Limerence by L.S. Delorme (VNBtM, review, and GIVEAWAY)

 

Limerence

by 

LS Delorme

Blurb:

Kara and Dante.

You may not know them by name, but you know them by deed. You feel them in the space between dreams and reality, in the inevitable crawl of time.

They have burned continents and sunk kingdoms. They’ve been worshipped and feared. Those in power call them demons. Those above power call them monsters.

They aren’t human but they once were. To each other, they are survivors, eternal mates and lovers. Their attraction is at the very foundation of existence.

When a virus older than memory returns, Dante must find a way to contain it before it injures Kara and corrupts the fabric of reality. Ghosts vanish, worlds shift, and the laws of physics can no longer be trusted.

As reality collapses, the two must return to the origin of their timeline to face the Abomination that still lurks there.

Excerpt:

“Whatever this thing is, we have to kill it.  Never mind, I’m taking her out!” Kara snarled.

 

Dante pulled back further, that was when he saw it.  The thing was bigger than a tumour and yet it had tied itself to strands of DNA all through her body.

        

He grabbed the thing and pulled.  He heard of sickening sound that the suspected might be blood vessels bursting…or worse.  When he pulled himself back into his regular form, there was a small reddish blob in his hands.  It looked like yarn or rust, but it felt like melted rubber.  He immediately dropped it.  As he watched, it started to unfold, like a puzzle.   He kicked it across the room away from them where it continued to move and squirm and unwind.    It continued this pattern until it was a shape about 4 feet tall. 

        

This thing was like nothing like he had seen before.   First, it seemed to have difficulty holding on to a continuous shape.  In one form it was covered with what looked like stalks, at the end of each was a purplish nodule or sac.   These stalks waved back and forth.   In another, it resembled a bundled collection of scabs.  But it only held each shape for a few moments before changing in a rolling fashion.  There was a smell coming off it that smelled like some strange mixture of pickles and sugar.  But it wasn’t the flipping image or the smell that made Dante feel queasy.  It was the fact that it seemed imbued with something extra to it.  Something his senses, even as a ghost, could not quite process. 

******************************************

About the Author:

Lexy Shaw Delorme (writing as LS Delorme) is the award-winning author of The Limerent Series, a genre-defying collection of emotionally resonant novels that blend supernatural mystery, psychological thriller, historical fiction, and romantic suspense. With a background as a lawyer, pop musician, and science writer, Lexy brings intellectual depth and lyrical prose to every story she tells. Now based in Paris, she lives with her French husband and two very cool sons. Her work explores themes of limerence, memory, identity, and the echoes of past lives—and she’s not afraid to push boundaries along the way.

The Limerent Series (Books 1–4)

Caio — A supernatural romantic thriller about grief, justice, and forbidden connection.

Bright Midnights — A YA dream-thriller following a magnetic girl caught between dimensions.

Fanning Fireflies — A 1940s historical ghost story and romance centered around race, secrecy, and sacrifice.

Ghosting Academy — A high-stakes psychological thriller with VR technology, elite agents, and spiritual unraveling.

Each book is a standalone yet interwoven through deeper cosmological themes and recurring characters.

Media Recognition & Reviews

Kirkus Reviews praised Caio as "an entertaining fantasy with a dash of macabre eroticism."

Bright Midnights received a coveted BookLife Editor’s Pick from Publishers Weekly, with critics calling it an "enthralling, character-rich narrative."

Fanning Fireflies was IndieReader Approved (4.8/5), described as "an emotionally charged, thought-provoking read."

• The series has been celebrated across the book blogging world as genre-bending, hypnotic, and emotionally gripping.

Awards & Honors

Bright Midnights won the Golden Wizard Book Prize (UK) in the YA Fantasy category.

Caio received a positive “Get It” verdict from Kirkus, signaling quality and appeal.

Fanning Fireflies was awarded near-perfect marks from IndieReader, achieving critical acclaim.

Media & Events

• Featured guest on BBC Radio 2 – The Gabby Roslin Show, discussing Fanning Fireflies and the mythic architecture of the series.

• Interviewed on the What We Reading UK blog and spotlighted by the British Fantasy Society.

• Frequent guest on virtual book tours hosted by LiterallyPR and Goddess Fish Promotions.

