I want my book to make my readers feel something as well. Music for specific scenes allows me to strive to draw that emotion into the scene.

Excerpt

The light began to fade from his eyes as I crawled across the floor in an effort to reach my father. My nails were raw and bloody as I struggled to carry myself closer to him, digging into the rough wooden floors with each drag of my body.

“I’m coming,” I panted in between breaths. “Just hang on, Papa, I’m coming.”

I woke gasping for breath, drenched in a cold sweat, clutching the hilt of my dagger as if my life depended on it. I frantically looked around the room in search of our attacker while also taking stock of any injuries. I was perfectly whole.

“It was just a nightmare,” I told myself, though that did little to ease the ache in my chest over the remembered pain. I miss you so much.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I pushed back the wet, loose tendrils of hair that had escaped my braid during my fitful rest and returned my dagger to its resting place beneath my pillow. Taking another deep breath I registered a hint of smoke.

Shit!

My eyes roamed over the room, frantically looking for the source of fire.

“You have got to be kidding me!”

I untangled my body from the sheets, tripping and falling into a heap on the floor before I was able to crawl out of my covers and retrieve an old shirt. I frenziedly swatted at the bedroom curtains with the old t-shirt but the flames continued to rise. Deciding there was no other choice, I ripped the curtains from the window and rushed to the kitchen.

Throwing the curtains into the sink and turning the faucet on all the way, I watched as the flames were snuffed and steam began to rise. The curtains ruined.

Turning the water off, I allowed my body to slide down the smooth wooden cabinets until my bottom met the cool tile floor. I folded my arms across my knees and rested my forehead against them. Closing my eyes I took several deep breaths, my heart still racing from the effects of the recurring nightmare. This was getting out of hand. I had thought the nightmares were fading, but something was bringing the memories back with a screaming vengeance and this was the third time this week they’d plagued me. I missed my parents but it’d been over six years now. They weren’t coming back and I needed to let it go. My subconscious needed to let it go and I needed to let Daniel’s death go. Not the case, no, I

wouldn’t let that go. But his death was affecting me in ways I couldn’t allow to continue.

I breathed deeply in an effort to calm my nerves. Small tremors racked my body, the nightmare had shaken me more that I’d like to admit. My skin was covered in a fine sheen of sweat. A physical reminder that I needed to relax before I accidentally caught something else on fire.

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HIGHLAND STORM

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Highland Storm

SERIES – Guardians of Scotland series book two

AUTHOR – Victoria Zak

GENRE – Scottish historical fantasy romance

PUBLICATION DATE – Jan 13 2015

COVER ARTIST – JAB Designs

BOOK SYNOPSIS

A long forgotten Ancient kingdom has been awakened and threatens to change the Dragonkine world forever.

Can passion weather the dragon’s storm?

The only true pleasures in life Conall Hamilton yearned for were to marry a good woman, raise a family, and hide away into seclusion to live a normal life away from battle and war, not an easy task for the Dragonkine warrior and Clan Douglas’s second in command. Assigned to investigate an allied clan, he vows upon his return to marry his love, Effie. That’s until the Dragonkine warrior finds himself accused of a crime he did not commit, murder. Imprisoned, he must find a way to escape not only to save his own life but to save the life of the woman he loves.

In time the past will catch up with you…

Effie Douglas is a survivor. Though not born a Douglas, Effie leaves her old life behind to seek safety within Clan Douglas. For five years Conall Hamilton has been her secret lover and savior, helping her pick up the pieces of her damaged past. Hiding the true nature of their relationship from their clan had become a burden for the red-headed lass and now she desires more. She wants Conall’s name. When Effie is summoned home, she is plagued with unwanted memories, treachery, and new found information that will change her life forever. Will Effie have the courage and strength to weather the storm that rages around her?

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE AU – AMAZON KINDLE UK

AUTHOR BIO

Growing up in the sister city to Stirling, Scotland, Sottish flare was abundant throughout Dunedin. From her High School band to the annual Highland Games that took place right across the street from her childhood home, the bagpipes beckoned her toward her calling. It seemed only natural for Victoria Zak to want to write in the Scottish historical romance genre. Add to the fact, she was also a paranormal romance junkie, there was no doubt that her influences would be the driving force behind her stories.

Although, she never sought out a writing career, her desire for the written word grew the more she read. Her love for Scotland, curiosity of history, and passion for romance has inspired her to write her first book, Highland Burn. The Guardians of Scotland series continues this winter with Highland Storm.

Now, Victoria Zak lives in the sunshine state with her husband, two beautiful children, and three furry friends. Living in paradise, being a stay at home, and to be able to share her stories has been a blessing.

