Anna Paige is the author of the Broken series, the Thrill of the Chase series, and several sexy standalones including Off Script, Holding Out for You, and Tailspin (A Driven World Novel.)
She lives in a rural town in North Carolina where the only activity is the rhythmic color change of the solitary stoplight and a very real threat of being carried away by mosquitoes. The only alternative to terminal boredom is writing, making life interesting if only on the page.
Anna is happily married, with one amazing son and a hilarious rescue pup who is part boxer, part goat, and part dingo—at least that’s the theory after two incredible and entertaining years with him. When she’s not writing, she’s trying to make a dent in her TBR pile. Given that she’s constantly adding new titles to the list, the chances of her ever finishing are slim.
Title: Traitors & Tyrants Author: Stephanie Dunham Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
heir mother is a traitor. Their father is a tyrant. They know their enemies.
Hector is inheriting a kingdom in turmoil, one that is ready to retaliate after the many years of tyranny they have endured under a now-unstable king. Amidst a mounting coup, Hector is plagued by demons bent on hunting and killing him. Protecting himself will cost him the kingdom and countless lives. But Hector will do anything to protect his people – even if it means giving up his soul.
Kierra has lived her entire life inside a prison, watching her mother tend to everything but her. Hatred and rage fuel her magic, killing everything in her path. After years of neglect, she is ready for bloody, death-filled vengeance. But Kierra has a problem: she is being hunted. When demons infiltrate her home, she reluctantly follows her mother’s plan to free the imprisoned demon overlord, but freeing him will have dire consequences Kierra isn’t prepared for.
Stephanie has been writing for the better part of 10 years now and reading for many more. Her favorite genres are fantasy and mystery/thrillers. When she isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys a good laugh while watching The Office or chilling with her family.
When Lexi Blair comes home to Little City from LA for Christmas, she gets the surprise of her life—the ex-fiancé she thought was dead is very much alive and wants her back!
It’s Christmas Eve and Lexi’s seen a ghost. Or . . . she thought he was a ghost until her mom admits to faking his death so Lexi would come home for Christmas.
After a humiliating run-in with her ex—which results in Lexi disowning her mother—she hides out at her best friend’s tree farm, babysitting a nameless puppy while her friend and hubby tend to a family emergency.
But farm life comes with a few perks Lexi isn’t expecting—mainly a hunky farmhand who’s helping Lexi run the place until her friends return.
While Lexi ran from Little City, John ran to it, and she quickly learns he’s healing from past hurts of his own.
Can Lexi and John stop running before it’s too late?
Who could possibly be here this early? How did they get past the gate? I know I locked it last night. Footsteps echo on the front porch as if the guy out there is moving around to peek in the other windows. Prince William whines as if I’m crushing him. I’m thankful for the distraction. I press my finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet, as if he knows what I mean.
“Lexi?” Okay, that definitely isn’t Dad’s voice. How do they know my name? And what kind of idiot waits until Christmas morning to get their Christmas tree?
“Lexi, it’s John.” My shoulders suddenly slump down as they release all the tension they’ve been holding. Right, of course. Briar mentioned John had his own key. There’s more shuffling on the porch as I stand. “John Johnson,” he says.
My cheeks burn with embarrassment and I hope the blast of cold air I get when I open the door is enough to keep them from turning red.
“Sorry, John. I . . . uh . . .” I have no idea what to say. Here I’m meeting Dax’s cousin for the first time, and I thought he was some sort of axe murderer. A very good-looking axe murderer, mind you. He’s older than I thought, and Dax wasn’t kidding, John could pass for Dax’s brother instead of his cousin. His close-cropped, dark brown hair is lightly sprinkled with grey, unlike Dax’s. He’s old enough I feel like I should not have been thinking of him as good looking, but handsome enough I’m thankful I wiped that drool off my cheek.
After slipping on my shoes and stepping outside, I put Prince William down so he can finish what he started in the house. He sniffs John’s feet then follows a winding scent trail leading him a few feet away from the front steps.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” John says, noticing Prince William’s pee puddle from last night. “I hope it’s not too early.”
I have no idea what time it is, but it seems a little less dark than it was when I was in the house. Must be near dawn.
“Just thought I should let you know it’s me heading to the barn and not some random stranger.” He gestures past the large greenhouse, but it’s still dark enough the greenhouse is really all I see since it’s lit from the inside. I make a mental note to explore the property with Prince William once it’s light enough. “In case you saw the truck lights,” he adds. “The horses like to be fed at the same time every day.” All right then. So, I guess I can expect an early wake-up call every day.
Then I pause as what he says sinks in. There are horses here. I wrack my brain. Briar never mentioned horses—I’m sure of it.
“Okay,” I say, feeling like the conversation has come to an end but not sure how to excuse myself. I’m such a dork. My t-shirt and sweats aren’t enough layers for this Christmas morning, and I fold my arms into my chest and rub my arms a little.
“I won’t keep you,” he says, extending his right hand and glancing at my sock feet. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ll be back later. There’s always at least one person who’s forgotten a hostess gift on their way to dinner and stops in hoping to grab a poinsettia.” He chuckles. “The horses will be wanting theirdinner by then too.”
“Nice to meet you too,” I say, shaking John’s hand. His hand is warmer and softer than I expected. He turns around and heads toward the greenhouse, stopping to scratch Prince William’s ears. He turns back at the last minute.
“Merry Christmas, by the way,” he says and waves as he gets into his cherry red Chev.
Michelle Cornish is a recovering CPA with a passion for stories. Writing mostly romance and women’s fiction with strong female heroines, Michelle’s books often include nods to her former life as a CPA. When Michelle’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her two boys and husband in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada.