• Upcoming panelist and moderator at C2E2 Comic Con 2025.

Reader Response

• Called "a cult classic in the making" by readers.

• Described as having “characters who stay with you long after the last page.”

• Celebrated for blending literary depth with page-turning suspense.

Connect with LS Delorme

Website ~ Instagram ~ TikTok

********************

********************

My review:

4 stars

 

Limerence by LS Delorme follows the very powerful Kate and Dante as they strive to solve the mystery behind the disintegration and disappearance of the beings they monitor and protect. A widespread infection threatens to destroy reality, and they may not be able to counteract it in time.

 

This mind-bending fantasy tale puts a new spin on the evils that take place in the world, with complex explanations that unfold as the main characters search for answers. This book is part of the ‘Limerent’ series, so I suspect that one would appreciate it more if one reads the previous novels. The twists and turns make this a very dense story that is shaped by the intricate rules that combine science and fantasy and corporeal beings and those who are outside of the limitations of physical bodies. I enjoyed the combination of suspense and elements of romance, but this is a story that probably needs to be read multiple times to be truly appreciated, and I struggled to finish it, only to discover that there is more to come. This is a very imaginative and intricate tale that reminds us to consider perspective and unintended or intended results of each action while giving remarkable explanations for major tragedies in the history of mankind.

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

HomeAdrift by Soheil Mirchi (VNBtM, Review, and Giveaway)

 

HomeAdrift

by

Soheil Mirchi

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE: Science Fiction

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

How far can you go before the silence breaks you?

 

Commander Solene Ellis has left Earth behind forever. Now she drifts through the void aboard the colony ship Nia Kvara, watching over 100,000 colonists in hibernation. Only Ava, the ship’s AI, keeps her company.

 

The voyage spans 3,000 years, but for Solene, time comes in fragments—fleeting moments of wakefulness between long, frozen sleeps. Hours blur into decades. Memories unravel. In the stillness, she begins to lose track not only of time, but of herself.

 

And solitude in deep space doesn’t stay quiet for long. Whispers echo where no one should be. Shadows shift just beyond her vision. A mysterious vessel appears in the void. Even Ava starts to act… strangely.

 

As reality fractures, Solene must face a terrifying question: is something out there hunting them—or has her own mind become the true threat?

 

For readers of literary science fiction, space horror, and character-driven psychological drama, HomeAdrift is a story of isolation, survival, and what it means to find home when there's nowhere left to go.

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

I’m floating, or maybe I’m not. It’s impossible to tell. There’s no sensation of movement, no whisper of air against skin, no gentle tug of gravity to anchor my existence. Here, in this place—or non-place— there is only the void. I open my eyes, or at least I think I do. But there’s no change, no shift in perception. No flicker of shadow or glimmer of light. It’s a uniform nothingness that stretches into infinity. There’s a comfort in this, a release from the burdens of identity and existence, the weightless freedom from being. Here, there’s no past to regret, no future to fear, no present to endure. There’s no sorrow, no joy, no pain⁠—⁠no feelings to feel. I am the void, and the void is me.

 

Amazon buy link

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

The world is overwhelming. The lives we chase, the norms we follow, the time we waste, and the dreams we forget. I write to process. To understand. To make sense of it all.

I write because I run into walls—again and again. Walls that stop me from speaking, from connecting.

So I write. It's how I find my way through.

My debut novel, HomeAdrift, is a story of isolation, identity, and survival—told through the lens of space, but rooted deeply in the human need for home.

 

 Website

Amazon author page

Goodreads

Instagram

********************

My review:

3.75 stars

 

HomeAdrift by Soheil Mirchi follows Solene Ellis as she shepherds a mammoth colony ship to its destination hundreds of light-years away in an effort to escape the impending supernova threatening the future of Earth and its inhabitants. Despite all of her training to be the sole person who rouses from hibernation during the stages of this incredible journey, she soon discovers far more challenges than she ever imagined.