Victoria loves to hear from her readers. You can connect with her through FB, Twitter, G+, and her website, www.victoriazalromance.com.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – NEWSLETTER - FACEBOOK PAGE – FACEBOOK PROFILE – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ - GOODREADS

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CURSED BY FIRE

Title: Cursed by Fire

Series: Blood & Magic

Author: Danielle Annett

Genre: YA, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban

Blurb

"It has been six years since the Awakening and peace in Spokane, Washington is still tenuous at best. The vampries and shifters are all vying for control of the city and the humans seem to be the ones suffering the consequences, or so it seems.

Aria Naveed has spent the last two years of her life fighting to make the many wrongs of the world right, but soon finds out that humans aren't as weak as they appear and may be a more terrifying foe than any of the other races combined.

When a stronger rolls into town with trouble on his heels, Aria finds herself trapped in the middle of a battle that could cost her more than she has bargained for as a fight for justice turns into an unexpected fight for her life."

Links

Goodreads - iTunes - Kindle - B&N - Google Play - Smashwords - Kobo

About the Author

Danielle Annett is a reader, writer, photographer, and the blogger behind Coffee

and Characters. Born in the SF Bay area, she now resides in Spokane, WA, the primary location for her Blood & Magic series. Addicted to coffee at an early age, she spends her restless nights putting pen to paper as she tries to get all of the stories out of her head before the dogs wake up the rest of the house and vye for her attention.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Goodreads

Presented by:

http://rockstarlit.com/

HOOK

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – HOOK

AUTHOR – K.R. Thompson

GENRE – Fantasy/Fairy Tale/Adventure

PUBLICATION DATE – January 1, 2015

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) - 300 Pages/78,000 words

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Archie Jameson dreamed of adventure.

Today, it found him.

Caught in a chilly October storm, he ducked into a tavern, hoping to escape the rain. What he found, was a room teeming with pirates. Shanghaied by the most elderly of the lot, Archie awakens to discover that he is serving on a ship captained by the fiercest pirate ever to sail the seven seas--the man known as Blackbeard.

Through a series of thrilling twists, Archie finds himself captain of another of Blackbeard's ships, the Jolig Roger. In an attempt to flee danger, his ship becomes lost beneath uncharted stars and arrives at a mysterious island.

Determined to save both his crew and the woman he loves, Archie will make decisions that will forever seal his fate.

For in Neverland, not all is as it seems.

BUY & TBR LINKS

AMAZON KINDLE US – AMAZON KINDLE CA – AMAZON KINDLE UK –

href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23587474-hook" target="_blank">GOODREADS

EXCERPT

The breeze picked up and was bursting insistent, frigid puffs that threatened to dislodge his hat. Archie clamped one hand on top, squishing it down around his lean face as he resolutely lengthened his stride and marched on, determined to make it home before the storm set in.

He'd almost made it to the corner, to the place where he normally made the left on N. Westburl, and then a right onto 43rd, followed by a various assortment of other long deviations that would get him safely home, when a large crack of thunder shook the air. He decided that just this once he might consider taking the most direct route, albeit dangerous, foreboding, and possibly life-threatening. He stopped right on the bend of the street, uncertain for a split moment, until the next jolting crack of thunder made up his mind for him. He headed straight along Market St that followed the length of the Thames River, hoping that the seedy individuals who lurked around the pier were as mindful of the

storm as he and would not cause him trouble on this particular evening, for even though he was quick-witted and could talk himself out of most troubles, sailors tended to be a harder breed of people. They were a sharp and cunning lot, and Archie did not know if he could outsmart anyone else that day and didn't wish to press his luck.

He made it past the pier, hesitating just long enough to glance at the small boats tied to the dock. There were obviously people about, and so far he had been lucky enough not to encounter any of them.

But one final ground-shaking crack and the tinkling sound of bells changed it all. The clouds overhead clashed and he ran for the shelter of a nearby tavern, barely escaping the torrent of rain.

Archie had never been in The Captain's Keg before. He stopped just inside the door and let his eyes adjust to the dark, smoke-filled room. He realized that not only had he run into the very people he wished to avoid, but that he also had a new problem.

These men weren't just sailors.

He was ready to run back out and take his chances of drowning in the street, when he heard the same tinkling of bells from earlier. This time, it sounded like mocking laughter.

Well. He might very well be losing his mind, but a coward he was not.

He straightened to his full height—all six feet and four inches of it—and removed his crumpled hat with a flourish, tucking it under his arm. He walked proudly down the three steps that led into the heart of the tavern—to a bar, teeming with pirates.