 

This compelling science fiction story is thought-provoking and disconcerting. The author utilizes vivid imagery and word portraits to convey both the immensity of her responsibilities and the frightening unknown that is facing this collection of intrepid explorers. There are several areas of social commentary that remind the reader of the interconnectedness of the world and prompt one to truly think about the butterfly effect. I love the nerdy scientific aspects of the journey and the eerie twists and turns as reality stretches and danger mounts, but I wasn’t happy about the ending because it left me with more questions than answers.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Love in Mission City: The Wedding Duet by Gabbi Grey (spotlight)

 

Love in Mission City: The Wedding Duet 

by

Gabbi Grey

Love in Mission City: The Wedding Duet Synopsis

 

The Wedding Duet includes a novella and short story

Mission City is tucked in the charming Cedar Valley in southwestern British Columbia. If you love heartwarming, contemporary small-town gay romances, then come home to Mission City and fall in love with the men and women who live there. Romance shows up in the unlikeliest places. And trouble has a way of finding them...

Too Much in Love to Care

Taryn Briggs found the love of her life when she stopped to tow a stranded car owned by a beautiful blonde. Now she and Stephanie are engaged and planning their trip down the aisle. Life's just about perfect, but the one thing that would make it better for Taryn would be getting her brother Lachlan to show up for the ceremony. The only problem? Stephanie's brother Cooper is already a member of the wedding party, and the two men get along like cats and dogs. But surely Lachlan and Cooper can set their friction aside, just for one day?

Too Much in Love to Care is a 10k short story about a classic engagement, crazy wedding planning, two headstrong brothers, and a lesbian wedding to remember. This story first appeared in the anthology Love is All Volume 8.

Never Thought I’d Want You

Cooper Gander adores his sister, Stephanie. He's thrilled to be standing at her side as best man while she marries the woman she loves. He's determined to make the day go well and not get derailed by the presence of Taryn's brother Lachlan, a guy way too hot to have that stick up his ass. One day, and then Cooper won't have to see his annoying brother-in-law-to-be more than once in a blue moon. He can handle one day.

Lachlan Briggs will do anything for his baby sister. Even stand next to loud and proud Cooper, her fiancée's brother, in the wedding party. So what if Cooper evokes every emotion from envy to irritation to lust, dialed up to 11? This wedding isn't about them. Lachlan can control himself, keep his mouth shut, and ignore Cooper for just one day.

Never Thought I’d Want You is a 15k word enemies-to-lovers, opposites-attract, age-gap gay romance between a by-the-book lawyer, a freespirited advertising executive, and the wedding no one will ever forget. This novella first appeared in the anthology Save the Date.

 Add it to Goodreads

 

Exclusive Excerpt

 

Never Thought I’d Want You

Cooper

Stephanie watched me intently. She did that—let me work through my ruminations until I was able to come to a conclusion. Hell, sometimes not even that. Sometimes I needed time to find the next sentence. “I could hit on the server again.”

“To make Lachlan jealous?”

I squinted. “Steph, he’s straight. Like a ramrod. Did you see that picture of him and what’s-her-name?”

“Lydia? I thought they made a striking couple, but she wasn’t right for him. He needs someone…softer. More considerate. Less self-obsessed.”

I eyed my sister. I didn’t think Lachlan deserved any of those things. I sighed. “He hates me.”

“He doesn't hate you. Look—just keep him busy. He likes to be busy. He's busy all the time—no vacation time for Lachlan Briggs.”

“Fine, then. He and I can do all the last-minute wedding stuff.”

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Universal Book Link

 ****************************

Bio

 

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Personal links:

Newsletter sign-up 

Website

Instagram

Bookbub

Goodreads

Amazon Author Central

Audible Profile

Facebook page

 

All or None by Clive Fleury (Spotlight, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

 

All or None

by 

Clive Fleury

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

GENRE: Cozy Mystery

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Returning to Sydney, Detective Ramesh Ryan is promoted to the Homicide Squad. Zoe Yang joins him there. Now a detective herself, she is assigned as his junior partner. Straight up, the cops are off and running—investigating the discovery of a murdered company director. Following the clues, Detective Ryan finds that this and a second murder may be linked to past events.

 

As the pressure mounts for a quick solution to the case, the detective finds that he too, is in the killer’s crosshairs. But Ryan is distracted from the investigation by a romantic encounter with an old university friend. He also worries about his mother, Mumta, and her new obsessive desire for grandchildren from her only son. Could this be linked to her recent medical tests? And there’s another pressing problem—the plague of rats in his apartment block.