A couple of heads turned at his arrival and those who met his solemn, blue gaze were quick to drop their eyes back to their drinks. His spirits momentarily lifted, Archibald nodded to himself more than to anyone else in particular, a slight smile playing on his lips. He was holding his own.

Still erring on the side of caution, he scanned the length of the bar, finding three open seats. Two were between rather burly, shifty-looking blokes with tattoos. The third seat, nearly on the end of the bar, sat betwixt an elderly gentleman with longish white sideburns, a round belly, and spectacles to match that sat precariously upon a rather bulbous nose. The gent on the other side was scrawny, his clothes in tatters, thin face in a scowl as he stared at a leaflet of paper before him. Even though he sat still, there was a nervous energy that pulsed off the small man. He gave Archibald the impression of a jittery, starving squirrel.

Archibald decided his best chances lay between the old man and the squirrel and so he took his seat, nodding in a genial fashion to the old man, whose watery blue eyes barely gave him a passing glance. The squirrel didn't acknowledge his presence.

"What'll it be, mate?" the barkeep asked.

Archibald bit his lip to keep from laughing. Every drink in the tavern was the same yellowish liquid. Why the bald man standing behind the bar bothered to even ask such a mundane question was beyond him. Perhaps he was daydreaming again. He did do that a lot and at times it seemed real. "'Tis all ale, is it not?"

"Aye, but will it be single or double ye'll be havin'?"

Archibald lifted a single finger and waited for his drink.

"Ye'd have much better luck with rum, I should think," the old man said quietly as he stared down into his own glass, "The ale's watered down. Not fit for a fish to drink, it isn't."

One dreg out of the glass, and Archibald was quite certain the gentleman was more than right. It tasted like something poured from an old boot. Not that he regularly drank from old boots, mind you. Thank heavens he hadn't ordered twice the amount of the vile stuff. Deciding it better not to even bother asking for the rum, which most definitely hidden beneath the counter and out of sight, he tossed a couple of coins down on the scarred wooden bar, and sat looking down into the remnants of his glass, listening to the patter of rain on the tin roof.

A strange thought came suddenly. For a bar filled with pirates, it was most unusual. It was rather quiet, an odd comment here or there, but otherwise there was nothing but silence. Surely they weren't all sitting around listening to the rain. Archie couldn't figure it out. But he knew one thing, these people certainly weren't living up to his expectations of the loud, fearless persons he always thought pirates to be.

The squirrel on his left shifted around on his stool, staring even harder at the parchment. Sweat popped out on a face that was now a color that reminded Archie of the paper in the print shop, a colorless, pasty white. Good for paper, not for squirrels.

"Well?" a low, deep voice rolled out from a dark corner and broke the silence so suddenly that it startled Archie. "Give us the news then, Harper."

Ah, well now. Things may get lively yet, Archie thought, casting a quick look to the corner from where the voice rumbled. It was too dark to see the man who sat against the wall, but Archibald got a good look at the pair of worn, dark leather boots propped up on the table, and the curling wisps of cigar smoke that floated up to the rafters.

"It says a r-roy, royy…" the squirrel named Harper stuttered, the paper shaking in his hands.

"Ach! The man canna read it anymore than the rest o' us." A complaint hurtled from one of the tattooed blokes at the opposite end of the bar.

As if he were getting more anxious, Harper tried again, his voice in a near squeak, "A royy-alll…"

Archie spied the lettering, and against his better conscience, whispered just loud enough that Harper would hear, "A royal pardon is offered to those pirates who surrender on or before the fifth of September, this year of 1718." He waited as Harper relayed the message, then continued, "Being limited to crimes committed before the fifth of January. All other crimes committed after such date, will be considered for a death of hanging."

Archie sensed the old man on the other side of him shuffle about, as if he were searching for something on the insides of his pockets, but Archie's attention was fixed on the squirrel he saved. Harper turned and gave him a toothless, yet thankful, smile and set to guzzling the contents of his glass as quickly as possible in an effort to calm his shaking nerves.

"Well, that counts us out, lads," a dark chuckle came from the corner, "'No pardon for the likes o' us, I fear. We all be hanged."

"Aye, but they must catch us first. I won't be finding me neck in a noose," a shout rang out, followed by the murmur of agreement from all the others as they lifted their glasses in salute.

Feeling rather in-tune with the pirates, Archibald picked up his glass as well and toasted the luck of the now boisterous lot, draining the last contents of his glass. Some small part of his brain noted that while the ale was certainly vile before, it also became bitter the longer it sat. The bitterness left nearly as soon as he noticed it, having been replaced with a rather calming sensation.

Pirates truly weren't a bad lot, he thought sleepily, just people like everyone else. They were only misunderstood. He turned to convince the elderly gentleman on his right of exactly that, when the darkness came and took over. The last thing he heard was the old man chuckle, singing softly,

"Yo-ho, me mateys, yo-ho…"

***

"Careful now, lads, mind the poor lout's head, aye? He'll be having a dreadful headache come morning without any extra bumps ye'd be givin' him along the way."

The voice was familiar—rather achingly so—though Archie couldn't quite seem to get his faculties in order to remember who the owner of the voice was. The few times he could open his eyes, nothing at all made sense. It all came and went in blurs with distorted figures he couldn't quite make out. The darkness came and went, so in the end, he figured it better to keep his eyes shut for the time being and try to concentrate on other things, foggy and confusing as they might seem. He thought he was being drug along the rough boards of the pier, and while that familiar voice seemed to care about the condition of his head, his legs and backside seemed to be another matter entirely of which the man cared not a whit as they bumped him along each splintering plank. Luckily, the drug slipped in his drink deadened the pain, and he only registered the faint, odd pricks and scrapes where the wood had its way with his flesh.

"He's got hair like black candles, he does," a crackling voice snickered by his head.

"Aye, Smee, are we taking this poor soul aboard for his long locks? Did the Cap'n order you fetch him a wifey, then?" another voice chimed in, followed by raucous laughter, and a low retort from the man named Smee that Archibald couldn't make out.

"A good bit heavier than he looks," the first voice by his head huffed, "Slow ye down a bit, Murph. I'm losin' my grip. Oh drat, there he goes!"

And those were the last words Archibald ever heard on the shores of bonnie England as his head hit the pier and the darkness crept over him once again.

AUTHOR BIO

K.R. Thompson lives in southwest Virginia with her husband, son, three cats, and an undeterminable amount of chickens.

An avid reader and firm believer in magic, she spends her nights either reading an adventure or writing one.

She still watches for evidence of Bigfoot in the mud of Wolf Creek.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE – WEBSITE / BLOG – FACEBOOK – TWITTER – GOOGLE+ - GOODREADS

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A FAIRY TALE ROMANCE

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – A Fairy Tale Romance

AUTHOR – Elodie Parkes

GENRE – Contemporary Erotic Fantasy romance

PUBLICATION DATE – December 15, 2014

LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – Words 15,000

PUBLISHER – Evernight Publishing

COVER ARTIST – Jay Aheer for Evernight Publishing

BOOK SYNOPSIS

When delectable Thorn Valmont buys an old palace to renovate on the Mediterranean coast, he never dreams it will cost him his freedom.

Thorn is part of an aristocratic family. He’s a prince and must find his princess to solve a puzzle he inherits from the ancient owners of the Mediterranean palace.

Will he find her in time to stop his loneliness destroying him completely?

BUY & TBR LINKS

Evernight – Amazon US – Amazon UK - All Romance Books – Bookstrand

EXCERPT - 18+ erotic teaser

Grace took a breath, she whispered against his lips. “Would it be too soon to unzip your jeans, to slip you inside me, to rock on your oh so hard erection? You set me longing for sex, longing for the feel of you thrusting into me.”

Thorn’s eyes snapped open. He could hardly believe his ears. He saw her face through a daze of lust. “I’d love it. I’m desperate for you. You have to know that.”

He hadn’t finished his sentence and she had opened the zipper of his jeans. She knelt so that he could raise his hips and slide the jeans down his thighs.

The white sand felt cool under his ass. His cock ached. His stomach muscles were so tightly clenched with the need to fuck he could hardly breathe. Thorn watched Grace push aside the pale blue fabric of her bikini panties between her legs. His breath left him in a whoosh as she grasped his cock to guide the head to her entrance, and then with exquisite slowness sat down onto it so that he felt every inch of the warm, wet, glide in.

She straddled across his lap, her knees in the sand and her inner thighs against the skin of his outer thighs. She held the V of his hips and rode his cock.

COPYRIGHT Elodie Parkes and Evernight Publishing 2014 All Rights Reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elodie Parkes is a British author writing romance, erotic, contemporary, and often with a twist of mystery, paranormal or suspense. Her books are always steamy, cool stories and hot love scenes.

Elodie lives in Canterbury with her two dogs. She works in an antique shop by day and writes at night, loving the cloak of silent darkness that descends on the rural countryside around her home.

Elodie writes for, Hot Ink Press, Moon Rose Publishing, Eternal Press, Secret Cravings, Evernight, Siren and Ra Jones Anthology

She has also released titles as an individual indie author.

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