 

Detective Ryan’s hands are well and truly full.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

Arriving in Sydney’s city center, Tommy parked. “Come back here when you’re finished,” he instructed the passengers before they disembarked to join the other protestors.

 

After everyone left, the reluctant driver ate the chicken and avocado sandwich his wife had made, lay across the back seat, and closed his eyes for a nap. 

When he awoke, the march was ending. The crowd was dispersing, and people were heading home. 

 

Tommy picked up his camera. Anne had reminded him to take a picture, which she would use to advertise the Transit van’s services. He attached it to a tripod and then joined the passengers lined up along the side of the truck for a group photo.

 

After that, Tommy set off at high speed, ignoring the rain that was now hurtling down. He was desperate to get back to see the end of the match, so it was only twenty minutes later that the van reached the top of Clifton Hill and began its descent.

 

The van picked up too much speed; Tommy tried to brake as the vehicle skidded on the wet, greasy bitumen. Passengers’ screams rent the air as the Transit spun around and out of control. It finally left the road, gliding across silky grass before plunging over the cliff into the angry, foaming ocean waters below.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Clive Fleury is an award-winning writer of books and screenplays and has worked all over the world as a Film/TV director, writer and producer. He has written six books, most recently 'All Or None', the second novel in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series.

 

All Or None sees Detective Ryan back in the thick of things. His latest investigation into a mysterious death couldn’t come at a worse time. He discovers his mother is hiding a troubling secret and is further sidetracked by a new romance. Fans of who dunnit's, crime thrillers, and cop and detective stories will love this novel. 

 

Clive's other books include 'Off Season' - book one in the Detective Ryan Murder Mystery series; 'Kill Code' - a dystopian science fiction novel set in a world facing climate change;  ‘Scary Lizzy’  - a novel about an eight year old girl, who befriends an African child ghost –  and the teen action adventure book; ‘The Boy Next Door ‘ -  a story of what happens when a teenage girl has a crush on her next door neighbor, who isn’t all he seems.  He also co-wrote ‘Art Pengriffin and The Curse of The Four’ - a young adult fantasy adventure about a teenage boy who discovers his father was Merlin the Magician.

 

Facebook

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Goodreads

Amazon

*******************************

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN gift card

*******************************

My review:

4 stars

 

All or None by Clive Fleury is part of the ‘Detective Ryan mystery series’ and features Ryan and his new partner, Agnes, as they adjust to working together in a different location with different colleagues. Dealing with a mounting body count, unsupportive colleagues, and a boss who wants immediate results, the pair struggles to find a harmonious working relationship and decipher the clues before time runs out.

 

This is an entertaining contemporary suspense story that doles out pertinent clues, offers lots of red herrings, and shifts through multiple points of view. The story starts a little slow and builds up momentum just like the runaway van described in the opening. I enjoyed the glimpses of Ryan’s personal life and his strong connection to his mom, but wished for a bit more in-depth revelations about some of the other characters. Although the main storyline is resolved, there are a few dangling threads that piqued my interest, and I was disappointed that they will remain a mystery, at least for now. I was fascinated by the variety of murder techniques employed, but a bit overwhelmed by the myriad of voices that had brief appearances. Nonetheless, this was a fun read, and a great glimpse of life in a different part of the world.

 

A copy of this story was provided for review

A Furever Home by Kaje Harper & Gabbi Grey (A Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue Romance book)

 

A Furever Home

by

Kaje Harper

Gabbi Grey

A Furever Home Synopsis

 

Arthur

When I was squeezing seven rescue dogs and a horde of cats in my small house, all I wanted was to not turn away a pet in need. Opening the Safe Haven Pet Rescue was a dream come true. But when I get hurt, standing between a man with a gun and a stray dog, I realize I still can't do it all.

My injured leg, a concussion, having to lean on my friends, and realizing how helpless I feel, throws me back to my childhood when nothing I did ever seemed to be enough. But there's one silver lining. Brooklyn West. He's the kind of guy who holds a stranger’s hand in a crisis. He's great with my dogs, even cranky little Chili, and really seems to want to help the shelter. I like watching him be a protective big brother when his sister turns up on his doorstep, even though I think there's pain underneath his sunny smiles. But as we move toward friendship, I keep looking for the strings, for the catch, and wondering how I'll pay him back, because nothing in my life can be that sweet, or that simple.

Brooklyn

I went through a slice of medical hell, and came out the other side with enough money to move to the opposite side of the country and start the doggie daycare business of my dreams. The cherry on top of that good luck is meeting Arthur Bjornsson. Big, wild-bearded, soft-voiced Arthur is the kind of guy my family would've ridiculed. He's warm-hearted and willing to throw himself into harm's way right in front of my eyes to save one pathetic stray dog.

He's the kind of guy who gives me back some faith in humanity. But when my underage sister Cheyenne shows up on my doorstep, on the run from the family I thought I'd escaped, my old life and new collide. I want to help Arthur, get to know him, and, as he heals, I want more than just friendship. But Cheyenne brings legal risks, a teen on the other side of my bedroom wall, and the threat of retribution from our family. The simple relationship I thought Arthur and I were building is suddenly messy as hell. I don't know how we'll get through this to reach the furever home I so desperately want.


A Furever Home is a fur-baby-filled, hurt-comfort, small town romance between two men whose only chance at a family is to build one themselves.

 

Add it to Goodreads

 

 

Exclusive Excerpt

 

So many flashing lights.

I’d let go of Arthur—albeit reluctantly, though he was in good hands—and come to find Kevin. Because that felt like a vaguely logical thing to do.

Smart kid had finally run when Arthur ordered him to. Well, after multiple attempts, but yeah, when the shot went off, the kid ran. He’d apparently sent the sheriff’s deputy and her partner around to the back. While she and the other officer dealt with Frank, Kevin had then flagged down the paramedics and, once Frank was secured, they’d hustled to get to Arthur.

Now the teenager paced back and forth on the sidewalk, phone in hand, glancing from the side yard to the house behind us. “I can’t believe the guy shot Arthur. Did you see that? Arthur has to be okay. Right? That Frank guy would’ve shot the dog, too. That dog was not a coyote. Sure, they sometimes come to the river, but they mostly stay in the forest over by the base. And there was a fence. I doubt the dog was even attacking his chickens. Something else probably did, so he had no reason to shoot at her. Or him. I didn’t get a good look. Did you?”

Before I could answer, he drew in a breath.

“I still can’t believe—”

I held up my hand. “Have you called your dads?” Dads…right? That’s what Arthur had said? I’d been a little focused on the man who was putting himself between the gun and the kid with the dog. “How old are you?”

“Thirteen. And yes, I’ve called my dads. Well, I called Alec because I hoped he’d be a little less angry. When I realized I’d miscalculated, I hung up and called Dad.”

“Did you hang up on him too?” I eyed his phone with the suspiciously dark screen.

“You’ll be okay.” At the female paramedic’s voice, I spun to see her and her partner wheeling the stretcher.

Arthur looked deathly pale against the white sheet, and panic surged within me. I wanted to stalk over and demand to know if he was going to be okay.

Except they appeared to be very focused, and anything that might delay the trip to the hospital would be bad.

I heard shouts of, “Kevin. Kevin!”

The young man and I pivoted to see two men being held back by a female police officer from one of the four patrol cars now parked haphazardly along the street.

“You can’t go down there, sirs.” The woman couldn’t be more than perhaps twenty-four…so a couple years younger than me. Not much of a force to be reckoned with, against two determined guys a decade older.

“Dad!” Kevin waved.

The officer glanced at us as I encouraged Kevin to move toward two rather harried-looking men. The shorter and slimmer of the two kept running a hand through his straight brown hair. The taller and broader guy waved agitatedly at Kevin. And despite Kevin being skinny and not tall for thirteen, he really did favor the bigger guy with matching snub noses and wavy hair and something about the shape of their eyes. Dad, I presume. And the other one must be Alec.

“Officer—” I called.

“Branson.”

“Right.” I tried to smile even as the ambulance pulled away, siren blaring.

Using that momentary distraction, Kevin’s fathers slipped past Officer Branson to snatch the young man into their arms, the likely bio dad sweeping him into a hug while the shorter guy hugged them both and clutched the kid’s sleeve like he wasn’t ever going to let go. After a moment, the bio dad said, “Let’s get you home.”

“Hey—” Branson shouted, striding toward the huddled family.

“Officer Branson?”

She met my gaze.

“He just saw someone get shot—”

“Which makes him a witness. We’ve got officers who’ll need to take his statement.”

“I’d prefer you start with me. I saw what happened.” Whether I could be a great witness was an entirely different story. Everything had happened so fast.

“And you are?”

“Brooklyn. Brooklyn West. I was walking down the street, and I heard a gunshot, and—”

“Sir.” She held up a hand. “I’ll need to take your statement as well, but perhaps not at this exact moment.” Even as she said the words, the front door of the house opened.

The sheriff’s deputy and the other officer guided a handcuffed Frank down the driveway and to their car.

Frank whined, “Someone’s got to look after my chickens. That damn coyote will come back and eat them—”

“It’s not a coyote!” Kevin actually yelled the words. “That’s what I was trying to tell you. The dog’s a pittie—”

“Kevin.” The dad who had his arm protectively around the boy squeezed his shoulder. “Maybe let’s let the police do their job. He had a gun.”

 

Links:

Universal Book Link: https://books2read.com/AFureverHome

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FD8NX9DT

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-furever-home/id6751341547

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-furever-home-3

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=K7Z_EQAAQBAJ

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-furever-home-kaje-harper/1148093812

Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1837744

***********************************

Bio – Gabbi Grey

 

USA Today Bestselling author Gabbi Grey lives in beautiful British Columbia where her fur baby chin-poo keeps her safe from the nasty neighborhood squirrels. Working for the government by day, she spends her early mornings writing contemporary, gay, sweet, and dark erotic BDSM romances. While she firmly believes in happy endings, she also believes in making her characters suffer before finding their true love. She also writes m/f romances as Gabbi Black and Gabbi Powell.

Newsletter sign-up: https://sendfox.com/gabbigrey

Website: https://gabbigrey.com/

 

Bio – Kaje Harper

I get asked about my name a lot, but it's not something exotic. “Kaje” is pronounced like “cage” – it’s an old nickname; my pronouns are she/her. My books are primarily M/M romance, often with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi, paranormal… I also have a few Young Adult stories.

After decades of writing just for fun, my husband convinced me I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts and teachers who speak their minds, and I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received. I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks, print, and some audio, including Amazon bestseller The Rebuilding Year and Rainbow Awards Best Mystery-Thriller Tracefinder: Contact. A complete list with links can be found on my website "Books" page.

All my social media links can be found at https://linktr.ee/kajeharper

And if you like free short stories, check out the weekly Sunday Stories on my FB Group - Kaje's Conversation Corner - https://www.facebook.com/groups/208207893795147/

 

Hear Me by Lynn Crandall (VNbtM, Review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT

Hear Me

by

Lynn Crandall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

GENRE:  Urban Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

BLURB:

 

Atlantis Aeon Ainsley Durham loves running her antique shop, Fancy This, in Old Town Auralia, but takes seriously her mission to work with her fellow Aeons to fight Darkness in her home town. But she’s changing. Her precognition is showing her darker and darker visions of what’s to come. When growing darkness forces her to reevaluate her place in the Aeons and her work, she’s not sure she belongs in either space any longer. Her terrible past urges her to withdraw, not only from her mission but from letting true love in.

 

Bounty hunter turned bonds company owner Keegan Barnes is also an Aeon. He hears things others don’t, and sometimes he wishes he could shut down his clairaudience ability. After all, he doesn’t see how he can help the cause with such a low-key ability. But when he picks up discussions among members of Dark Sides, will he discover just how much he’s been underestimating himself? He’s hiding secrets that keep him from healing his scars and getting close to anyone, most of all Ainsley.

 

Keegan and Ainsley know the efforts the Aeons have been putting in to raise the level of light energy in the city have been helping. But will it be enough to influence others to make choices for good or will Dark Sides take the city? Can they team up to save the city and find true love? Find out in this thrilling book two in the Dark Sides trilogy.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT

 

“Get inside,” Keegan hollered to Jane and Ainsley.

           

“Wait, wait,” Jane yelled, pointing to one of the cars.

 

Men in both vehicles hung out of the passenger windows, guns raised, one aimed on the women, the other on him.

 

He hurtled in front of Ainsley and Jane just in time to allow them to escape inside. Instantly, he dropped to the ground, burning pain sizzling in his shoulder and blood dripping onto the ground.

 

Swiftly, he jumped up and retreated in to the house, slamming the door closed and locking the deadbolt.

 

But he knew those measures wouldn’t stop the people outside who were determined to take them down.

 

Ainsley stopped moving. “You’re hurt.”

 

“It’s nothing. We need to get moving.”

 

“Did you see who they are? I saw Mathias. He was pointing a gun at us.” Jane’s voice quivered. “He’s one of them. I don’t understand.”

 

“We don’t have time to talk about it right now.” Ainsley looked from Jane to Keegan.

 

Keegan tried to calm Jane, whose emotions churned just under hysteria. “I don’t know how those people found us, but we’ll find out. Right now we have to hide.”

 

Jane made an effort to follow his orders. “Now can we get in to the basement?”

 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. That would be the first place they’d look. You all go upstairs,” Ainsley ordered. “Dad, Mom, Jane, Benjamin, go!”

 

“What about you.” Her mother’s lower lip trembled and tears wetted her eyes.

 

“Don’t worry about me. Keegan and I will handle this.”

 

Keegan nodded. “We can’t waste any more time talking. Up with you all.” With that, he ran to the kitchen and lowered the kitchen shades. He grabbed knives, a rolling pin, and the one gun he’d seen in a kitchen drawer earlier.

 

He sensed Ainsley in another room, gathering potential weapons, he supposed. He nearly ran into her as she flew into the dining room at the same time, reaching for a heavy glass vase, the same one he was after. He put down his supplies and grasped her shoulders.

 

“We can do this.” He knew it in his heart. No other outcome was inside him, other than protecting the family, to protect Ainsley.

 

Her eyes pierced his, and his heart went out to her. She had so much at stake. But so did he. “I’m not about to lose you just when—”

 

She put two fingers to his lips. “I know. Same for me.”

 

Steady pounding at the back door resounded through the house. He grabbed the gun. “You send a message to the Aeons to let them know Dark Aspects are here, so be wary.”

 

“I will.”

 

She closed her eyes briefly, and he felt her focusing on her message, sending it out as fast as she could.

 

Keegan dashed to the kitchen window and snuck a peek through the blinds.

 

His heart pumping hard, he saw Diane out back and Barry Russell standing beside her.

 

“Harder,” Diane chanted to the men at the back door. “Get inside there. Hit harder.”

 

“This door must be reinforced,” Russell shouted. “Or they’d have already knocked it in.”

 

Keegan dropped the blinds, readying to shoot if the door gave way. He glanced around the room, wishing he had more time, to prepare, to protect the others. Nothing stood out to him as an effective weapon to stop the intrusion.

 

He nodded to himself, knowing what he had to do. He didn’t hesitate.

 

He laid the gun on the counter and strode across the kitchen. He stood for one nano-second in front of the door. The beating against it rattled the windows and drowned out all other sounds.

 

He saw Ainsley out of the corner of his eye, at the same moment Jane ran up to her.

 

“I’m going to help,” she said, and grabbed the rolling pin. “I’m not afraid any more.”

 

Ainsley heard her but just barely. Her feet moved numbly toward Keegan, but he was already pulling the door open. So swiftly, he was out and being wrestled to the ground.

 

Over the din, she heard him holler, “Close it and lock it!”

 

Then he was down and she felt his energy diminish. Her heart crashed to the bottom of her gut. “No!” she yelled.

 

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Draft2Digital

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

After cutting her writing teeth as a feature writer for commercial and trade magazines, a reporter for newspapers and radio, and an executive editor for a communications company, award-winning author Lynn Crandall tuned her voracious appetite for stories to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, women’s fiction, and romantic suspense. In her books, she enjoys taking readers on emotional journeys with relatable characters who refuse to back down, and face challenges and tribulations with heart and soul. She believes every love has a story, and hers is with one handsome husband and a large, beautiful circle of family, including her cat Winter.

 

 

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest 

TikTok @lynnkelynnwriter

Substack

**************************

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**************************

My review: